This Might Be The Easiest Way To Make Homemade Chips

Be it salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion, barbeque, or even just original, there's one ingredient that ties most chips together: the humble potato. That bag of Lay's you have in your kitchen cabinet is literally just a bag of fried potatoes covered in salt. If all you need to make potato chips is a bunch of potatoes, what exactly stops you from making your own homemade chips every day? Maybe it's because you worry they'll turn out soggy and chewy instead of crispy and light? Maybe you don't know the right way to fry them without burning them? Making chips is one of those things that looks easy but can turn out to be a complex endeavor. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of tips to ensure that your homemade potatoes turn out just as delicious — and maybe even better! — than the stuff you get out of the bag. Beyond the Chicken Coop, for instance, details the classic method for deep-frying potato chips, which includes peeling the potatoes, slicing them thinly, and frying them until crisp. Just don't forget to salt them immediately when done cooking or to move them around so they don't stick together in the pot! In case you want to steer away from oils, The Spruce Eats proves that baked potato chips can be just as easy and delicious to make as fried ones. They only bake for about 10 minutes, and the steps are pretty much the same, except for not frying them.

But let's say that you don't want to work up a sweat by boiling oil or preheating ovens. Is there an easier way to make chips without using any heavy appliances? According to some, maybe all you need to make those fresh crunchy chips is a microwave.

Making chips in the microwave may sound strange. After all, you may not associate crispy foods with microwaves the same way you'd associate them with ovens or deep fryers. According to The Kitchn, however, you just need to be aware of certain tricks to ensure that your potatoes will remain dry and crisp instead of moist and raw.

The crucial part of microwaved chips, The Kitchn explains, is how thin you slice them, with the ideal thickness of your potato slices being "between 1/8-inch and 1/16-inch." The second most crucial part is that the chips be rinsed and dried before they are put in the microwave, instead of rinsing the slices and putting them in the microwave to dry. After the slices are dry — and, optionally, seasoned — you should microwave them for six minutes at the highest power. Then, flip the chips over and microwave them at 50 to 60% power for a few more minutes (via Food Network). The Kitchn recommends 50% power, while Food Network's recipe calls for 60%.

If any chips look crispy and brown, it's suggested to remove these chips and continue to microwave the remaining chips in short intervals until all the chips are thoroughly cooked. While this is easier than preparing a deep fryer, it can take a good chunk of time to prepare all of your chips, so it's best for preparing small batches of crunchy goodies.

Nevertheless, no matter if they're homemade or right from the bag, it's hard to stop eating potato chips, but with this method, you don't have to!