Crispy Crunchy Air Fryer Chips

These air fryer chips are golden, CRUNCHY, and about as close as you will get to deep-fried without the deep fry. Creamy in the middle, crisp as anything on the outside, and it all comes from a clever combination of boiling, cornflour and a properly hot air fryer. Minimal oil, maximum crunch. Let's cook!

Why These Air Fryer Chips Work

Crispy air fryer chips, on the plate in about 35 minutes, using barely a tablespoon of oil. The whole thing rests on two steps most people skip: boiling the chips first, then roughing them up in the colander. That is exactly the same principle as a good roast potato, and it works for exactly the same reason, which I explain below. And look, you should know I love a chip. When I worked in restaurants I was forever eating them, because you send a dish and there is guaranteed to be a few left over. That is probably why I have spent so long getting this method right.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Serves: 2 to 3
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Air fryer

Roughing the chips up after boiling is the step that makes all the difference, and it is the same trick I use on roast potatoes. Shaking them about in the colander breaks up the surface and creates far more edges and ridges, which gives the cornflour and the oil something to actually cling to. More surface means more crunch. If you skip the boil and the shake you will still get an OK chip, but for one extra minute of work it is 100 per cent worth doing, every single time.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 large roasting potatoes (look for red-skinned or yellow flesh, suitable for roasting)
• 1 tsp salt, for boiling
• 1 tsp cornflour or cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp Italian herbs (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (or spray oil)
• Kewpie mayo, ketchup, or your favourite dip, to serve (optional)

How to Make Air Fryer Chips

1. Cut and soak: Slice the potatoes into thick chips or wedges, aiming for an even size so they cook consistently. Place them into a pot of cold water with a good pinch of salt.
2. Boil the chips: Bring the pot to a gentle boil and simmer for 6 to 9 minutes depending on chip size. You are aiming for just cooked on the outside, almost cooked in the middle, but still holding their shape. Drain well.
3. Rough them up: Shake the cooked chips in the colander or pan to rough up the edges. This step is key for that crispy exterior. They should look a little starchy and fluffy on the surface.
4. Coat the chips: In a large bowl, toss the chips with the cornflour, a pinch of Italian herbs if using, salt and pepper. You want a thin, even dusting, about 1 tsp of cornflour in total.
5. Preheat and oil: Preheat your air fryer to 190°C (375°F) for 2 to 3 minutes. Then either spray or drizzle the chips with the oil and give them a good shake or toss to coat.
6. Air fry: Cook at 190°C for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking halfway through. They should come out golden, crisp, and irresistible.
7. Serve immediately: Do not leave them sitting in the air fryer drawer once they are done. Open it right away so the steam does not soften them. Plate up with a bit of Kewpie mayo or ketchup and get into it.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Barely any oil: One tablespoon for the whole batch, and you still get proper crunch.
• Creamy middle, crisp outside: The boil sorts the inside, the cornflour and air fryer sort the outside.
• No deep fryer, no mess: No pan of hot oil to deal with and nothing to dispose of afterwards.
• Cheap as anything: A few potatoes and a teaspoon of cornflour feeds two or three people.
• Goes with everything: Steak, burgers, fish, a fakeaway plate, or just a bowl of mayo on the sofa.

Chef's Tips for Air Fryer Chips

Do not skip the boil and the shake: This is the one that matters. Boiling and then roughing the chips up gives the cornflour and oil far more edges to stick to, and that is what turns a decent chip into a genuinely crunchy one. Skip it and you will still get an OK result, but for one minute of extra work it is 100 per cent worth it.

Even sizes cook evenly: Take the time to cut them roughly the same thickness. Mixed sizes means some are burnt while others are still soft in the middle.

Keep the cornflour dusting thin: A teaspoon across the whole batch is plenty. Too much and you get a pasty coating instead of a crisp shell.

Do not crowd the drawer: Chips need air moving around them to crisp. If your air fryer is small, cook in two batches rather than piling them in.

Preheat properly: Putting chips into a cold air fryer means they sit and steam before they start crisping. Two to three minutes of preheating is worth it.

Get them out the moment they are done: Steam trapped in the drawer will soften that crust within minutes. Open it straight away and serve.

Substitutions & Variations

• No cornflour? Plain flour or rice flour both work, though cornflour gives the crispest shell.
• No Italian herbs? Smoked paprika, garlic powder, or just salt and pepper are all great. Season after cooking too.
• Wedges instead of chips: Cut into wedges and add 3 to 5 minutes to the air fryer time.
• Skin on or off: Both work. Skin on saves time and adds texture, peeled gives you a neater chip.
• Loaded chips: Top with grated cheese and put back in the air fryer for 2 minutes, then finish with spring onion.
• Sweet potato version: Skip the boil, as sweet potato is softer to start with, and reduce the air fryer time to 12 to 15 minutes.

Storage

Best eaten fresh: Chips are a plate-and-eat job. That crust starts softening the moment they come out, so serve them straight away.

Fridge: Cooked chips keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the air fryer at 190°C for 4 to 5 minutes to bring the crunch back. You can also boil, rough up and coat the chips a few hours ahead, then keep them covered in the fridge and air fry when you want them.

Freezer: Freeze them after the boiling and roughing up stage, not after cooking. Spread on a tray until solid, then bag them up for up to 3 months and air fry from frozen, adding about 5 minutes.

Avoid: Never reheat chips in the microwave. They will go completely limp and there is no coming back from it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you boil chips before air frying them? Boiling cooks the inside so it goes soft and creamy, and it lets you rough up the surface afterwards. Those roughed-up edges are what the cornflour and oil cling to, which is where the crunch comes from. It is the same principle as a good roast potato.

Do you have to soak chips before air frying? In this method the chips go straight into cold salted water and then onto the heat, so the soak and the boil are the same step. You do not need a separate long soak.

Can you make air fryer chips without cornflour? Yes, and they will still be good. Plain flour or rice flour work as substitutes. But cornflour gives the crispest, lightest shell, and a single teaspoon is all you need.

Why are my air fryer chips not crispy? Usually one of four things: you skipped the boil and shake, the drawer was overcrowded, the air fryer was not preheated, or they sat in the closed drawer after cooking and steamed themselves soft.

What are the best potatoes for air fryer chips? A floury roasting potato, red-skinned or yellow-fleshed. Waxy salad potatoes hold together but will never go properly fluffy inside.

Can you cook these chips in the oven instead of an air fryer? Yes. Spread them on a hot tray in a single layer and roast at 220°C (200°C fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7) for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once. You will get slightly less crunch but the method holds up.

How do you reheat air fryer chips? Back into the air fryer at 190°C for 4 to 5 minutes. Never the microwave.

What do you serve with air fryer chips? Anything, honestly. They are built for a fakeaway plate, brilliant next to steak or fish, and I use them in my Mexican pulled chicken with bean chilli as part of a full Friday night dinner.

You Might Also Like

Air Fryer Recipes I Have Tested - Everything I have put through the air fryer and what actually works, all in one place.

Greek-Style Pork Meatballs with Air Fryer Chips - These chips turned into a full budget dinner with juicy pork meatballs.

Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad with Crispy Rice - A sharp, crunchy salad that cuts through a plate of chips beautifully.

These air fryer chips are the recipe I come back to more than almost anything else, because they prove you do not need a vat of oil to get a properly crunchy chip. Boil them, shake them about, dust them in cornflour, and let a hot air fryer do the rest. Creamy in the middle, shatteringly crisp outside, and barely a tablespoon of oil in the whole batch. Make them once with the boil and the shake and you will never go back to throwing raw potato in the drawer.

Enjoy!

Del x

Boiled, roughed up and dusted in cornflour, these are the crunchiest air fryer chips you will make.