We just love dishes that are spectacular in their simplicity. Let the ingredients shine!
This appetizer or side dish is no exception. The chips are light and airy, but so amazingly delicious. A quick fry and a sprinkle of sea salt are all that’s needed. They can be deep-fried, baked, or cooked in your air fryer! They are wonderful served with our Kickin’ Remoulade Sauce!
HOW TO MAKE CROSSHATCH SWEET POTATO CHIPS
The preparation for these chips really couldn’t be easier.
We use our mandolin to get the beautiful crosshatch pattern, but also very thinly sliced sweet potato slices will work just fine, too.
HOW TO MAKE THE CROSSHATCH PATTERN
On most mandolins, there will be a crosshatch symbol on the dial on the side of the tool.
Turn the dial to the crosshatch symbol and then carefully remove the blade in the middle of the mandolin.
Now, insert it back in with the blade with the ridges is facing up. (See photo for reference).
Take one of your peeled sweet potatoes, and slice one end off so you have a flat, smooth edge.
Now, carefully slide the potato, cut-side down, across the blade. You can discard the first cut. You’ve now begun the crosshatch process.
Simply turn the potato to a 45° angle and slide it across the blade again. Take a look! You’ve just made your first crosshatch chip!
EXPERT TIP: It is important to handle the slice of the chips very carefully. Don’t rush and try and keep the edge of the potato flat and smooth. We recommend cutting the opposite end of the potato off as well. This will allow you to easily attach the safety guard to the end of the potato as you continue cutting, getting closer and closer to the end of the potato.
PREPARING THE SWEET POTATOES FOR A QUICK FRY
We find that 3 large sweet potatoes give you a nice large serving of crosshatch sweet potato fries.
This recipe will comfortably feed 4 to 6 people as an appetizer or a side dish.
Soaking the cut sweet potatoes is an important step to ensure crispy, perfectly cooked chips.
Soak the cut spuds in a large bowl of water for a minimum of 30 minutes. You can actually soak them overnight, and they’ll be just fine.
EXPERT TIP: If you prefer to bake the sweet potato chips, then you can skip soaking them. Simply brush them with a little olive oil all over, and then bake at 350° F for about 2 hours, moving them around on the pan every now and then. If you want to air fry your chips, we do recommend soaking them for 15 to 20 minutes, then dry them off, toss (or spray) them in oil, and then air-fry for 15 minutes at 350°F.
Baking and air-frying these chips are absolutely wonderful, and of course, a little more healthy.
But these chips are so thin, they really only get a quick fry in the oil if you deep fry them.
EXPERT TIP: You don’t want your oil too hot or they will burn. If your oil is not hot enough, they’ll cook longer and could absorb more oil than is desired and be a little mushy. We find that 1 minute to 2 minutes in 350°F hot oil delivers perfectly golden chips.
HOW TO SERVE CROSSHATCH SWEET POTATO CHIPS
These babies are honestly so delicious by themselves, that a nice sprinkling of coarse sea salt is often all that’s needed.
We got the inspiration to make these when we ordered something similar at a gastropub in Omaha, Nebraska.
They work wonderfully as an appetizer or a side dish to a killer-good burger such as our Mushroom-Swiss Burger!
But, you know us, we love a good sauce.
A good dipping sauce is a perfect accompaniment for these crosshatch sweet potato fries.
Our Kickin’ Remoulade has just a touch of heat, which is the perfect match against the sweetness of the chips. Homemade Ranch is wonderful, too.
THE PERFECT APPETIZER AND SIDE DISH
Every time we serve these, we get rave reviews.
We often serve them for guests as an appetizer or a side dish for a BBQ, but they’re so easy, we love to whip up a batch for an afternoon snack.
As the Loon says, “You definitely can’t eat just one of these chips! They are insanely good! And with the sauce? Forget about it!”
Ready to make the best appetizer or side dish in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it to Instagram, and tag @howtofeedaloon and hashtag #howtofeedaloon!
Crosshatch Sweet Potato Chips
Equipment
- A mandolin with waffle/crosshatch blade, or a sharp knife
- Deep fryer, or heavy skillet with oil
Ingredients
- vegetable oil for frying
- 3 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled, with the ends cut off
- 1 tbsp Sea salt coarse, or to taste
- Kickin' Remoulade Sauce optional, for dipping
Instructions
- Turn your mandolin to the crosshatch (or waffle), setting. Make sure the blade is set with the crosshatch ridges (not the straight-edge blade) in the position to cut the potatoes.
- Using the protective handle/cover, swipe the spud down the mandolin over the ridged blade. Discard the first slice.
- Turn the potato 90°, and swipe down the mandolin again...you'll now have your first waffle fry. Repeat until all sweet potatoes are sliced.
- Add the slices to a large bowl filled with water and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet, or a deep fryer, to 350°F.
- Drain the slices and dry them off well with a kitchen towel. Quickly fry in batches...only about 1 to 2 minutes per batch, or until fries are starting to turn a little brown.
- Remove from oil and place on paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with sea salt.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, such as Kickin' Remoulade Sauce
Video
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in June 2014, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe, with new tips and photography, and a fabulous new video in May 2020!
