These cheesy air fryer potato chips are one of the snacks from our YouTube channel, and they are a little different from ordinary homemade chips. The potato slices are not tossed in oil. They sit on a layer of cheese, so as it bakes the cheese melts, browns and glues the slices together into one big crispy, cheesy sheet that you break apart with your hands.
You need 3 potatoes, a handful of cheese and a few spices from the cupboard: garlic powder, chili powder and cumin. The slices are rinsed to wash off the starch and blanched for a moment first, which is what lets them cook through in only 15 minutes.
The finished chips are golden on top with a lacy, crunchy cheese edge underneath. They make a good snack for a movie night or a game, and kids tend to like them because they look like a giant cracker. The seasoning is easy to change, so you can keep it mild or make it spicy.
Every step below comes from our video. It is baked on a tray in a countertop air fryer oven, so if you have a basket air fryer, use a piece of baking paper that fits the basket and keep an eye on it near the end.
What you need
- Potatoes, 3, peeled.
- Cheese, enough for a thin layer over the tray. Our video uses crumbled white cheese.
- Garlic powder, chili powder and cumin powder, plus any other seasonings you like.
- A slicer or mandoline, a pot of boiling water, a baking tray and baking paper.
Our video doesn’t give amounts for the cheese or the spices. Use enough cheese to cover the paper thinly, and sprinkle the spices to taste.
Cheesy Air Fryer Potato Chips
Ingredients
Method
- Peel 3 potatoes.
- Shave them into thin, even slices on a slicer or mandoline.
- Rinse the slices under running water to wash off the starch.
- Blanch the slices briefly in boiling water, then drain them well.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread a layer of cheese over it.
- Lay one layer of potato slices over the cheese, edges just touching or slightly overlapping.
- Sprinkle garlic powder, chili powder, cumin powder and any other seasonings you like over the top.
- Bake at 140°C (about 285°F) for 15 minutes, until the cheese underneath is golden and crisp at the edges.
- Lift the sheet out, let it firm up for a minute, then break it into pieces and serve.
Video
Notes
Tips
- Slice thin and even. Thin slices are what make these crisp in 15 minutes. Our video uses a slicer for that.
- Don’t skip the rinse. Washing off the starch helps the slices crisp instead of going gummy.
- Keep the blanch short. The slices only need a moment in boiling water. Drain them well so the cheese can crisp.
- One layer only. Our video lays the slices in a single layer on the cheese. Piling them up makes them steam.
- Check near the end. Every oven and air fryer is different. Take it out when the cheese edges are golden brown.
Questions people ask
Can you make potato chips in an air fryer?
Yes. In our video thin potato slices go on a layer of cheese and bake for 15 minutes in a countertop air fryer oven, with no deep frying.
Why blanch the potatoes first?
A quick blanch partly cooks the thin slices, so they are soft inside by the time the cheese underneath has turned crisp.
What temperature do you use?
Our video says 140 degrees for 15 minutes, which is Celsius, about 285°F.
What seasonings go on cheesy potato chips?
Our video uses garlic powder, chili powder and cumin powder, and says to add other seasonings you like.
You might also like
- Spicy air fryer potatoes, another crispy sliced potato snack from our channel.
- Crispy parmesan cheese chips, if you love the crunchy cheese part.
- Oven baked garlic potato slices, a garlicky side dish.
