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a bowl of fries garnished with chilli, red and green pepper, with a chinese crispy chilli dish in the background.
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5 from 1 vote

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!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: British, Chinese
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 485kcal

Equipment

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

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: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 840mg | Potassium: 994mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 323mg | Iron: 9mg