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    Home » Recipes By Meal Types » Allergy-Friendly Starters & Side dishes

    Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips 

    Published: Feb 6, 2023 by Lauren · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Bowl of fries garnished with peppers, onion and chilli with a pot of sweet chilli sauce to the side, with a crispy chicken dish on a plate in the background.
    Bowl of fries garnished with peppers, onion and chilli with a pot of sweet chilli sauce to the side, with a crispy chicken dish on a plate in the background.

    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!

    a bowl of fries garnished with chilli, red and green pepper, with a chinese crispy chilli dish in the background.

    *Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links - This means I receive a commission for purchases made though those links, at no cost to you. Please click here for further info*

    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.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe..
    • 🥘 Ingredients Needed
    • ✏️ How to Make Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips
    • 💡 Tips & Tricks
    • ⚡ Variations
    • 🍴 How To Serve
    • 💬 Recipe FAQ
    • 📖 Check Out My Other Asian Inspired Dishes..
    • Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips 

    ❤️ 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

    Ingredients laid out for chinese salt & pepper chips.
    • 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

    For the full printable recipe, along with ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post ⬇️

    potatoes cut into chip shapes in a roasting tin.

    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.

    Chopped red and green pepper, onion, red chilli and spring onion on a chopping board.

    Make The Seasoning

    Use my super easy spice mix found here. 

    red and green pepper and onion frying in a wok, being mixed by a wooden spoon.

    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.

    Chips mixed with red and green pepper, onion and spices being mixed in a wok with a wooden spoon.

    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)

    Close up of a bowl of chips garnished with red and green pepper, onion, spices and red chilli.

    🍴 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

    What is Chinese salt & pepper seasoning made of?

    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.

    💫 Love this recipe? It would be great if you could leave a 5 ⭐ rating and comment below! Thanks x 💫

    📖 Check Out My Other Asian Inspired Dishes..

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • fried rice in a white bowl
      Simple "No Egg" Fried Rice With Prawns
    • chicken noodle stir fry in a bowl
      Easy kids chicken noodle stir fry with broccoli
    • salt and pepper chicken wings garnished with chilli and spring onion on a white serving plate
      Chinese Style Baked Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings
    • a plate of crispy chicken pieces garnished with spring onion & chilli, with a knife and fork next to the plate and a pot of sweet chilli sauce/
      Chinese Crispy Chilli Chicken
    a bowl of fries garnished with chilli, red and green pepper, with a chinese crispy chilli dish in the background.

    Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips 

    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!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine British, Chinese
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 485 kcal

    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

    • Use my super easy spice mix found here

    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

    Air fryer timings are approximate as it will depend on how big your chips are, so keep an eye on them and shake every 5 minutes.
    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!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 7gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.02gSodium: 840mgPotassium: 994mgFiber: 16gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1007IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 323mgIron: 9mg
    Keyword chinese, salt & pepper chips
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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