Crispy air fryer chips
Golden, fluffy chips with crisp edges — an easy air fryer method using minimal oil for reliably crunchy results.
These are the air fryer chips you'll actually make on a weeknight — crisp on the outside, fluffy inside, and using very little oil. Parboiling then roughing up the edges gives that restaurant crunch without deep-frying.
Perfect alongside fish fingers, burgers or just a big bowl for sharing. Quick enough for midweek, impressive enough for guests.
Ingredients
- 800 g Maris Piper potatoes
- 5 ml sea salt — plus extra to finish
- 10 g plain flour — light dusting to help crisp
- 15 ml vegetable oil — about 1 tbsp
- 5 ml black pepper
- 5 ml smoked paprika — optional, for a smoky note
Equipment
- air fryer
Instructions
Peel the potatoes and cut into chips about 1–1.5 cm thick so they cook evenly.
Put the cut chips into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add 1 tsp sea salt, bring to the boil, then simmer for 8 minutes until the edges have softened but the centres still feel firm.
Drain thoroughly in a colander, give the colander a vigorous shake to rough up the edges, then spread the chips on kitchen paper and pat dry. Leave to dry for 10 minutes.
Transfer the dried chips to a large bowl. Sprinkle over the plain flour and toss so each chip has a light coating. Drizzle the vegetable oil, add the black pepper and smoked paprika (if using) and toss again until evenly coated.
Preheat your air fryer to 200°C fan for 3 minutes.
Arrange the chips in a single layer in the air fryer basket — do not overcrowd. Air fry at 200°C fan for 15 minutes.
Shake the basket or turn the chips with tongs, then air fry for a further 8–10 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Season immediately with a little extra sea salt to finish.
Serve straight away for the crispiest result.
Tips
- Dry the chips thoroughly after draining — excess surface water is the single biggest reason chips go soggy.
- If your air fryer basket is small, cook in two batches rather than piling them up; you’ll get far better crisping.
- For extra crunch, swap plain flour for 10 g cornflour (see substitutions) or add 1 tsp baking powder to the flour.
- Make ahead: parboil, dry and freeze the chips on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Cook from frozen — add a few minutes to the air-fry time.
- Reheat leftover chips in the air fryer at 180°C fan for 4–6 minutes to revive the crispness; avoid the microwave.
Substitutions
Maris Piper potatoes → King Edward potatoes, same quantity
Stays closeplain flour → cornflour, same quantity (10 g) for an even crisper finish
Stays closevegetable oil → olive oil, same quantity — will add flavour and a slightly heavier finish
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 185
- Calories
- 4 g
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I skip the parboil?
You can, but parboiling gives a fluffy interior and helps create rough edges that crisp beautifully. Without it the chips will take longer and may be less tender inside.
Can I cook all the chips at once?
Only if your air fryer basket is large enough to keep chips in a single layer. Overcrowding causes steaming and soggy chips, so do batches if needed.
Can I freeze before air-frying?
Yes — after parboil and drying, spread on a tray to freeze solid, then bag. Cook from frozen but add a few minutes to the air-fry time and shake once or twice.
How do I make them extra crunchy?
Use cornflour instead of plain flour, make sure the chips are very dry, and don’t overcrowd the basket. A short blast at a higher temperature at the end (200°C fan) helps too.
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