11 Tips You Need To Make The Best Veggie Chips

Veggie chips have become a popular and healthier alternative to potato chips. They can be found in stores, but they're surprisingly easy to make yourself at home. The benefits of homemade veggie chips abound. They can be as rich or as calorie-conscious as you like, and there's many more possible flavor options. You can say no to the additives in commercial chips and choose exactly the ingredients and vegetables you want. Potatoes have had their time in the spotlight, but there are many other veggies that cook up to crispy perfection. And — perhaps the best reason — they simply taste amazing. They have the salty, crunchy goodness of traditional chips as well as more well-rounded flavors. There's no need to find creative ways to hide vegetables because even picky eaters will love these.

Don't hesitate to whip up a batch (or three) of veggie chips at home. You'll be rewarded with a variety of flavors as well as a beautiful display of vibrant, multicolored chips. Veggie chips are not difficult to make, but it's easy to commit some common errors that could derail your efforts. By following the tips we've outlined below, you'll be on your way to enjoying colorful, healthy, crispy, and absolutely delicious veggie chips in no time.

Whether we're overly optimistic when shopping for produce, underestimate how much time we'll have to cook, or just forget about those last few bananas on the counter — food waste can be a real problem. There are many ways to reduce food waste in the kitchen, and one of them is to give your vegetable scraps a new life. A tasty way to do this is to make veggie chips.

The most straightforward way to make veggie chips from produce scraps is to save the peelings and pieces you cut off of vegetables when preparing other recipes. Though they're often thrown away, the peels of vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots, and parsnips are perfectly edible. Of course, if you've cut off any old or moldy bits, you'll still want to discard those. Take the clean pieces and rinse and dry them. You can either deep fry them for a traditional chip, or bake or air fry them for a lighter (but still crispy) treat. Don't forget the seasoning. Just toss them with oil, salt, and spices. If you deep fry, season them after cooking. Otherwise season them beforehand.

If you're not using actual scraps, you can make creative use of your vegetable peeler to shave off thin strips from entire root veggies and turn them into chips in the same way. Try this the next time you don't know what to do with those veggies that are at risk of going bad. Who can resist a chip?

If you look for veggie chip recipes online, you'll often find the same vegetables — sweet potatoes, beets, and carrots — proposed over and over. We're not recommending you stop eating these because they're all very healthy root vegetables. Rather, when it comes to chips, consider expanding the list of contenders because there are other vegetables that make crispy, delicious chips but are overlooked or just not on people's radars. First of all, look for other varieties of the three vegetables mentioned above because golden beets, multicolored carrot varieties, and purple Japanese sweet potato can brighten up your chip selection.

Less widely used root vegetables also make excellent chips. Turnips, rutabaga, and celery root are three of them. You'll need to peel celery root, but you can choose to keep turnip and rutabaga skins if desired, as long as they're not waxed. Don't forget parsnips, which look like white carrots but are sweeter, nuttier, and more earthy. Yuca (also known as cassava), jícama, a native Mexican plant described as a cross between a potato and an apple, and taro, an ancient starchy root vegetable from Southeast Asia with an understated, buttery flavor all work well and add diversity to your veggie chip recipes.

For non-root vegetable options, zucchini, eggplant, butternut squash, leafy greens, and onions surprisingly all make great chips. A last plant to consider is plantain. Though plantains look like giant bananas and are a technically a fruit, the unripe green pieces have a savory flavor when sliced into thin chips and fried.

When you think of veggie chips, leafy green vegetables probably aren't the first ingredients that come to mind, but they make surprisingly good chips. We won't lie and say they taste like potato chips, but these lightweight chips have their own appeal. Kale chips have been on the scene for some time now and are probably the best known leafy green chip. While kale may not be everyone's cup of tea, when made into chips this hearty leafy green vegetable from the cabbage family turns into a crispy, salty, delicious snack. This is good news if it helps more people enjoy the vegetable because kale is a superfood packed with phytonutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, and has been shown to aid digestion, lower inflammation, and reduce cancer risk.

But don't stop with kale. Many other leafy greens can be made into tasty veggie chips, too. Spinach is readily available in American supermarkets, and mature and baby varieties will both work well. If you see beets sold with the greens attached, don't discard those nutritious leaves. Beet greens as well as Swiss chard, bok choy, collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, and chicory are all packed with nutrition and make great veggie chips.

To make leafy green chips, wash and dry the leaves, remove any tough stems, and cut large leaves into 2 to 3-inch pieces. Massage olive oil and seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, or paprika into the leaves, and bake in the oven at about 300 degrees Fahrenheit until crispy and browned.

Not everyone agrees on how to prepare the vegetable slices before making chips. Soaking is a method not everyone agrees with. Those against it say it has no real benefit and just wastes your time. Those in favor take the time to soak the slices for a few reasons. First, soaking removes some of the starch from the vegetable. Starch makes potatoes sticky or gritty after cooking and is found in root vegetables with a higher carbohydrate content. These include potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, yuca (cassava), and butternut squash. Don't waste your time soaking non-starchy vegetables that may be used for chips such as zucchini, leafy greens, beets, and carrots.

The main reason proponents of soaking take time for this extra step is because removing some starch helps the vegetables get crispier during cooking. Since the veggie slices have been exposed to water, they don't soak up as much oil, which allows them to get crispier as well as turn into a healthier snack. In addition, the seasonings are able to adhere to the slices in a more uniform way so the chips have a more balanced flavor.

To soak veggie slices, place them in a mixing bowl filled with cold water. If your tap water doesn't get very cold, add a few ice cubes. Let the slices soak for 30 minutes before draining them and patting them dry with paper towels. Then proceed with the seasoning step of your recipe as directed.

While soaking can be beneficial for starchy vegetables, there are other vegetables that should definitely not be soaked. These include non-starchy, moist vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, and beets, all of which make great veggie chips. Other vegetables like cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumber can benefit from salting in order to avoid soggy salads and slaws, but these ingredients aren't used for making chips.

Salting removes excess moisture from very watery vegetables. It also makes them firmer. This works because of a process called osmosis — when salted, the vegetables release the water from their interiors in an attempt to balance the level of salt on the surface. Those in favor of the practice say this all results in a crispier chip. It's the same science behind why salting yields extra crispy pickles, since cucumbers are 96% water and rubbery pickles are a drag.

To salt veggies before making chips, toss the slices in a mixing bowl with a generous sprinkling of salt, rub the salt in with your fingers, and let the bowl sit for 30 minutes. Then rinse and dry with paper towels. The benefits of salting are a matter of debate, and some people on both sides of the argument have strong opinions. Salting seems to be the most helpful when frying, so if you're planning to deep fry your eggplant, zucchini, or beet chips, take the extra time to salt them first. Salting won't hurt if you're baking them, but the chips will come out crispy either way.

Careful slicing is key to ensure you end up with the kind of chips you're going for since chips of different sizes will cook differently. Your recipe will indicate how thick to slice your veggies. For example, this two-ingredient crispy carrot chip recipe calls for slicing carrots into ⅛-inch rounds, which is a good size for thin chips that still retain some bite. For the thinnest, crispiest chips, more akin to regular potato chips, we recommend slicing them as thinly as you can with a mandoline slicer. This tool makes it simple to cut very thin and uniform slices. Be sure to use a finger guard if it's included, or be cautious since mandoline blades are very sharp. If you slice the chips too thick, on the other hand, for example ¼ inch, you risk making roasted vegetables instead of crispy chips.

If you don't have a mandoline slicer, use a sharp chef's knife to cut thin slices yourself. This brings us to the next part of our tip: when using a knife, take your time and do your best to make all the slices the same width. This is important because any thinner slices will cook faster and will be at risk of burning before the thicker slices are fully cooked. We know humans aren't machines, so there will be a little variation in hand-cut slices. You can solve this problem by keeping an eye on the chips as they cook. If you see that any thinner chips are finished early, take them out and let the rest finish cooking.

You actually only need three ingredients — the vegetable itself, oil, and salt — to make absolutely delicious veggie chips. In fact, you can even make them oil free with just the two ingredients. For the oil free version, toss the veggies with salt and then bake them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to prevent sticking, or use a little cooking spray if you're okay with that.

For extra flavor, seasonings are your friend. Any spices you like to use on vegetables will likely work on veggie chips as well. Popular spices for seasoning chips include salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, thyme, and Italian seasoning. Think outside the box for a unique take on chips. Consider using fennel seeds, Za'atar seasoning blend, caraway seeds, cumin, or curry powder. If you love heat, chili powder, cayenne, or red pepper flakes are your friends. Or Mexican Tajín seasoning combines the heat of chili powder with the bright citrus flavor of lime.

The sky is the limit. Mist the uncooked veggie slices with white vinegar after tossing them with oil and salt for a salt and vinegar flavor. You can sprinkle dry onion soup mix on the slices for a savory, oniony flavor, or ranch dressing powder for ranch flavored chips. Finally, don't discount plantains. They're a starchy fruit yet dry and robust, and the green ones can be seasoned with oil and salt. Alternatively, season the ripe yellow ones with sugar and cinnamon for a sweet take on chips.

Although veggie chips shine even when made simply with just a couple of ingredients, for those who prefer a more luxurious option, breading the chips is the way to go. Breaded veggie chips leave the potato chip category and start to enter the breaded vegetable area. They still cook up into a chip with a crispy and browned exterior, but they have a more substantial interior with a softer mouthfeel. Not all veggies are suitable for breading. The most popular are zucchini and eggplant, and the breading method works very well with these.

If you're having trouble finding breaded veggie chip recipes, look for recipes for breaded veggie fries, which are more numerous. For example, the method for making eggplant Parmesan fries can be adapted to make eggplant chips by changing the way you slice the eggplant. We recommend using Japanese eggplant for these chips because they are much narrower than globe eggplants and they can be easily be sliced into chip-sized rounds.

To make zucchini or eggplant chips, thinly slice the vegetable and dip the slices in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs. For a cheesier, richer version, mix grated Parmesan cheese into the breadcrumbs first. You can also add in any spices you like, like Italian seasoning or garlic powder. Then place them on a baking sheet or air fryer rack and cook them just like you would their unbreaded counterparts. For the most decadent chips, deep fry them in oil.

There are few different ways to cook veggie chips, and choosing which one is the best will really depend on your preferences and kitchen appliances. Deep frying yields chips that are the closest to the commercial potato chips you can buy in the store. You'll need to slice the veggies very thin — no more than 1/16-inch wide — and deep fry them in frying oil heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown. It will only take a couple of minutes, but you'll need to fry them a handful at a time so you don't overcrowd the pan and lower the temperature of the oil. Keep the chips in a warming oven because when you fry chips, you'll season them with salt and optional spices after cooking, not before, and spices will adhere better to warm chips. While deep fried chips are more traditional, crispy, and delicious, this is the least healthy option.

Baking and air frying use much less oil. With both methods, toss the veggie slices in oil, salt, and any spices you're using, and lay them in a single layer on an oven baking dish or on the air fryer rack or basket. You can bake chips for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or air fry them for 15-20 minutes, also at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use these times as guidelines because the kind of vegetable, the thickness, and whether they've been soaked will make a difference, so be sure to follow your recipe.

When browsing veggie chip recipes, you may notice that different recipes call for different oven temperatures. One recipe may call for sweet potato chips to be baked at 450 degrees Fahrenheit while another calls for a 250 degree oven. What's the deal? Technically, you can cook veggie chips at a range of temperatures. Oven temperature and baking time are inversely proportional, which means when the temperature goes up, the baking time goes down, and vice versa. That said, there's a good reason to consider a low oven temperature for veggie chips because combined with a long cooking time, it's a great way to make the crispiest chips.

If you set the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and let your veggie chips slowly bake for one to two hours (depending on the vegetable and how thinly you sliced them), the oven will function more like a dehydrator, slowly pulling moisture out of the chips. This will make the chips extra crispy and crunchy, and you won't have to worry about them burning under higher temperatures. This method does take longer, since chips roasted at 450 degrees Fahrenheit can be ready in under 15 minutes, but it's an excellent way to make thin, super crispy chips at home that rival what you can buy in the store. Of course, if you have an actual dehydrator, you can make veggie chips in that, too. Plan ahead because this machine can take up to 12 hours to create chips.

Veggie chips are pretty irresistible on their own, but chips and dip can be a match made in heaven. The right dip can enhance a veggie chip by providing not just a complementary flavor, but also a soft and creamy texture in contrast to the crispiness of the chip.

Experiment with your favorite flavors. Guacamole, salsa, hummus, and queso dip are all great options. Don't forget the different varieties of these dips, for example mango salsa or roasted red pepper or garlic hummus. Cold cheese dips, like spinach or artichoke dips, are rich options and provide even more veggies for your snack. Warm cheese dips will add yet another dimension through the addition of warmth to that extra flavor and creaminess. This warm elote corn dip recipe is made with corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, Mexican cheeses, garlic, lime, jalapeño, and cilantro. You can make it in under half an hour, and it's sure to be a unique addition to your table.

Other dip ideas include fresh bruschetta topping, ranch dip, garlic spread, tahini sauce, and hot honey if you like a spicy dip. A dip made with buttery, velvety caramelized onions mixed with creamy components like sour cream, cream cheese, or mascarpone would be a decadent accompaniment to your chips. Greek yogurt dips can be customized to your liking — mix in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, shallots, or fresh herbs like chives or mint according to your taste.