Let’s face it. Potato chips are a ridiculously good snack food. Every time I enter a convenience store or a gas station those shiny little 25 cent and 99 cent bags call out to me:
“You need a snack.”
“Get your salt fix.”
“We have so many different flavors. One for every occasion.”
“C’mon. Saaaaaalt. You need salt to survive, don’t you?.”
“We can’t be that bad for you. We’re so small.”
But in reality, potato chips are an incredibly unhealthy snack food. Most potato chip brands sport between 10 and 11 grams of fat per ounce. The equivalent of a tablespoon of butter in about a dozen chips. And who eats less than a dozen chips?
However, there is a simple and easy way to make healthy potato chips at home. Or in a dorm room. Or at the office. All one needs is a microwave.
Microwaved Potato Chips
Making potato chips in the microwave is surprisingly easy. Take your favorite variety of potato–to peel or not to peel is up to you–and thinly slice it using a mandoline or a sharp knife. You are looking for about a 1/16 of an inch cut. Lengthwise makes for a better presentation and ‘dip-ability.’
Then arrange the slices onto a plate. Any parts that touch will stick together. Not too big of a deal. You can break them apart later, but it makes for a less presentable chip. Then microwave the slices for 5 minutes. Flip them. And then microwave them again for 1-3 minutes.
Depending on the power of your microwave, you might need more or less time. Take them out when they are dry and starting to brown. But be careful, they can burn quickly. So keep an eye on them the first time you make them.
Remove the plate from the microwave and let the potato chips cool and crisp up for a few minutes. They might stick to the plate some during cooking and need to be peeled/broken off. Then season them with salt and voila–fat free potato chips.
For the crispest results, de-starch the slices by soaking them in an ice water bath for about an hour prior to cooking.
You can make salt and vinegar chips simply by soaking the slices in vinegar before microwaving. Or add your favorite spice combination, such as: cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and chili powder. The varieties are as endless as the imagination. Old Bay seasoning and vinegar are a hit in my house with some homemade spicy chip dip.