If you’ve recently brought home a Ninja Foodi, congratulations! The Ninja Foodi is definitely a step above its closest competitor, the InstaPot, letting you have the efficiency and goodness of an air fryer, a slow cooker, and a pressure cooker all in one appliance (bye-bye, kitchen clutter!).
This multi-cooker-air fryer combo is taking kitchens by storm across the UK and is quickly becoming a go-to kitchen appliance for folks health conscious and otherwise.
It isn’t hard to see why—the Ninja Foodi can steam, saute, slow cook, air fry, and pressure cook in addition to featuring advanced TenderCrisp technology that gives you that oh-so-desirable crunch in your fried food, minus the unhealthiness of oil.
If you’re just starting out on your Ninja Foodi journey, one of the easiest things you can make and treat yourself to (without the guilt!) is chips.
Here’s a guide to quickly whipping up delicious hand-cut chips, as well as frozen chips, with your new Ninja Foodi.
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Why Use An Air Fryer For Your Chips?
Granted—normal fried chips are as delicious as they come, but it’s now common knowledge that they’re also extremely unhealthy for you when eaten regularly.
Studies show that eating chips more than twice a week could double the risk of death, thanks to the high salt and fat content which increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Additionally, fried foods, in general, are high in trans fats, which make an appearance in foods that are deep fried at high temperatures. These fats are key players in the game of introducing cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease to the body.
In comparison, an air fryer like the Ninja Foodi, uses hot air and minimal oil to crisp up your chips, making it a way healthier option (not to mention the money you’ll be saving by reducing your household oil needs).
Guilt-free snacking for the win!
It’s also safer since you don’t have to deal with the hazard of hot oil splattering everywhere and possibly burning you.
Cooking Fresh Hand-Cut Chips With The Ninja Foodi
Here’s a step-by-step guide to cooking chips with your Ninja Foodi.
Fresh Hand-Cut Chips Recipe
Equipment
- The Ninja Foodi air fryer basket though the pot features a ceramic coating, you’ll need the air fryer basket to hold and fry your chips well
- The Ninja Foodi crisper plate
Ingredients
- 1 pound of Idaho or russet potatoes cut into thin strips around two inches wide—though it comes down to your preference, leaving the skins on the potatoes will give your chips better texture and shape, and is also much healthier.
- 0.5 – 3 tablespoon Oil, depending on how crispy you want your chips (the more the oil, the crispier the chips).
Method
- Start by soaking your cut potato strips in cold water. Doing so will get rid of any excess starch (excess starch can cause bloating and gas).
- After the potato strips have soaked for around 30 minutes, remove them from the water. Ensure you drain well and finish off by patting them dry with a paper towel. Your strips need to be as dry as possible.
- Combine the oil and potatoes in a mixing bowl; tossing them will ensure even coating and distribution of oil, without breaking the strips.
- Put your Foodi crisper plate in the air basket and put both the basket and the plate into your Ninja Foodi.
- Select the “Air Fry” mode and let your Foodi preheat at a temperature of 198℃ or 390℉ for three minutes. Hit the “Start/Pause” button to start preheating.
- Once the Foodi is preheated, lay your chips on the crisper plate and put the plate back into the basket. Select the “Air Fry” mode once again and cook the chips for 25 minutes at around 198℃/390℉.
- Once your chips hit the ten-minute mark, pause the cooking (the “Start/Pause” button, again), take out the basket from the Foodi, and either toss the chips with tongs (silicone-tipped, preferably) or simply give the chips a shake.
- After you’re done tossing the chips, let it cook for another 10 minutes before you check it again.
- If you want your chips to get crispier, leave them in for another five minutes, totalling a cooking time of 25 minutes.
- Once you’ve taken your chips out, you can either lightly season them with a seasoning of your choice or plain salt, or serve them as is with a dipping sauce!
- In case you don’t have Idaho or russet potatoes at your disposal or don’t like them, you could use fingerling potatoes sliced into thin sticks.
- Using healthy oils such as canola, olive, and avocado oil will add an extra healthy touch to your chips.
How To Cook Frozen Chips In Ninja Foodi
If you’re short of time and have a bag of frozen chips in your freezer, here’s how to bring them to life (healthily!) with the Ninja Foodi.
Frozen Chips In Ninja Foodi Recipe
Equipment
- The Ninja Foodi and its air fryer basket
- A spray bottle to spray oil
Ingredients
- 1 bag Frozen chips – you can pick any cut that you want!
- Oil – go healthy with avocado or olive oil
- Salt to taste kosher salt works wonders for extra crispiness
- Seasoning optional
Method
- Start by turning on the “Air Crisp” mode in your Ninja Foodi, setting the temperature to 198℃/390℉.
- Take your chips out of the freezer and put the strips directly into the air fryer basket, without defrosting.
- Before you put on the lid, evenly spray the fries with oil so that they crisp uniformly. You can also add in the salt and seasonings at this stage.
- Let the chips cook for 20 minutes; stirring them every 5 minutes will ensure better, more uniform cooking.
- Place the fries in a manner that allows air to pass through and around them.
- If you want twice-fried chips (which many believe will give you the perfect chips), you can do with the Ninja Foodi. Do a round of air frying for a shorter period and at lower temperatures, and then cook as indicated in the above recipes.
How To Cook Chips In A Ninja Foodi: Wrapping Up
Within just 20-25 minutes, the Ninja Foodi gives you the perfect plate of chips to mix with your salad, topped with some delicious cheese and meat, or just as is with a dipping sauce.
Once you’ve perfected your fries (which should take you no time with the Ninja Foodi), you can move on to exploring more challenging recipes, such as gammon and chicken.
