Home Made Oven Chips | Community Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why are my homemade oven chips soggy? ›

Starch on the surface of the chips locks in moisture and causes them to go soggy. Drain the chips and rinse under cold water, then dry thoroughly before cooking. 2. Using enough of the right oil.

Method. Put oven chips on a large baking tray. Drizzle over vegetable oil and sprinkle over smoked paprika, smoked or regular sea sealt flakes, dried rosemary, a small pinch of cayenne pepper and garlic granules; toss well to coat.

Floury potatoes contain much less moisture but can fall apart if overcooked. For chips, we recommend using a maincrop floury potato, like a Maris Piper, which will give you a fluffy inside and crisp outer coating. They will absorb the oil when fried to give you the crunchy chip you're looking for.

Having hot oil is key to getting the potatoes not to stick to the tray and getting a perfect crisp skin. Toss the chips in the hot oil, salt, and place back into the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes until golden. That's it – there isn't anything more to it.

If the oven isn't hot enough to brown the chips on the 'air-side', or if there's not space for the heat to circulate around each chip, they'll be unevenly crisp. Deep-frying also means the oil can penetrate the craggy, broken edges on all sides to make an extra crisp surface.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, and preheat your oil for 10-15 minutes prior to adding the chips. Don't salt the oil, and don't overcrowd the pan, or the oven. Steam is the arch nemesis of the crispy chip. Cook the chips at a high temperature, and turn them halfway through.

"Add a bit of gourmet flair to your fries by sprinkling them with some garlic powder, fresh rosemary, seasoned salt, or fresh virgin-olive [oil] or truffle oil," Koeppe said. As well as adding flavor, a drizzle of oil can also help keep fries from sticking together in the oven.

The Double-Fry Method

When it comes to the actual cooking, you want to fry the french fries twice. The first round is at a lower temperature to cook the inside of the potato and the second time you'll use a higher temperature to make the fries golden brown and crispy.

In the quest for the perfect chip, everything that follows after choice of potatoes has to do with fine-tuning this crust-and-steam process. Most cooks and food scientists agree that the best chips are fried twice: first at a relatively low temperature, then at high heat, which is the go-round when the crust forms.

Recipe Notes

To make sure they stick to the chips, grind any toppings into a fine powder with a spice grinder before seasoning. Storage: The chips can be stored in a zip-top bag at cool room temperature for up to 5 days.

Why homemade potato chips are not crispy? ›

The difference lies in their starch content and structure. Waxy potatoes are amazing for boiling as they keep their shape, but floury potatoes fry up crisper. Use a floury (also called mealy) potato such as Russet or Shepody for your chips and you'll have better success.

Homemade Oven Chips Ingredients

Potatoes – Maris Pipers or King Edwards are ideal, but any kind will also do. Olive oil – Use this to coat the potatoes. Sunflower or vegetable oil is OK too. A light flavour or flavourless is best.

The key to the perfectly crisp oven chip is to save the seasoning until the end of cooking. This is because salt draws out water – in lots of other dishes this intensifies the flavour of each ingredient, but with chips, it can make them turn soggy as they cook.

Remove chips from packaging and spread evenly on a baking tray. Make sure that there is enough space for the chips to cook. Place your tray of chips in the centre of the oven and cook for 20 - 25 minutes. After about 12 minutes, toss and turn your chips to ensure an even crispness.

Stock up on potatoes, get creative with spices and spend one afternoon prepping plenty of bags – these homemade chips will last for up to 6 months in the freezer so this is literally something that you can do 2, 3 times per year depending on how much freezer space you have.

If your oil is too hot, the chips will burn. If the oil is too cold, the chips will become soggy. Sheet Pan with Paper Towels: A sheet pan with paper towels sops up the extra oil and keeps your potato chips crisp and not soggy. Parchment paper can also be used, but it won't soak up the oil as well as paper towels.

* Bring refrigerated toppings to room temperature before piling them onto the warm chips. * To prevent the chips from getting soggy, sprinkle grated or crumbled cheese on top and bake them in the oven for a few minutes. When melted, the cheese will act as a buffer between the chips and toppings.

Use the Oven:Preheat your oven to around 400°F (200°C). Place the soggy chips on a baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure they're not too crowded, allowing for proper air circulation. Bake the chips in the preheated oven for about 5-10 minutes, turning them over halfway through the baking time.

How Do You Keep Homemade Chips Crispy? The key to keeping homemade potato chips crisp is to store them in an airtight container, which protects your chips from outside moisture. Just make sure the chips have thoroughly cooled off for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before sealing them.