Try Sweet Potatoes For Your Next Batch Of Chips And Thank Us Later

The sweet potato was once relegated to a role in Thanksgiving casseroles, but in the 20-tweens, sweet potato fries started becoming trendy since they're generally seen as a healthier alternative to standard potatoes. They can also go either savory or sweet, depending on whether they're sprinkled with salt, or cinnamon and sugar. If you love homemade sweet potato fries, wait until you try making your own sweet potato chips. These, too, have been having a moment in recent years, with Pringles' 2023 Harvest Blends release including varieties made with this tuber. Before you get started, though, take a tip from Chloe Hammond, head chef at the U.K.-based Asana Lodge, who told us, "Sweet potatoes will have more natural sugars and less starch than standard baking potatoes, so they behave quite differently when cooked."

Because of those sugars, Hammond explained, "They caramelize quickly which can also mean they burn faster if you're not paying attention." Another issue is that they might not get as crispy as traditional potato chips due to the lower amount of starch. For this reason, she said, "You need to be extra careful with slicing, temperature control, and airflow."

To make sweet potato chips, slice the potatoes into thin, even rounds; then soak them in cold water, and dry them thoroughly. If you'll be baking them, coat them with a little oil to help them get crispy. As Chloe Hammond advised, "Temperature is also important, as too low and they'll go soggy, and too high and they'll burn before they've crisped. Keep an eye on them, as the window between perfect and burnt is narrow."

Hammond said that frying your sweet potato chips will give them the best texture, but she's not a fan since it can be messy and the potatoes can burn easily. The oven is a neater alternative that allows you to bake a large batch, but to get crispy baked sweet potato chips, they'll need to be flipped over halfway through so they can cook evenly. If you skip this step, you may get some burnt pieces and some underdone ones. Hammond likes using an air fryer, adding, "The air fryer strikes a good balance, as you get crisp chips with far less oil and it's much easier to manage the cooking evenly."

Once your sweet potato chips are cooked, they'll need to be cooled completely before storing. This is because, as Hammond noted, "Any residual warmth creates steam, which will make them go soft." When they're cool, she recommended storing them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture. "They'll stay crisp for two to three days, but beyond that they tend to lose their snap," she said.