When I snack, I try to stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, but sometimes I want something with crunch, not the moist crunch of a carrot but the carb-filled crunch of a potato chip. When I get really desperate for a treat, I leave the pre-packaged snacks–with their fat, chemicals, and processed ingredients–on the grocery store shelves and make my own healthy snacks using natural ingredients that I usually have in my pantry.
My taste in snacks runs from the very simple (baked tortilla chips) to the unusual (roasted okra). But my very favorite, the one crunchy snack that almost everyone loves, is also the easiest to make: microwave potato chips.
I’ve been making these for years, and I even bought this totally unnecessary gadget, which I used exactly once. (You’re supposed to stand the potato slices in this piece of slotted, circular plastic from which, once they are cooked, it will take a bipartisan act of congress to get them unstuck. If you see one for sale, please don’t waste your money.)
After dozens of under- and over-cooked batches of microwave chips, I’ve found that the best gadget for making chips is simply the glass tray in my microwave. I’ve also discovered that the way to get the chips crispy without burning is to stop the cooking just as they begin to brown, let them sit in the microwave for a minute, and then finish the cooking. I’m pretty confident that if you follow the instructions below, your potato chips will come out golden and delicious every time.
Microwave Fat-Free Potato Chips
Ingredients
- medium russet potato
- parchment paper
- salt
- optional seasonings: chili powder, Creole seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, etc.
Instructions
- Using a mandolin or v-slicer, slice one medium russet potato (peeled, if you like) as thinly as possible, taking care that all slices are the same thickness. Line the turntable tray of your microwave with parchment paper and place the potato slices on it without overlapping. Salt lightly and sprinkle with your choice of seasonings.
- Microwave at full power–watching closely–until spots of brown begin to appear, about 4-6 minutes. Turn off the microwave for 1 minute. Microwave again at full power until the slices are golden brown. (Be very careful not to over-brown or they will taste burned.) Remove from the microwave and allow to cool. Repeat until all potato slices are cooked.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
My favorite spur-of-the-moment snack is simple: rinsed, canned chickpeas sprinkled with Creole seasoning. It’s hardly a crunchy snack, but it does satisfy the craving for salty foods. The problem for me is that it’s all too easy to over-eat chickpeas when they take so little effort to chew.
That’s where roasted chickpeas come in: they satisfy the urge to crunch, and a few go a long way. There are recipes all over the internet for roasted chickpeas, some using soaked dried beans and others using pre-cooked beans. I recently did a little experiment to see which kind I prefer.
I made two batches, one using dried chickpeas and one using canned. I flavored the dried with lime and chili powder and the canned with curry. Overall, I preferred the canned–the texture was lighter and less hard than the dried version. Plus, they’re quicker to make, so they’re better in the case of a snack emergency. Both versions are below, so you can conduct your own experiment.
Chili Roasted Chickpeas from Dried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Pick over and rinse the chickpeas. Cover them with water 2 inches above the level of the beans and let soak overnight.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put in a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the chili powder and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain. Place in a bowl and toss with the lime juice..
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Lift the chickpeas out of the bowl with a slotted spoon and place them in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Stir after 15 minutes, brushing them with the lime juice remaining in the bowl. Repeat three times, the last time sprinkling them with the remaining chili powder and salt. When they are golden brown and crispy (about 50-60 minutes in total) remove from the oven . Cool completely before serving.
Nutritional info is approximate.
Curry Roasted Chickpeas from Canned Beans
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Spray a baking sheet with canola oil and spread chickpeas out in a single layer. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden and crunchy, about 45-50 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
Nutritional info is approximate.
This week I finally got around to trying a healthy snack that so many bloggers have said that they love. Kale chips sounded perfect–a green leafy vegetable magically transformed into a snack.
Unfortunately, my family and I seem to lack the “kale chip gene.” Even after I baked them perfectly–not burned like my first batch or chewy/underdone like my second–we just don’t like them. Perhaps my kale was just overly bitter; if you give them a try, please let me know your opinion.
Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 4 large leaves kale
- olive oil spray optional
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Wash kale and cut into two-inch pieces. (Try to make the pieces all the same size or they will not cook at the same rate.) Spray a baking sheet with oil and place the pieces of kale on it in a single layer. Spray lightly with oil, if desired, and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 7 minutes. Turn the chips over and bake for 3-7 more minutes, until crispy and edges just beginning to brown. Cool and eat.
Nutritional info is approximate.
Ooops–Serene’s comment below reminded me to add this photo of one of my favorite summertime snacks, frozen grapes. I keep a bunch in the freezer so that it’s easy to grab a few when I’m hungry or hot or both!
What’s your favorite low-fat snack? I’d love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a recipe or link to it in the comments section.
Martha Grier
August 30, 2015 at 2:02 pmHello, I love your recipes but have a suggestion for your kale chip blues. Kale needs a bit of disguise, so I usually coat it with Miraculous Walnut Sauce from Dr. Esselstyn’s book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. Once coated, I dehydrate the chips in a dehydrator for about 4 hours. You could probably do them in the oven on the warming setting. If I want something with less fat then I coat it with a combination of soy sauce, nutritional yeast and garlic. I’ve never seen anyone pass up the coated chips. Happy cooking, Martha Grier, Nanoose Bay, BC
craig hinchman
August 30, 2015 at 7:49 pmI love your great snack recipes.
Anna
May 28, 2017 at 4:55 amNice informative post…Balanced diet is the key to good health
Anita Gordon
August 23, 2017 at 7:09 pmOMG potato chip heaven! I no longer use oil and didn’t think it was possible to get a great potato chip. Never dreamt I could do it in the microwave. Love them!
Mardell
August 29, 2017 at 5:11 amPeople who do not like kale chips often like the ones I make. I simple rip up the kale leaves, pour lime juice on the wet the leaves. (I use the organic bottled lime juice, fresh would be even better). Sprinkle nutritional yeast and sometimes I use seasoning salt too. toss it around in a big bowl until mostly wet and mixed. As I lay them out in my dehydrator I sometimes sprinkle a little more yeast on.Chips don’t need to be coved with the yeast/salt, but I like to have it visible on some of them. In my dryer they only take several hours to dry. These are very addictive when drinking a beer! Somehow those flavors just go together for me. I do not enjoy the lime flavored tortilla and potato chips but I like these!!! See if you like these better as the strong flavor is not the kale. I use NO oil on these.
Markus Michalski
December 5, 2020 at 12:37 amCrispy Potato Chips out of a microwave. What a smash! Thanks for this recipe 🙂
Melissa
August 14, 2021 at 5:52 amThis recipe for potato chips is a game-changer! I have tried every technique to make good potato chips at home, I tried the air fryer, the oven, toaster oven… and never achieved a great result.. I can’t believe it was there all along in the microwave, thank you so much for teaching me this is super easy way to make the best, crispiest, potato chips!