Crunchy Homemade Potato Chips – Baked in the Air Fryer or Oven

Who says you have to give up potato chips to eat well? If you’ve been craving that salty, crispy crunch without all the oil and guilt of deep frying, you’re going to love these homemade potato chips. Made right in your air fryer or oven with just a few simple ingredients, they’re the perfect lightened-up snack that delivers big on flavor and satisfaction.

Whether you’re following a WW plan, trying to cut back on processed foods, or just love a good DIY snack like I do, these chips are a game-changer. Thin, golden, and perfectly crisp—they’re everything you love about potato chips, made healthier and fresher right at home.

How Many Calories and WeightWatchers Points in Crunchy Low Fat Potato Chips?

According to my calculations, each serving has about 117 calories.

To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)

Recipe Ingredients

• Russet potatoes – I prefer to use medium to large size Russet potatoes when making homemade potato chips. Use whatever kind and size of potatoes you prefer. You might want to try Yukon Golds for a buttery flavor.
• Olive oil or avocado oil – I used avocado oil spray. Really, any oil you prefer here will be fine.
• Salt – While I used sea salt, use what you like best. I think Diamond Crystal kosher salt would also work well because of its flakiness.
• Spices, as desired – garlic powder, roasted granulated garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, vinegar, or your favorite seasoning blends like Everything But the Bagel or ranch. The options are endless.

How to Make Baked Crunchy Potato Chips in the Air Fryer or Oven

Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients. Fill a bowl with ice water and set aside. If using an air fryer, preheat air fryer to 360F degrees. If using an oven, preheat oven to 400F degrees.

Step 2: Using a sharp knife or mandolin,

cut the potatoes into thin slices.

Add the potato slices to a bowl of ice water and let soak for about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the potatoes under cold running water.

Step 3: Drain the potatoes and pat dry with clean towels – try to remove as much moisture as possible.

Step 4: Add the dried potato slices to a bowl and spritz with olive oil or avocado oil. Sprinkle with salt and any other desired spices and then toss to coat.

Step 5: Working in batches, place potato slices in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer, or on a parchment lined baking sheet (affiliate link). I used a wire rack in my baking sheet (affiliate link) which allows for better air circulation around the potatoes.

Step 6: Cook until golden and done to desired level of crispness, about 10 minutes in the air fryer (stopping to flip halfway through cook time), or about 20 minutes in the oven. Your cook time may vary, so watch the first batch closely to prevent burning.

Step 7: Add potato chips to a bowl and sprinkle with parsley or any other spices, if desired.

Step 8: Store leftover potato chips in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

Recipe Notes & Tips for the Best Crunchy Potato Chips

Peeled or Unpeeled: I prefer to use medium to large size Russet potatoes when making homemade potato chips. It is up to you whether or not you want to peel the potatoes before slicing. Personally, I prefer my chips with the skins left on.

Slice Thin & Even: You can absolutely use a sharp knife if you’re comfortable and patient, but I prefer using a mandoline (affiliate link) slicer for quick, consistent results. Just be sure to use the safety guard—it’s efficient but very sharp! If you’d like a slightly heartier chip, feel free to cut the slices a bit thicker. Just keep in mind they’ll take a bit longer to cook, and you’ll need to watch them closely to get that perfect crunch without burning.

Soak & Dry: Soaking the slices in cold water for 15–30 minutes removes excess starch, which helps them crisp up. Dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Don’t Crowd the Pan: For the crispiest results, arrange the potato slices in a single layer with a bit of space between each one—this allows air to circulate and helps them crisp up instead of steam. Whether you’re using the air fryer or the oven, you’ll likely need to work in batches. Even one medium to large potato, when sliced thin, yields a surprising number of chips! They’ll shrink quite a bit as they cook, but starting with an uncrowded pan is key to achieving that perfect crunch.

Watch Closely: They can go from golden to burnt quickly. Check often in the last few minutes of cooking. For my first batch in the oven, I set my oven to 425F degrees which I found to be way too high because they cooked very quickly and were much more browned than I wanted. They didn’t quite burn, but they were well on their way. For the remaining batches, I baked them at 400F degrees, and while this took a little longer, I much preferred the crispier results.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve these crispy baked potato chips at lunch with your favorite sandwich or salad. They also pair well with grilled burgers or salmon cakes.
• Serve with your favorite light dip, like Greek yogurt herb dip, ranch or hummus.
• Use as a crunchy topping for salads or soups.
• Great for lunchboxes, game day snacks, or anytime cravings hit!

Ways to Use Leftovers

Store any leftover potato chips in a Ziplock bag or airtight container at room temperature.

Crushed potato chips make a wonderful salad topper!

FAQs

Why soak the potato slices in an ice bath?
Soaking your sliced potatoes in ice water will help ensure that as much starch as possible is removed and that they won’t begin to turn brown before cooking. The ice cold water helps to give the chips a crunchier texture while cooking.

Air Fryer vs. Oven: Which Makes Better Potato Chips?
Both methods deliver delicious, crunchy results—but each has its pros and cons, depending on your needs.

Personally, I preferred the oven-baked chips for a few reasons. While both methods require cooking in batches, the oven allows you to bake more chips at once, making it more efficient for larger quantities. The trade-off is a slightly longer cook time per batch.

The air fryer, on the other hand, tended to produce more folded or curled chips—likely due to the intense circulating air. While tasty, this method requires more attention. I had to pause the cooking to rearrange the chips and prevent them from overlapping or sticking together, making it a more hands-on process.

So which should you use?

• Use the air fryer for small batches or when you want a quick snack without heating up the kitchen.
• Use the oven for larger batches or when you’d rather set it and forget it.

Both options are winners—it just depends on your preference and how many chips you’re making!

If you’ve made Crunchy Low Fat Potato Chips, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

Recipe source: Taste of Home (affiliate link)

If you like Crunchy Potato Chips, you might also like

• Crispy crunchy Air Fryer Crispy Cajun Chickpeas are my new favorite snack and can be seasoned with your favorite spices or spice blends.
• A naturally gluten-free and low carb alternative to crackers, Everything Bagel Spiced Parmesan Crisps are made with just two ingredients, Parmesan cheese and Everything Bagel seasoning (affiliate link).
• Slow Cooker Chex Mix makes the perfect appetizer for any backyard barbecue or game day gathering.
• Low in both fat and calories, Crispy Curly Air Fryer French Fries are the perfect match to go with your grilled burgers.