The Simple Step That Makes Sweet Potato Chips Nice And Crispy

Store-bought potato chips are just about as irresistible as advertising implies – Lay's was right, you really can't eat just one. Nevertheless, they can be pretty problematic for anyone who's trying to eat healthy, not to mention, even chips aren't immune from the numerous food recalls that seem to be announced so frequently. One solution to such snacking woes may be to make homemade potato chips or, better yet, oven-baked ones. Best of all, how about using sweet potatoes in place of white ones? If you're worried they won't turn out as crunchy as store-bought sweet potato chips (chips made in the microwave can sometimes be a bit of a disappointment this way), food and recipe blogger Grace Vallo explained that the secret lies in how you cook them.

Vallo told The Takeout that the chips need to be baked at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, explaining that this temperature is "high enough to crisp them up but low enough to dry them out slowly without burning." More importantly, though, the sliced sweet potatoes need to be spread out on the baking sheet and turned over halfway through. "Flipping," she said, "ensures that both sides cook evenly and prevents one side from steaming against the pan while the other side dries out."

The crunchiest chips start with the thinnest-sliced potatoes. If you don't have a mandoline to do your slicing, you can use a vegetable peeler instead. Once the potatoes are sliced, you might want to soak the raw chips in ice water for a few minutes to draw out some of the starch. Be sure to dry them off thoroughly after they're drained, though. You can either use a paper towel for this, or allow them to air dry before you begin baking.

Some recipes endorse coating the sliced potatoes with oil or butter before baking, although Grace Vallo made no mention of this step. She did, however, point out that salting the chips prior to cooking them will help draw out the moisture, thus making them even crisper. She also suggested coating the chips with a tiny bit of baking powder, which will "boost the crunch factor by creating tiny air bubbles in the surface."

Once the chips are ready to come out of the oven, there's still one more step you need to take before you can dive in. According to Vallo, they need to cool down for a few minutes. Not only is this a good general safety precaution so you won't burn your mouth or hands, but, as she told us, "letting them cool for a few minutes allows them to firm up as the rest of the steam escapes." This means that they should get even crisper as they sit.