These Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips are a UK Chinese takeaway favourite. You can re-create this popular dish of chips tossed with spices, onions and peppers at home. It makes a perfect starter or side dish!
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Although you can buy Chinese salt & pepper chips from your local Chinese restaurant or takeaway they are not actually Chinese!
They originated in Liverpool, right here in the UK in the 1990s, from Chinese chip shops. Salt and pepper chicken wings and ribs were already popular items on the takeout menus, so the savvy business owners used the same seasoning on the nations favourite food… the chip!
The trend spread quickly and you can now order salt & pepper chips from almost any Chinese takeaway in the UK.
I will show you how to make this most loved dish using either an air fryer, the oven or by deep frying the chips.
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❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe..
- Deliciously tasty and extremely moreish!
- This version is healthier than a takeaway (if baking) with no MSG!
- Gluten, dairy, egg and nut free!
- Cheaper than buying from your local Chinese takeaway or restaurant!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- Chips - You can either make your own chips, use frozen oven chips or skinny fries, whichever is your preference. To get a truly authentic taste, you will need to deep fry the chips, although I have options to bake them in the oven or use the air fryer too if you are looking for a healthier version.
- Vegetables - Traditionally green bell pepper is fried gently in a pan, along with onion and red chilli. I also sprinkle the chips with some fresh red chilli and spring onion once cooked and have added chopped garlic cloves for extra flavour.
- Spice Mix - Use my easy to make salt and pepper spice blend for this recipe which is a mixture of salt, black pepper, Chinese 5 spice, chilli flakes, garlic powder, ground ginger and caster sugar. I would recommend making a large batch and storing in a spice jar, so you always have some on hand!
✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋
✏️ 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 ⬇️
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!
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 to 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 ensures you get a nice crispy finish on the outside but the inside is soft and fluffy.
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.
Cooking The Chips 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 30 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes or so. If using frozen chips they will take around 10-15 minutes.
These timings are approximate as it will depend on how big your chips are, so keep an eye on them and shake every 5 minutes.
Cook The Vegetables
Add the chopped green 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.
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.
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.
💡 Tips & Tricks
- Remove the seeds from the chilli, unless you love things super hot, in which case leave them in!
- Bake the chips in the oven if you are looking for a healthier option.
- If baking the chips in the oven, use a mesh tray, this helps achieve that crispy finish on the chips.
- Serve the chips straight away, if they go cold the chips will become soggy and that’s not good for anyone!
⚡ Variations
Add ½ teaspoon of chicken powder for extra unami and to get an even more authentic flavour that tastes just like the takeaway version. (Note this does include MSG)
🍴 How To Serve
This salt & pepper chips recipe is best served straight away and I wouldn’t recommend re-heating or freezing. If you must re-heat the dish, you can do so in the oven until the chips are piping hot, but you won’t achieve the same crunchiness second time round.
Serve alongside your Chinese favourites like this Crispy Chilli Chicken, Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings, Kids Teriyaki Noodles and “No Egg Fried Rice”.
These salt & pepper chips are also delicious served as a snack, dipped into some sweet chilli sauce.
💬 Recipe FAQ
Take a look at my post which explains exactly what ingredients are in Chinese Salt & Pepper seasoning and how to make it. You can find it here - Chinese Salt & Pepper Seasoning Recipe.
If you loved this recipe, please leave me a 5🌟 rating or comment below. I really do appreciate it. 😊
📖 Check Out My Other Asian Inspired Dishes..
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips
Equipment
- Non sick wok or frying pan
- Mesh tray optional - if cooking chips in the oven
Ingredients
- 600 g potatoes or frozen oven chips
- 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
- 5 tablespoon salt & pepper spice mix
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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 to 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 30 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
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
- Remove the seeds from the chilli, unless you love things super hot, in which case leave them in!
- Bake the chips in the oven if you are looking for a healthier option.
- If baking the chips in the oven, use a mesh tray, this helps achieve that crispy finish on the chips.
- Serve the chips straight away, if they go cold the chips will become soggy and that’s not good for anyone!
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