How to make potato chips in the microwave with just a potato, mandoline, and a microwave. Oil is optional! Crispy microwave potato chips (microwave crisps) every single time!
I’m not going to lie – these microwave potato chips are, so far, one of my favorite discoveries of this year (although this 2-ingredient sweet potato flatbread (with a pocket!) and accordion potato skewers are close behind). While “healthy” chip brands rave about being baked, not fried, these homemade potato chips are made in a microwave and can be made with or without oil! And they’re truly crispy – not just slightly but like SNAPPABLE potato chips crispy – no limp chewy chips here!
All you need is a potato, mandoline, optionally some oil, and a microwave. With those, you can enjoy microwave potato chips whenever you want! And for those who are microwave weary – I did test oven AND air fryer methods too and have yet to find a single method that works as well as the microwave so far – but I’ll keep digging, of course.
Once prepared, top your microwave chips in whatever toppings/seasonings you like for a healthy or decadent snack!
In fact, the only downside of this method is that it has to be done in fairly small batches, which means that it can take some time even to crisp up a single potato. In fact, one potato will often take 4-6 batches, and at 5 minutes each, that’s 30 minutes. On the plus side, you get to nibble on one batch while you wait for the next, and it’s great for portion control. You can store the leftover slices in the water for longer, so you only have a small snack at one time.
What Potatoes are the Best for Making Chips?
It’s best to use fresh, firm, non-sprouted potatoes. I’ve tested several varieties of potatoes and have found that different potatoes color differently when cooking but haven’t yet had a “bad” result.
Russet potatoes are a good all-around option for microwave potato chips. This method should also work for sweet potatoes and other tubers.
How to Make Potato Chips in the Microwave
Step 1: Slice the potato
You can make these microwave potato chips with or without skin. If you don’t want the skin, then first peel your potatoes (you can keep the peels for Oven-baked Potato Skin Chips). If you do want to peel, then make sure to thoroughly wash/scrub the potatoes first.
Keep whole or chop the potato in half (for ease), then, using a mandoline, slice the potato into thin round slices between 1/8-1/16 inch (1.5-3mm) in thickness. The thinner the better. Slice them directly into a bowl of cold water or as soon as you have a few slices, place them into the bowl while you keep on slicing.
It’s important to keep them in water as it will help keep them from discoloring and start to get rid of excess starch in the potato (which will help the chips become crispier).
Step 2: Rinse and Dry
Rinse the potatoes in the water, swishing them around, and rinsing very well to get rid of as much excess starch as possible. Additionally, you could leave them to soak for 15 minutes before rinsing.
It’s important to dry the potato slices thoroughly. Otherwise, they won’t crisp up easily in the microwave (instead, they’ll steam). I like to do this between two clean dish towels, dabbing and patting them until dry.
Step 3: Microwave the Potato Chips
Arrange slices of potato over a layer of parchment paper (optionally sprayed with a little oil to stop the potato sticking), trying to fit as many as possible without the potato slices touching at all. You can then lightly brush or spray the potato with a little olive oil for “richer” chips or leave them oil-free.
Microwave the potato chips at 100% (high power) for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. If the chips aren’t yet ready, then reduce the power to 50% and cook for a further 30 seconds (or longer), until browned and crisp.
You can re-use the same piece of parchment paper for several batches of microwave chips.
Step 4: Season the microwave potato chips
Though it’s possible to season the chips before they go in the microwave, I prefer to do it to the whole batch post-cooking as it takes less time.
Sprinkle the microwave chips with a little salt and the seasonings of your choice. I used a combination of salt, herbs, parsley, and grated parmesan with homemade ketchup for dipping. However, feel free to stick to more “traditional” potato chip seasonings too.
How To Make Ahead and Store
Make ahead: it’s possible to slice the potato and keep the slices stored, covered, in cold water in the refrigerator for up to a day, meaning you don’t have to make the whole potato in one go.
Store: store the microwave chips in an airtight container for several days – they will eventually become less crispy.
Top Tips For Microwave Potato Chips
- The KEY to microwave potato chips is slicing the potatoes thinly. That’s where the mandoline comes in. Feel free to slice between 1/8-1/16 inch (1.5-3 mm), based on your personal preference. While it’s possible to get some very thing cuts with a sharp knife, you may end up with microwave chips that are thicker and chewier than snappable.
- If you’re making multiple batches at once, it’s a good idea to place parchment paper directly onto the microwave plate. Using another plate in and out of the microwave several times may cause it to crack/break and is a safety hazard.
- The microwave times will vary based on your machine’s power. For that reason, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on them after 3 minutes and every 20-30 seconds thereafter. Ready microwave chips should be browned and crisp.
- It’s important to soak the potato slices to remove the extra starch and allow them to crisp up easier in the microwave.
- This method also works with other root veggies like sweet potatoes though you may want to adjust the times slightly – use this method for a batch, then see if you think they need slightly extra time, etc.
- Using a microwave: it’s important to note that I have yet to find any scientific evidence leading to the conclusion that using a microwave is intrinsically damaging to us. In fact, most studies prove that there is no effect to use, and one even suggests that – in some cases – microwave cooking can be healthier than using an oven.
Other Potato and Chips Recipes
If you try this homemade microwave potato chips recipe, then let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating (below) and would love to see your recreations – just tag @AlphaFoodie.
How To Make Potato Chips In The Microwave (Microwave Crisps)
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes Russet potatoes are a good option
- 1/2 tsp olive oil optional
Suggested Equipment
Instructions
Step 1: Slice the potato
- You can make these microwave potato chips with or without skin. If you don't want the skin, then first peel your potatoes. You can keep the peels for Oven-baked Potato Skin Chips. If you do want to peel, then make sure to thoroughly wash/scrub the potatoes first.
- Keep whole or chop the potato in half (for ease), then, using a mandoline, slice the potato into thin round slices between 1/8-1/16 inch (1.5-3mm) in thickness. The thinner the better. Slice them directly into a bowl of cold water or as soon as you have a few slices, place them into the bowl while you keep on slicing.It’s important to keep them in water as it will help keep them from discoloring and start to get rid of excess starch in the potato (which will help the chips become crispier).
Step 2: Rinse and Dry
- Rinse the potatoes in the water, swishing them around, and rinsing very well to get rid of as much excess starch as possible. Additionally, you could leave them to soak for 15 minutes before rinsing.
- It's important to then dry the potato slices thoroughly. Otherwise, they won't crisp up easily in the microwave (instead, they'll steam). I like to do this between two clean dish towels, dabbing and patting them until dry.
Step 3: Microwave the Potato Chips
- Arrange slices of potato over a layer of parchment paper (optionally sprayed with a little oil to stop the potato sticking), trying to fit as many as possible without the potato slices touching at all. You can then lightly brush or spray the potato with a little olive oil for "richer" chips or leave them oil-free.
- Microwave the potato chips at 100% (highest power) for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. If the chips aren't yet ready, then reduce the power to 50% and cook for a further 30seconds (or longer), until browned and crisp.This time will vary based on how powerful your microwave is, so keep an eye on them so they don't burn.You can re-use the same piece of parchment paper for several batches of microwave chips.
Step 4: Season the microwave potato chips
- Though it's possible to season the chips before they go in the microwave, I prefer to do it to the whole batch post-cooking as it takes less time.Sprinkle the microwave chips with a little salt and the seasonings of your choice. I used a combination of salt, herbs, parsley, and grated parmesan with homemade ketchup for dipping. However, feel free to stick to more 'traditional potato chip seasonings too.
How To Make Ahead and Store
- Make ahead: it's possible to slice the potato and keep the slices stored, covered, in cold water in the refrigerator for up to a day, meaning you don't have to make the whole potato in one go.Store: store the microwave chips in an airtight container for several days – they will eventually become less crispy.
Notes
- The KEY to microwave potato chips is slicing the potatoes thinly. That’s where the mandoline comes in. Feel free to slice between 1/8-1/16 inch (1.5-3 mm), based on your personal preference. While it’s possible to get some very thin cuts with a sharp knife, you may end up with microwave chips that are thicker and chewier rather than snappable.
- If you’re making multiple batches at once, it’s a good idea to place parchment paper directly onto the microwave plate. Using another plate in and out of the microwave several times may cause it to crack/break and is a safety hazard.
- The microwave times will vary based on your machine’s power. For that reason, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on them after 3 minutes and every 20-30 seconds thereafter. Ready microwave chips should be browned and crisp.
- It’s important to soak the potato slices to remove the extra starch and allow them to crisp up easier in the microwave.
- This method also works with other root veggies like sweet potatoes, though you may want to adjust the times slightly – use this method for a batch, then see if you think they need slightly extra time, etc.
- Using a microwave: it’s important to note that I have yet to find any scientific evidence leading to the conclusion that using a microwave is intrinsically damaging to us. In fact, most studies prove that there is no effect to use, and one even suggests that – in some cases – microwave cooking can be healthier than using an oven.
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