A UK Chinese takeaway classic, Salt & Pepper Chips are crispy, spicy, and completely addictive! But did you know they’re not actually Chinese? This dish was created right here in the UK!
With my easy recipe, you can make your own batch at home using the air fryer, oven, or deep fryer – no need to visit the takeaway.
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📖 The Story Behind Salt & Pepper Chips
Although you’ll find salt & pepper chips on just about every Chinese takeaway menu in the UK, they’re not actually Chinese!
This dish was born in Liverpool back in the 90s when Chinese chip shop owners had the genius idea of tossing chips in the same seasoning they used for salt & pepper chicken wings and ribs. It quickly took off and became a firm takeaway favourite.
Now, you can easily make your own version at home!
I’ve recently updated the recipe with new photos and methods to either deep fry the chips, giving you that authentic takeaway feel, baking them in the oven or keeping it a bit lighter by air-frying them. You can also use the air fryer to make this sweet & sour chicken too!
Whichever method you go for, they’re seriously good!
❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe..
- ⭐ Crispy, Spicy & Packed With Flavour: just like your favourite takeaway.
- ⭐ Healthier Than The Takeaway Version if baked or air-fried (and no MSG!).
- ⭐ Naturally Gluten, Dairy, Egg & Nut-Free, making it allergy-friendly.
- ⭐ More Budget-Friendly than ordering from a takeaway.
🥘 Ingredients You Will Need & Notes
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed to make these salt & pepper chips. They are free from the top 14 UK allergens, making them a great allergy-friendly option.
✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋
- Chips - You can go with homemade chips, frozen oven chips, or even skinny fries—it's totally up to you! If you want that proper takeaway crunch, I would recommend deep-frying, although you can get pretty crispy chips from most air fryers nowadays, and this is the method I have used.
- Vegetables - The classic mix includes green pepper, onion, and red chilli. I’ve also added some red pepper & garlic for extra depth, and I finish it off with sliced fresh red chilli and spring onion to garnish.
- Spices - My homemade salt & pepper seasoning is a mix of salt, black pepper, (Traditionally white pepper is used, so use this if you have it - I opted for black pepper as this is what most people have at home) Chinese five spice, chilli flakes, garlic powder, ground ginger, and caster sugar. Although MSG is normally added to the spice mix, I really don't think it's necessary, and you can still achieve a great similar flavour without it.
✏️ How to Make Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
Step 1: Cook The Chips
If you're making your own chips, wash the potatoes and pat dry, then slice the potatoes and chop the slices into chip shapes.
If using frozen chips, you can skip this step!
1a. To Deep-Fry
Add vegetable oil to a large saucepan, around a third full but no more than half full and heat the oil until it reaches 140˚C. (Use a thermometer to check this).
Lower the chips into the pan on a slotted spoon and cook for 7-8 minutes.
Remove from the pan with the slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen towel to soak off the excess oil.
Increase the heat of the oil to 180˚C and add the chips back into the oil in the same way for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Remove again with the slotted spoon onto a plate.
Cooking them this way means you get a nice crispy finish on the outside, but the inside is soft and fluffy.
1b. To Bake In Oven
Place the chips on a mesh tray or baking tray in a single layer. (Use two trays if you need to) and bake in the oven as per the packet instructions.
1c. In The Air Fryer
Heat the air fryer to 200˚C then toss the chips in a teaspoon of olive oil and add to the bottom tray.
If you are using homemade chips, cook them for around 20—25 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes or so.
If using frozen chips, they will take around 10-15 minutes.
💡Tip: These timings are approximate as it will depend on how big your chips are and the make of your air fryer, as they all cooking differently, so keep an eye on them and shake every 5 minutes or so.
Step 2: Make The Seasoning
Simply mix all the spice-mix ingredients together!
Step 3: Cook The Vegetables
Add the chopped pepper, onion, chilli and garlic to a frying pan with a little olive oil over a medium heat and cook for a couple of minutes until they start to soften.
💡Tip: I like to chop the pepper and onion into small squares and finely chop ¾ of the chilli, leaving a quarter to be chopped into rounds to garnish once cooked.
Step 4: Assemble
Add the cooked chips to the pan along with the salt & pepper spice mix, toss together and cook out for 1-2 minutes until fully combined.
Sprinkle over some chopped spring onions and red chilli to garnish and serve immediately.
💡 Lauren's Top Tips
- ✔️ Love it spicy? Leave the chilli seeds in for extra heat.
- ✔️ Want that classic takeaway taste? Deep-frying is the way to go.
- ✔️ For crispy oven-baked chips, use a mesh tray rather than a baking sheet. It helps the air circulate around the chips, making them crispier.
- ✔️ Make Extra Seasoning: This salt & pepper spice mix works on loads of things—chicken, tofu, roast potatoes—so make a big batch and keep it in a jar for next time.
- ✔️ Eat them fresh! These chips don’t reheat well – they’ll go soggy.
- ✔️ Chicken Powder: Add ½ teaspoon of chicken powder to the spice mix for extra umami (note: contains MSG, just like the takeaway version!)
🔨 The Meal Planning Toolbox
🗒️Make Ahead
You can prep the spice mix ahead of time. Keep in an airtight container for 3 months. Chop the vegetables the day before,it will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for 24 hours.
🗒️ Batch Cooking
Make quadruple the amount of spice mix and store in an airtight container to use in future recipes. It's great sprinkled over air fryer sea bass.
🗒️ Leftovers & Storage
This is a dish best eaten fresh, and I wouldn’t recommend storing leftovers, as the chips will become soggy when re-heated - although it is perfectly safe to do so.
🗒️Freezing
I wouldn’t recommend it – the chips will lose their crispiness. It’s best to eat them fresh!
🍴 How To Serve
Serve alongside your Chinese favourites like this Crispy Chilli Chicken, Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings, Kids Teriyaki Noodles and “No Egg Fried Rice”.
Or simply dip them in sweet chilli sauce for the ultimate snack.
💬 Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Just reduce the amount of chilli flakes in the seasoning and leave out the fresh red chilli. You can also remove the chilli seeds if you still want some heat but not too much.
Yes, they are free from the top 14 UK allergens - do always remember to check the packaging of everything just in case, as some frozen chips can contain milk.
📖 Check Out My Other Asian Inspired Dishes..
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you loved this recipe, please leave me a 5🌟 rating or comment below. I really do appreciate it. 😊
📖 Recipe
Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips
Equipment
- Non sick wok or frying pan
- Mesh tray optional - if cooking chips in the oven
- Meat thermometer Optional
Ingredients
- 600 g potatoes or frozen oven chips
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Veg
- 1 medium onion chopped into small squares
- ½ medium green bell pepper chopped into small squares
- ½ medium red bell pepper chopped into small squares
- 1 red chilli ¾ finely diced and ¼ chopped into rounds
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 2 spring onions finely sliced - to garnish
Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black or white pepper
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- If making your own chips, wash the potatoes and pat dry, then slice the potatoes and chop the slices into chip shapes. If using frozen chips you can skip this step.
If Frying The Chips
- Add vegetable oil to a large saucepan, around a third full but no more than half full and heat the oil until it reaches 140˚C. (Use a thermometer to check this).Lower the chips into the pan on a slotted spoon and cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the pan with the slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen towel to soak off the excess oil.
- Increase the heat of the oil to 180˚C and add the chips back into the oil in the same way for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy.Remove again with the slotted spoon onto a plate.
If Baking The Chips In The Oven
- Place on a mesh tray or baking tray in a single layer. (Use two trays if you need to) and bake in the oven as per the packet instructions.
If Using An Air Fryer
- Heat the air fryer to 200˚C then toss the chips in a teaspoon of olive oil and add to the bottom tray.
- If you are using homemade chips, cook them for around 20-25 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes or so. If using frozen chips, they will take around 10-15 minutes.
Vegetables
- Chop the vegetables as per the ingredients list above.
- Add the chopped green & red pepper, onion, chilli and garlic to a frying pan with a little olive oil over a medium heat and cook for a couple of minutes until they start to soften.
Make The Seasoning
- Mix all the spice mix ingredients together in a small bowl.
Assemble
- Add the chips to the pan along with the salt & pepper spice mix, toss together and cook out for 1-2 minutes until fully combined.
- Sprinkle over some chopped spring onions and red chilli to garnish and serve immediately.
Notes
- Love it spicy? Leave the chilli seeds in for extra heat.
- Want that classic takeaway taste? Deep-frying is the way to go.
- For crispy oven-baked chips, use a mesh tray rather than a baking sheet. It helps the air circulate around the chips, making them crispier.
- Make Extra Seasoning: This salt & pepper spice mix works on loads of things—chicken, tofu, roast potatoes—so make a big batch and keep it in a jar for next time.
- Eat them fresh! These chips don’t reheat well – they’ll go soggy.
- Chicken Powder: Add ½ teaspoon of chicken powder to the spice mix for extra umami (note: contains MSG, just like the takeaway version!)
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