Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips
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.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 456kcal
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.
Video
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.
The chips are best served straight away, and I wouldn’t recommend re-heating or freezing. If you must reheat the dish, you can do so in the oven until the chips are piping hot, but you won’t achieve the same crunchiness the second time around.
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!)
Nutrition
Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 1338mg | Potassium: 822mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 840IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 3mg
