Root Veggie Kettle Chips ~ You know those expensive bags of specialty chips, the ones that are about 90% air when you open them up? Well, here’s your chance to even the score, these homemade veggie chips are fabulous, and you can make as many as you like!
So little effort, so much fun. So fabulous I can’t even tell you. While I was writing this post I had to keep getting up to grab another handful of these, the photos were driving me crazy.
I scrubbed (no need to peel) and thinly sliced some golden beet, turnip, carrot, parsnip and two shades of sweet potato on the 1/8 setting of my mandoline slicer. I really could have used some red beets and purple potatoes for a full spectrum of color, but in the spirit of Minimal Monday I went with what I had.
You’re looking for nice uniform ‘chip sized’ slices, so pick your vegetables accordingly—you’ll want slightly larger carrots and parsnips, but smaller sized beets and turnips. Look for slender, evenly shaped sweet potatoes.
I love my mandoline! I get a huge pile of slices in just a few seconds, and I was ready before my oil heated up.
I quickly fried them in a couple of inches of 325 degree vegetable oil, drained them and showered them with sea salt.
Fab u lous.
Tools you will need: The temperature of the oil is critical to crispy success, so you will need an inexpensive thermometer to clip on the side of your pot. You can find them at the grocery store, usually in the baking aisle. You will also need a mandoline slicer, which range in cost from inexpensive to moderate in price. You will not be able to slice the veggies thin enough with a regular knife, sorry!
Notes:
- I found that the beets and turnips took slightly longer to get crisp than the others, I think mine were slightly too large. The paler sweet potatoes turned brown when done, but they were beautifully crisp. All in all, I found that the sweet potatoes and the carrots were the easiest to fry and became the crispest chips. Next time I may try 1/4 inch veggies with a slightly higher temp oil to see what happens.
- Pick up oil when it’s on sale, and save the empty bottles, you can fill them with the used oil for easy disposal, as large amounts of cooking oil shouldn’t be put down the drain.
I highly recommend these!
Root Veggie Kettle Chips
Ingredients
- Assorted root vegetables, carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, beets, sweet potatoes
- Salt
- 1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Pour vegetable oil in a wide, heavy bottomed pot. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 325°F.
- Meanwhile, scrub your root vegetables and cut off the stem end. No need to peel, unless you want to.Â
- Using a mandoline slicer set on the 1/8 inch setting, slice your veggies. Keep the varieties separate, you will want to fry one variety at a time since they will vary slightly in their cooking times.
- Set up a station where you can drain the veggies when they come out of the oil. This can be a cooling rack set over a baking sheet, or a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- When the oil is at temperature, drop slices of one kind at a time into the oil. Don't crowd the oil too much or the temperature will drop. Lightly stir them around for about 2 minutes, or until they become slightly browned and curl up a bit. Remove them to drain and start on the next batch. This is a learn as you go process, you will probably get some soggy chips along the way, but eventually you'll get the temperature and timing right. You can always crisp them in the oven later.
- Season with salt to taste
- Don't cover with plastic wrap or the chips will get soggy.
Nutrition
i am so into these right now. i love root veggie chips, and just root vegetables in general, and i feel like these will be a great snack over the holidays (as in, christmas, since thanksgiving is upon us as of…yes, today.) 🙂
P.S. Your one year ago today photos are torturing me. I have at least half the recipes pinned or saved to try already. This coming year may simply be the year of cooking your recipes. Have a GREAT day!
Could these possibly be any prettier?? I want a dish full of them right now.
If they could only fix that frying smell, now that would be progress!
It sounds completely weird, but I’ve been placing a cup full of plain distilled vinegar next to the stove when I am frying foods. It seriously cuts down on the smell in the house later. Bacon and oil are no longer the fragrance in the house for days afterward!
Gorgeous, simply gorgeous! I’ve done these in the microwave but it takes forever and before I get one batch done, they’ve all been snatched up. This would work much better! The colors are just so beautiful – I can’t stop staring at them!
The microwave? Really? Do tell! I would love to try that, no oil or anything?
The colors are fun, and now I’m really regretting not getting off my butt and grabbing some red beets, purple potatoes, and maybe some colored carrots. Next time…
Please just start selling them!!! I will buy like 10 huge bags from you, happily! The last time I used my mandolin my thumb became about 1/8th inch shorter 🙂 And I hate the smell of frying oil.
They are so amazing that seriously, Sue, you NEED to sell these! You have a winner here!
i absolutely, no lie, LOVE kettle chips and I have always wanted to make my own. Glad you did it first so I can have a go by to use! They look crispy, delicious and just perfect!
They were crispy and delicious! Too bad they’re all gone now…just talking about them makes me want more. I hope you try them!
Mmm, I am salivating just looking at these photos! Have you tried taro root? They make for excellent chips. I bought a mandoline a few years ago and we tried making taro chips – very tasty but I think the oil wasn’t quite hot enough as they could have been a bit crispier.
I haven’t tried taro root, I’m not sure I’ve seen that in the stores, I’ll have to look for it. I think a lot of people give up on chips because they try and get soggy results because of low oil temps. But I noticed if the oil was too hot I lost the color on these chips, so it’s a delicate balance.
I know “the ones” you’re talking about…and I can pretty much slam a bag in one sitting if I’m not careful. Next time I’m not feeling lazy, I’m so making a batch – they’re just so gorgeous. And I know, delicious!
Thanks Heather 🙂
These are SO pretty. I know I will never get organized to make them myself but I admire that you did!
No—you don’t have to be organized! Just grab a mandolin and a little oil in a pan, I swear, that’s all there is to it!