Name: Sweet Potato Chips
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Jewel Sweet Potato, skin on, sliced thin; 1 Japanese Yam, skin on, sliced thin

Since transitioning to a no-oil vegan lifestyle, my love for chips, fries, and any carbs for that matter, still exists. But, I learned quickly how to enjoy my favorite foods without using any oil at all. One of my favorite snacks is my sweet potato chips recipe. Before transitioning to an oil-free way fo life, however, I couldn’t fathom how I could still eat potato chips or french fries without using oil. Fortunately, I figured it out multiple ways to enjoy savory, salty snacks without any guilt. And, I eat sweet potato chips, french fries, and many other favorite foods, and my skinny jeans still fit.

When I first started cooking without oil, I went through boxes of parchment paper, but then I discovered silicone baking mats. As I progressed in my cooking, I fell in love with my crisper pan. Then, I discovered the beauty of owning my GO-WISE air-frier. At first, I didn’t like my air-fryer, but now, I must say it is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets, especially for making sweet potato chips. Not only is the GO-WISE air-frier easy to use, but it’s also made in the USA, which is an added bonus.

THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF SWEET POTATOES TO CHOOSE FROM FOR SWEET POTATO CHIPS

Although there are literally 4,000 different types of potatoes, five main sweet potato varieties have different functions:

Purple Stokes: slow bake, mash, curries, soups
Garnet: Roasting, baking, stuffing, mashing, casseroles, soups, pureeing, pies
Hannah: Roasting, baking, mashing, putting in stews and soups, fries
Japanese: Roasting, stuffing, steaming, fries, soups, stews
Jewel: Boiling, baking, casseroles, sweet potato pie

HOW TO PICK, AND STORE SWEET POTATOES AT THE STORE

Choose sweet potatoes with tight, unwrinkled skins without any bruises or blemishes. Bigger, however, is not always better; larger sweet potatoes are starchier. So, look small- to medium-sized sweet potatoes.

Unfortunately, sweet potatoes generally do not store well and once they start to spoil, they rot quickly. Even if you think you can cut away the spoiled parts of a sweet potato, it negatively affects the taste of the entire potato.

HOW TO CUT AND MAKE SWEET POTATO CHIPS FOR A SIDE DISH OR SNACK

For my sweet potato chips recipe, for instance, I chose a jewel sweet potato and a Japanese yam for variety and color. Jewel sweet potatoes have orange skin and orange flesh, while Japenese yams have red skin and white flesh. Similar in sweet buttery taste, both varieties of sweet potatoes contrast in color.

Then, I cut the sweet potatoes in thin slices using a Mandoline with a 1/4 inch blade. Of course, you can make the sweet potato slices thicker, but then you will need to adjust the cooking time.

Once the sweet potatoes are cut, I place them in a container full of water until it’s time to cook the sweet potato chips. Since I don’t cook with oil, the water-soaked potatoes are wet, so the seasoning sticks. First, drain the water from the sweet potato slices and then place the damp potatoes in a bowl and toss with seasonings:

Garlic Powder
Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
Sea Salt

Even though I chose these seasonings, feel free to add your favorite seasonings.

OTHER FLAVOR SUGGESTIONS

Fresh lime juice, garlic, and chili powder
Fresh rosemary, salt, and lemon juice
Fresh dill and lemon juice
Malt vinegar and salt
Lemon pepper
Vegan Parmesan Cheese

HOW TO COOK SWEET POTATO CHIPS IN THE AIR-FRIER OR THE OVEN

AIR-FRIER DIRECTIONS

Despite different settings on different machines, most air-friers function similarly. Some helpful tips, however, make it easier. One suggestion, for instance, is to make sure you cook in batches if you have a lot of potatoes. Air-friers, without oil, cook best if the potatoes or any food is in a single layer on the bottom of the air-fry pan.

When I cook larger batches, I preheat my oven to 300 to keep the cooked sweet potato chips warm, while I air-fry the others. As a result, the sweet potato chips are cooked and warm when served. Another idea is to shake the air-frier basket every 5-10 minutes during the cooking process.

Rinse and drain sweet potato slices
Place potato slices in a bowl
Toss with a seasoning blend of choice
Add a single layer of seasoning sweet potatoes in a single layer in the bottom of the air-frier pan.
Heat air-frier to 400 degrees
Cook for 15 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes throughout the cooking process
Then, place cooked sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and transfer to a 300-degree oven to keep warm

OVEN DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Using a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, place a single layer of sweet potato slices
Or, use a crisper pan, which is like an air-frier in the oven.
Place the pan on the center rack for 30 minutes
If using a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, flip potatoes after 15 minutes.