Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chips – Chinese Fakeaway Recipe

Salt and pepper chips are one of those Chinese takeaway sides that can quite easily turn into half the meal if you put the dish anywhere near me! They’re salty, spicy and garlicky, with little pieces of onion and chilli mixed through the chips, and they’re surprisingly easy to make at home.

For this version, I make the chips in the air fryer first, then give them a quick toss in a frying pan with onion, garlic, fresh chilli and the salt and pepper seasoning. You still get that lovely fakeaway flavour, but you don’t need a deep-fat fryer or a pan full of oil.

The chips take around 15–20 minutes at 200°C in my recipe, although air fryers and the thickness of homemade chips vary, so use that as a guide and look at the chips rather than setting a timer and assuming they’ll all behave themselves.

If you’re looking for more ideas for your air fryer, have a browse through my air fryer recipes, or have a look at my Chinese fakeaway recipes if it’s the takeaway-at-home bit that has brought you here.

What gives salt and pepper chips their flavour?

Despite the name, there’s rather more than salt and pepper involved. My seasoning uses sea salt, white pepper, black pepper, Chinese five spice, garlic powder, chilli powder and a little sugar, with fresh chillies, garlic and onion cooked separately and tossed through the chips at the end.

White pepper is particularly useful here because it has a different flavour from black pepper rather than simply being an interchangeable version of it. I’ve written more about white pepper vs black pepper if you’ve ever wondered why recipes sometimes use both.

The chilli is easy to adjust. If you like your salt and pepper chips fairly mild, use less fresh chilli and leave out the extra chilli flakes. If you like them properly fiery, you can obviously head in the opposite direction!

Which potatoes are best?

I usually suggest Maris Piper or King Edward because they’re both good choices for homemade chips, but I wouldn’t abandon the recipe just because the potatoes in your cupboard are something different.

Try to cut them to a reasonably similar thickness so they cook at roughly the same rate. They don’t need to look as though they’ve come off a production line, but one enormous chip mixed in with lots of skinny ones is inevitably going to cause problems.

You can peel the potatoes if that’s how you like your chips, or leave the skins on and give them a really good scrub first.

Getting homemade chips crispy in the air fryer

Once you’ve cut the potatoes, rinse them in cold water and dry them thoroughly before adding the oil. That drying part is worth doing properly because extra surface moisture isn’t particularly helpful when you’re trying to get browned edges.

Toss the chips with the oil so they’re lightly coated and spread them through the air fryer basket without packing them in too tightly. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them in batches.

Cook them at 200°C for around 15–20 minutes, giving the basket a good shake halfway through. Thicker chips may need a little longer, so don’t worry if yours aren’t ready simply because 20 minutes has appeared on the clock.

If you make homemade chips quite often, you might also like my air fryer sweet potato fries and air fryer roast potatoes.

Making the salt and pepper topping

While the chips are cooking, mix the dry seasoning ingredients together and prepare the onion, garlic and chillies. I find it much easier to have everything waiting before I start stir-frying because this bit happens fairly quickly.

Cook the onion, garlic and fresh chillies in a large frying pan or wok for two or three minutes until they’ve softened slightly. Once the chips are cooked, add them to the pan, scatter over the seasoning and toss everything together so it gets into all the little gaps between the chips.

Taste before adding any more salt. There’s already salt in the seasoning mix and it’s much easier to add another pinch at the table than discover you’ve accidentally made chips that require three pints of water afterwards!

Finish with the chopped spring onion if you’re using it and serve them while they’re hot.

What to serve with salt and pepper chips

These work brilliantly as part of a fakeaway night rather than simply being a side for another takeaway. Have a look through my Chinese fakeaway recipes and you can put a few dishes together depending on what everyone likes.

They’re also perfectly capable of disappearing on their own with a bit of sweet chilli sauce. I don’t think every batch of chips needs an elaborate meal built around it!

If you want another air fryer side that’s completely different, my crispy air fryer cauliflower is handy too, while crispy air fryer chickpeas are worth trying when you fancy something crunchy for snacking rather than chips.

Can I make them less spicy?

Definitely. Chilli heat is one of those things where somebody else’s idea of “mild” can be completely different from yours.

Reduce or leave out the chilli powder and chilli flakes, and use less fresh chilli. You can then put extra chilli flakes on the table for anyone who wants more heat.

Can I reheat salt and pepper chips?

They’re best freshly cooked because that’s when the chips have the nicest texture. If you do have leftovers, cool them and refrigerate them promptly in a covered container.

I’d reheat them in the air fryer rather than the microwave if you want to bring some of the crispness back. Check them regularly and make sure they’re piping hot throughout before serving.

More air fryer recipes

If this recipe has persuaded you to make more than chips in yours, my air fryer recipes hub has all my recipes and cooking guides together, including vegetables, chicken, snacks and other easy ideas.

You might particularly like my air fryer cauliflower, air fryer aubergine or air fryer buttermilk chicken next.

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