These healthy homemade chunky cut air fryer chips will be your new go-to side dish!
We tell you the best potatoes for chips, how to cut them chunky, how to cook chips in the air fryer, and how long chips take to cook in an air fryer.
Crispy chips without a deep-fat fryer or excessive oil use! This recipe is great for low-fat diets, Slimming World, and Weight Watchers.
These air-fried chips can also be made ahead, are suitable for freezing, and can be cooked from frozen.
So what are you waiting for? Let's show you how to make homemade chips in air fryer.
How to make homemade air fryer chips?
Making homemade air fry chips couldn't be easier; keep on reading below after the recipe for more cooking tips and serving suggestions.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Air Fryer Chips - Healthy Homemade Chunky Cut
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Medium Potatoes - Maris Piper or King Edwards
- 1 tablespoon Rapeseed Oil - or Canola / Vegetable / Olive Oil
- Salt - to taste
- Pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Peel potatoes - this is optional, can be cooked with skin.4 Medium Potatoes
- Chop potatoes lengthways into 2 or 3 strips (depending on the size of the potato!)
- Rinse or soak with cold water to remove starch.
- Place into a saucepan of cold water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, time for 5-7 minutes.
- They should be soft enough to pierce with a fork. Do not over boil or they will fall apart!
- Use a slotted spoon and place chips on a wire rack - allow them to air dry whilst the Air Fryer preheats.Preheat Air Fryer to 200°C / 400°F
- Coat chips with oil.1 tablespoon Rapeseed Oil
- OPTIONAL If making ahead, place them in a food bag now and freeze until wanted.
- Place in the air fryer and cook for 15-20 minutes
- Add your desired amount of salt and pepper.Salt, Pepper
- Serve!
Video
Nutrition
Our Air Fryer Chips recipe was originally published on 13/08/2021. It was modified on 01/07/2024 with a more straightforward layout to make getting to the recipe card easier and improved advice.
Best potatoes for chips?
We find that Maris Piper, King Edwards, or Russet potatoes are the best potatoes for homemade chips in the UK.
You don't have to peel potatoes before cooking, it is up to you! Our kids prefer them peeled, and we don't mind either way!
How to cut potatoes into chips?
We love thick chunky chips like, you get in pubs or the fish and chip shop!
Depending on the size of the potatoes used, cut each strip into 2 or 3 strips on its longest length, then cut each strip into 3 again. As a rough guide, aim for the length and width of your fingers!
You could square the potato off first to make even sized chips, but I think that is a complete waste of food, so I don't do that!
Rinse or soak the cut chips to remove excess starch.
Do I need to parboil chips before air frying?
When making chunky chip shop-style chips in the air fryer, it is much better to parboil first. This will result in the perfect chip: soft and fluffy on the inside with a crispy chip outer.
Add chips to a saucepan of cold water, bring to a boil then time for 5-7 minutes.
Once they are soft enough to pierce with a fork remove them from the water and onto a wire rack.
This allows them to air dry whilst the air fryer is warming up!
Best oil for chips?
Most oils are suitable for air-fried chips, we have used rapeseed oil as it is known in the UK, which is known as Canola Oil in America.
Feel free to use vegetable, sunflower, olive, avocado, or coconut oil.
We use a pastry brush to coat the parboiled chips evenly with a small amount of oil.
You could also use Frylight or an oil sprayer. These are especially good for those cooking homemade chips following a low-fat diet, Slimming World, or Weight Watchers.
Cooking chips in the air fryer
It is best to keep to a single layer of chips inside the air fryer, cooking too many at once will cook the chips unevenly.
Time will vary depending on how thick you cut the chips, different air fryer models and how well you like them cooked!
How Long to Cook Chips in Air Fryer
Cook homemade parboiled chips in a preheated air fryer at 200°C / 400°F for between 15-20 minutes.
Once cooked it is time to season your chips keep it simple with salt & pepper. Try our chilli vinegar for a spicy kick.
Can I make homemade chips ahead?
Yes these homemade can be made in advance, in fact, I highly recommend it!
Simply make the chips up to the parboiled and coat with oil stage, then place in a freezer bag and freeze your chips until needed.
Frozen chips in airfryer
Surprisingly frozen chips still take about the same time to cook from frozen as fresh chips! Chunky cut frozen chips will take about 15-20 minutes at 200°C / 400°F.
You are ready to serve your homemade air-fried chips! Perfect as they are, or as a side dish to many recipes!!!
Such as our Gammon Egg and Chips, Spicy Chicken Burger, Rump Steak, or Battered Fish. Or for lunch with Natasha's BLT Sandwich.
We hope you enjoy these Homemade Chunky Cut Air Fryer Chips as much as we do!
Serving Suggestions
Looking for something to serve with your chips, try our Jamaican Beef Patties our Honey Garlic Chicken Wings or Puff Pastry Pizza Wheel.
Air Fryer Potato Recipes
Looking for more air fryer potato ideas? Check out our Bacon in the Air Fryer, Air Fryer Jacket Potatoes, Air Fryer Roast Potatoes or Curried Potato Wedges.
Stephen says
Turned out lovely, just the job!
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for trying out our air fryer chips, Stephen! We're so glad they turned out lovely for you and were just the job. 🙂
Frank says
Cool stuff L&K! For anyone using "cheaper" potato options, as we are all (unless you grow your own of course) suffering from the cost of living rises, try not to "over boil" the spuds, as some "roast" potato options, like the Maris Pipers, sliced up into chips, tend to go all soft and have a lot more residue starch from the parboiling step. So would try 2-3 mins max boil with any wonky veg option you got cheap from the reduced supermarket counters! Also, while you are on the final prep step, no need to "waste" even more electricity with an Air Fryer 5 min pre-warming step, simply fill the single / dual air basket up with hot water from the already heated water from your tap.... then tip it out, patting dry with a kitchen towel. do this and you will save at least £50+ a year on energy! Also, with the seasoning step, an amazing "add-in" to make even taster than the chili vinegar is Moruga Scorpion peppers spicy olive oil from Spicy Tropics (join up Luke & Kay get some new hot sauce action going with your amazing recipes!) website. Could not figure out how to attach some photos, from following your great air fryer steps, but trust me, the chips went down a treat, 2 days in a row! PLUS all the potato bits and scrag end peelings, have been put in a tupperware box, with slightly salted water in the fridge overnight, to make into delicious left overs Air Fryer for 5 mins, curly chili skin snacks, which can be nibbled on, instead of opening an expensive bag of crisps on film night!
Luke and Kay says
Hi Frank, thanks for trying our air fryer chips and for your feedback. I'm glad you liked them! 🙂
Thanks for your tips and I hope you try out more of our recipes soon 😉
Nic says
I'm trying to make healthy changes for my family and Air Fryer Chips are perfect. It means the kids can have chips and I'm not worried about them being greasy or cooked in oil! They're sooo tasty!
Kay says
Thank you for your feedback, Nic. We're glad you and your family are enjoying our Air Fryer Chips! They are a great way to enjoy a crispy snack without all the unhealthy fats.
ALL LEEDS ARE WE. says
Happy days, the chip shop has reopened, not had homemade chips like these for years, ever since the wife chucked out my chip pan full of old fat and my football boots. Life never the same even with air fryer or oven. These chips were out of this world, in fact life changing for me. From a big chip loving Yorkshire man, these are the bollocks and a must try.
Kay says
LOL, thank you so much for this comment; it made us chuckle this morning 🙂
Glad you like our air fryer chip recipe, and you thought they were out of this world, enjoy 😉
Natalie says
Excellent recipe. Easy to make and chips turned out delicious. I will definitely make them again.
Kay says
Thanks, Natalie
Glad you liked the recipe, very easy to make and so tasty at the same time 🙂
Enjoy!!
Lindsay says
These look so yummy, my kids are going to love them!
Kay says
Thanks, Lindsay
I'm sure your kids will love the our kids sure did lol 🙂
Enjoy!!
Jerika says
I'm excited to try this recipe, Air Fryer Chips - Healthy Homemade Chunky Cut. I'm sure my kids would enjoy these homemade air fryer chips.:)
Kay says
Thank you so much Jerika 🙂
Hope your kids love the chunky air fryer chips, our kids absolutely loved this recipe!!
Enjoy
Dolly says
These look just like the chips at our local tavern! Yummy!
Kay says
Thanks, Dolly
Glad you liked the air fryer chips recipe 🙂
Enjoy!!
Lara says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! My husband loved these and best of all they’re way healthier than deep fried potatoes!
The Sudden Cook says
My kids will love these!
Kay says
Thanks for the comment 🙂
I'm sure they will, our kids love these chips
Enjoy!!
Sara LaFountain says
Delicious and healthy chips! My kids loved them with their dinner. Easy to make and better for you than french fries.
Kay says
Glad you like our Air Fryer chips 🙂
They are so easy to make and delicious!!
Thanks for the comment and Enjoy 😉
Liz says
Love the idea of using these as a side dish!
Kay says
Thank you Liz for the comment and rating 🙂
Hope you enjoy the air fryer chips!!