What snack foods did you eat when you were a kid?
Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, I loved eating Chex Mix, Combos, and Doolies (remember Doolies?!). For sweets, I enjoyed Laffy Taffy, Fun Dips, and anything chocolate.
Another food I really enjoyed then (and still enjoy today) is BBQ potato chips.
I decided to make them at home as a part of my Retro Recipes series. They were a hit!
How To Make Great Homemade Potato Chips At Home
- Slicing the potatoes: Slicing the potatoes thin and uniform is the key to making great homemade potato chips. To do this, you’ll need a mandoline slicer. Here’s a mandoline slicer I recommend on Amazon.
- Soak the potatoes: You’ll also want to soak the potatoes after slicing. This removes some of the starch from the potatoes and ultimately results in a crispier chip.
- Drying the potatoes: After soaking, make sure that you remove as much of the water as possible. After draining in a colander, blot potatoes with a paper towel.
- Getting great BBQ flavor: I used BBQ 3000 spice from Penzey’s Spices, but you can use another dry BBQ seasoning. Store-bought barbecue potato chips have a slight sweetness to them, which I recreated by adding brown sugar to the spice mix. Delicious!
Get more Retro Recipes from the 70’s and 80’s:
Homemade BBQ Potato Chips
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 60 min
Get instructions for baked potato chips here.
Ingredients:
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1/4 cup BBQ seasoning (like Penzey's BBQ 3000)or BBQ Bone Suckin' Dry Rub
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cooking oil (such as canola, peanut or vegetable oil)
Directions:
- Slice potatoes using mandoline slicer set at the 2nd thinnest setting. Place sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water. Let the potatoes soak for at least 30 minutes, changing the water a couple of times. Drain potatoes in a colander and blot dry with a paper towel to dry completely.
- Mix the BBQ spice mix, brown sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Fill a heavy-duty saucepan with enough oil to submerge the potato slices (approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups in a large saucepan). Alternatively, you can use a deep fryer.
- When oil reaches 365F (185C), start frying the potatoes in batches. When the potatoes are a nice golden brown, remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
- When all the potatoes are fried, place in a large bowl and toss with the spice mix. Serve immediately.