Burgers Class

ChefSteps

Mandoline

1/2 Sheet pan(s)

Spice grinder

Baking/Cooling rack(s)

Dutch oven

The Control Freak™ Home

Spider strainer

Fine-mesh strainer

The Control °Freak® induction cooking system

Russet potato(es)

Neutral oil

Kosher salt

Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Choosing the right potato: The best commonly available potato variety to use for chips is the russet (aka Burbank), which has relatively low moisture content. It also has low asparagine and sugar content, which means they cook up crisp, without burning or taking on bitterness. Kennebec potatoes are also a good variety to use for chips.

Before we begin

Thoroughly wash and scrub potatoes, taking extra care to remove any dirt if you plan to make skin-on chips. If making skin-on potato chips, proceed to slicing, otherwise peel potatoes. Fill a large bowl with water.

Using a mandoline, slice potatoes into 1-mm-thick chips if you like crispy Lay’s-style chips, or slice into 2-mm-thick chips if you like crunchy “kettle-cooked” chips. Transfer sliced chips to bowl of water and swish around in water to release excess starch. Let soak for at least 10 minutes and up to overnight. If soaking for longer than 2 hours, cover container and refrigerate until ready to fry.

Wash and slice potatoes

When using a mandoline, it always takes a few tries to dial in the right thickness for the ingredient you’re slicing. To dial in the exact thickness of 1 or 2 mm for potato slices, we recommend slicing 5 to 10 chips at a time, measuring the stack with a ruler or calipers, then doing some simple division to calculate the thickness of each slice, rather than trying to measure the thickness of a single chip.

Dialing in the perfect thickness for chips

Line a 1/2 sheet pan with a double layer of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.

Drain potato chips in a colander and spread an even layer onto prepared sheet pan. Cover with a second layer of paper towels or another kitchen towel and pat dry. Repeat with remaining chips, layering chips between paper towels on sheet pan. Set aside.

Dry chips

Soaking cut chips in water helps to wash away excess surface starches, which can promote uneven cooking and patchy browning (and, sometimes, burning). If you plan on cutting and frying the chips the same day, we recommend soaking the chips in warm water, which will do a better job of washing away excess starches quickly. If you plan on cutting the chips in advance and frying them later, soak the chips in cold water and refrigerate them until you’re ready to fry.

Soaking chips

Place salt and MSG (if using) in a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Transfer to a ramekin and set aside.

Grind salt into a powder

While grinding salt into a powder might seem like a bit of a pain, it’s worth the little extra effort. Powdered salt sticks to chips better than regular kosher or table salt. We provide the option of giving your chip seasoning an umami boost with the addition of MSG. Highly recommended.

Salt that sticks to chips

Set a wire rack inside a 1/2 sheet pan and line with a layer of paper towels. Set next to stovetop along with ramekin of powdered salt.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 3 inches of oil to [f 300] over medium-high heat.

Working in batches, carefully add chips to hot oil from a close distance, taking care not to splash yourself with oil. Cook, using a spider strainer to gently stir and agitate chips, until chips are golden and crispy on both sides, about 4 minutes.

Transfer cooked chips to prepared sheet pan and season immediately with powdered salt. For the most even seasoning, use a small fine-mesh strainer to sprinkle salt over the chips.

Repeat with remaining chips, making sure oil returns to [f 300] for each round.

Fry chips

If using right away, transfer chips to a bowl and serve alongside your favorite dip, sandwich, or as an accompaniment for caviar.

If making chips in advance, transfer chips to a paper towel–lined airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Serve or store for later

Chips are best enjoyed immediately, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

If you store chips overnight and find they’ve lost some of their crispiness the next day, you can refresh them in an oven. Spread chips in an even layer on a wire rack set inside a 1/2 sheet pan (or an air fryer basket) and reheat in a [f 200] oven (on air fry mode if available) until crispy, about 5 minutes.

Make-ahead and storage

Potato chips are delicious—plain and simple. (And if you make them yourself, they’re not really junk food, right?) Whether you like your chips thin and crispy, or you prefer them crunchy “kettle-cooked” style, our chips are sturdy enough to hold up to all sorts of dips. They’re pretty darn good on their own as well.

Potato Chips