The Ultimate Guide to Keto Chips

August 12, 2021

Low-carb options are a necessity for those on a keto diet looking to cut starches, sugars, and carbohydrates. Potato chips are delicious but have more than a day's worth of carbohydrates in one serving, and who only eats one serving of chips?

Are you looking for a low-carb replacement for potato chips? Check out these simple recipes in the ultimate guide to keto chips that might make you forget about potato chips.

The Ultimate Guide to Keto Chips

Ditch the high-carb snack and grab something that is still crunchy and satisfying but won't break your diet. These options take less than an hour to prepare and will leave you feeling like a gourmet chef.

The Right Tools

As far as tools go, choosing the right ones for the job will result in crispier and more even thickness chips. A mandolin vs a knife is recommended, and you can make wavy chips or regular cuts.

Use a thermometer when heating the oil to make sure that you have it hot enough to fry in, but not too hot. 350-365 degrees Fahrenheit is best. 

Now, for getting the chips out of the oil safely, and without making a big mess, a tool called a spider is best. You could use a slotted metal spoon but the spider is basically a mesh metal net that is wide and has a long handle.

The Best Methods

Slicing vegetables thin will give you a crisper result. You can use a sharp knife to get thin slices but this is not always as easy as it sounds. 

You will get better results with a tool called a mandoline. These are easy to use but notorious for being very sharp.

A mandoline will give you even cuts and you can set it to a certain thickness rather than using a knife which you have to measure by eye and often results in some pieces being thicker than others. When you have uneven cuts you will have uneven cooking.

Moisture is the enemy of frying chips. All produce has some moisture in it.

Once your vegetables are clean and your chips are sliced, lay them out of towels or paper towels to dry out, and pat the moisture from the tops.

A double-dip works best on dense vegetables such as beets and carrots. Dip into the oil once to partially cook them, take them out of the oil, then return them to finish cooking and crisp up.

Choosing an Oil

The oil that you choose to fry in should have a high smoke point which means that it can be heated to a high temperature without burning. These oils are good for frying, and also carb-free:

• Coconut oil
• Peanut oil
• Canola oil
• Vegetable oil
• Sunflower oil
• Avocado oil
• Lard

Each oil will lend a unique flavor to your chips. Once you season the chips that flavor may not be as recognizable.

Air Fryer

Go for low-carb chips, and get the bonus of low-no fat snacks, as well. Make sure that veggies are thoroughly dried and tossed lightly in your preferred oil or you can use an oil spray.

Set for 5-10 minutes and check for crispness. Put them back in for another round until desired texture is achieved.

Deep Fat Fryer

A deep fat fryer is arguably the best way to make chips at home. The temperature settings are adjustable, the oil is reusable, and the vessel is deep enough where the chips can be completely immersed in oil giving you a crispy and evenly cooked chip.

The other great thing about a deep fryer is that they usually come with a fryer basket. A fryer basket means that you can drop the chips in and not have to struggle to get them out, just lift the basket out.

Pan Frying

Pan-frying is the next best substitute for a deep fryer. You can use any pan that you have, but the deeper and wider it is, the easier it will be to fry in.

Add a few inches of oil to the pan. Enough that your chips can be completely submerged and you won't have to flip them over.

Use your thermometer to see when your oil has reached 365 degrees. This will give you a crispy chip without making the vegetable tough, rubbery, or burnt.

Broil in the Oven

Can you make chips without a fryer? Yes, it is possible to make chips under the broiler in the oven.

They may not be quite the same, but you will still get a crispy result. Kale chips work the best for this method. 

Use a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray and toss your vegetable slices with oil and seasonings,

Lay chips flat on the tray, making sure that you do not have any overlapping areas.

Dehydrator

Food dehydrators pull all of the moisture out of food and can make decent chips without the additive of oil. However, this process does take a lot longer than any other method and can leave you with a chewy chip instead of a crisp one if your vegetable has high water content.

Don't Forget the Seasonings 

Chips are all about two things, the crisp and the flavor. Try mixing up your flavors with different recipes to find your favorite combo:

• Salt
• Seasoned salt
• Pepper (black, white, cayenne, chili)
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Paprika
• Turmeric
• Herbs (basil, oregano, bay, rosemary)
• Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle a little for a hint of flavor, or a lot for a big punch. Go all out and finish your chips with a bit of citrus juice or zest and some chili powder for chili lime chips.

Carrot Chips

Carrots do have some sugar content, so you can not eat an entire batch of carrot chips if you want to keep your carb count low. Yet, they do still rank as a low-carb snack and fry up quite nicely. 

Kale Chips

You knew it was coming. Of course, the kale chips made the list of potato chip replacements.

They're packed full of nutrients and surprisingly delicious. Kale chips shine with just a dash of sea salt, but they can complement a variety of seasonings. 

Zucchini and Squash Chips

A summer favorite vegetable is a squash. Green zucchini and yellow squash are versatile vegetables and come out great when fried as chips.

They do contain a copious amount of water, so be sure to dry them thoroughly before frying. Finish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese!

Mushroom Chips

Do you love mushrooms? This one is for mushroom lovers that are on a low-carb diet and want a crispy snack.

Mostly any variety of mushrooms can be used, even the common button mushroom. Slice mushrooms thin and deep fry or bake in the oven until crispy.

Green Bean Chips

Have you seen crispy green beans in the store? Who would have thought that a green bean would make a tasty crunchy snack item?

For this recipe, you want to use fresh green beans that have been cleaned and the ends trimmed off. These are best deep-fried and sprinkled with salt and pepper to taste.

Seaweed Chips

Seaweed as chips? Lovers of sushi and Asian food know how tasty and nutritious seaweed is.

Cut sheets of dried nori into strips and fry until crispy. Season and enjoy.

Brussels Sprouts Chips

The blessed Brussels sprouts. We may have hated them as kids, but as we have grown so have they.

The humble miniature cabbage is now sophisticated and on all types of menus from vegan restaurants to fine dining and fusion joints. Quarter clean Brussels and fry until crispy, then season however you like.

Artichoke Chips

Here is a chip that you don't see often- artichokes. Most people find artichokes intimidating, so they either avoid them or buy jarred marinated artichokes.

Fresh ones are so tasty and can be a great crispy fried snack with only 13 carbs per artichoke. Peel outer leaves and trim the tops before shaving artichokes in thin slices and frying.  

Eggplant Chips

The controversial vegetable eggplant is soft but actually makes a crispy veggie chip. Choose a firmer eggplant for your chips rather than one that is overripe to keep it from falling apart in the fryer.

Beet Chips

Red beets are another one of those vegetables that are not carb-free but are low enough in carbohydrates that they do qualify to be here. Slice the beets thin, and they will feel the closest to replacing potato chips of all of these recipes.

Meat Chips

Yep, that's right! Meat chips.

Anyone on a keto or low-carb diet is consuming meat-based meals regularly. What about meat snacks?

Fry up thin slices of any of these meats for a tasty chip-like snack:

• Proscuitto
• Salami
• Pepperoni
• Pork skin

Fair warning: these meat chips are highly addictive! One of the benefits of keto is that meat chips fit into your diet plan!

Buying Low-Carb Chips

If you are looking for a shortcut to low-carb chips, forget about those recipes for making chips and check out these options. These low-carb chips are high protein and big on flavor.

Try them all with a bundle pack of chili-lime, spicy nacho, BBQ, and ranch! 

Unlike homemade chips, these are always crunchy and are easy to grab for snacking on the go.

Healthy Snacking

Diets do not have to be boring, and you can still have your crunchy snacks when you crave them. Whether you are making keto chips or buying them, check the nutrition facts to make sure that they fit into your daily carb count and you can check out Genius Gourmet for low-carb snacks and more.

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