Homemade Potato Chips with Buffalo Ranch Dip
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What I Love About My Homemade Potato Chips and Dip
These chips sit somewhere between a snack and a party appetizer, and they’ve become my go-to for game day snacking.
- You get to control the salt completely, because nothing here comes seasoned or coated before it hits the fryer.
- I slice every potato paper-thin on a mandoline, so each chip fries up light and shatters just right.
- The buffalo ranch dip comes together while the oil heats, so there’s no extra wait once the chips are ready.
- You’ll know exactly what went into the oil and potatoes, since nothing here is store-bought or pre-packaged.
- Frying in small batches keeps every chip crisp, because a crowded pot traps steam and turns chips soggy.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes – I use russet baking potatoes here, since their high starch and low moisture give the driest, crispiest fry.
- Oil– Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works well, like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. These hold up at frying temperature without breaking down or turning bitter.
- Buffalo wing sauce – I use whatever bottled buffalo wing sauce I already like the taste of. The brand you pick changes both the heat level and the thickness of the finished dip.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic gives the dip a cleaner bite than the jarred kind, and one clove is all this recipe needs.
- Fresh dill weed – Fresh dill weed gives the buffalo ranch dip its bright, herby flavor. If dried is all you have on hand, use about a third of the amount called for.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk is what gives the dip its classic ranch tang, and low-fat buttermilk works just as well here as full-fat.
How to Make Homemade Potato Chips with Buffalo Ranch Dip
- Slice the potatoes. Wash the potatoes well, then slice them paper-thin on a mandoline, going slow enough to keep each slice in one full round. PRO TIP: Use the mandoline’s hand guard or a cut-resistant glove, because the blade is sharp enough to catch a finger fast.
- Rinse away the starch. Transfer the slices to a large bowl, cover with cold water, then swirl and drain the cloudy water two or three times until it runs mostly clear. Rinsing pulls the surface starch off the potatoes, which keeps the chips from browning unevenly or turning gummy in the oil.
- Dry every slice completely. Lay the potato slices between two paper towels and pat them dry before frying. Leftover surface water turns to steam in the oil, and that’s what keeps a chip from getting crisp.
- Heat the oil. Pour the oil into a deep pot or fryer and bring it to 350°F over medium to medium-high heat. PRO TIP: No thermometer? Drop in one potato slice first. It should bubble steadily right away, not sit still or fry violently.
- Fry in small batches. Ease a handful of dry potato slices into the hot oil at a time. Give them room to move so they don’t clump together or cook unevenly. Fry until deep golden brown, then lift them out with a slotted spatula onto a paper-towel-lined wire rack.
- Salt immediately. Sprinkle salt over each batch right out of the oil, while it’s still hot enough to stick. Repeat with the remaining potato slices, letting the oil come back up to temperature between batches.
- Whisk the dip. While the last batch fries, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, buffalo sauce, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper. Whisk until completely smooth. Serve it alongside the warm chips right away, while both are at their best.
Ways to Serve Crispy Homemade Potato Chips
- Alongside a game day spread. These chips hold their own next to wings, sliders, or my buffalo chicken dip on the table.
- With a second dip. Buffalo ranch is the star, but a milder ranch alongside gives guests with different spice tolerances an option.
- Topped like loaded chips. Pile a handful with shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and green onion, then broil briefly for a nacho-style snack.
- With cold drinks. The saltiness pairs naturally with an ice-cold beer or a fizzy soda at a cookout.
Homemade Potato Chips Recipe FAQs
Soggy chips almost always come down to moisture. Extra water left on the slices, oil that isn’t hot enough, or a crowded pot can all cause it. Dry every slice thoroughly, keep the oil at 350°F, and fry in small batches so the temperature holds steady.
Russet or other high-starch baking potatoes fry up the crispest, since low moisture dries out fast in hot oil. Waxy potatoes, like red or new potatoes, hold onto more moisture and tend to fry up chewy rather than crisp.
No, a deep pot on the stovetop works fine, though a fryer holds a steadier temperature. In a pot, plan on more batches and a little extra time, because overcrowding cools the oil fast.
Rinsing washes the surface starch off the potatoes, and that starch is what causes uneven browning and gumminess. A few rinses in cold water until it runs clear is usually enough.
Plain salt is the classic, but a seasoning blend like Cajun or taco seasoning works well too. Add it right off the hot oil, while the chips are still warm enough for it to stick.
More Recipes From Me
- Bacon onion rings with bacon ranch dip
- Beer batter onion rings
- Buffalo chicken dip
- Homemade ranch dressing
- Instant Pot buffalo ranch shredded chicken
- Fried calamari
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Homemade Potato Chips Recipe with Buffalo Ranch Dip
Ingredients
- 2 large baking potatoes
- Salt
- 5-6 cups vegetable oil for frying
Buffalo Ranch:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp low fat buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp buffalo sauce winger sauce
- 1 lg garlic clove
- 1 Tbsp dill weed
- Salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Wash baking potatoes well.
- Using a mandoline slicer, slice potatoes on the thinnest setting. Don't go too fast so that you get full potato slices. (Also, be very careful and watch your hands because the mandoline is sharp.)
- In a deep cooking pan (or in a fryer) start preheating oil to 350℉ degrees over medium to medium-high heat. Prepare a wire rack for cooked chips and cover it with a sheet of paper towel to soak up excess oil.
- Transfer potato slices into a large mixing bowl, be gentle so they don't break. Fill the bowl with cold water. Gently stir the potato slices and drain off the cloudy water. Fill the bowl with cold water again, stir the potato slices and drain off the water. Repeat the rinse one more time. (Rinsing potatoes gets rid of excess starch.)
- Make sure to dry potato slices before adding them in the hot oil. To dry the potato slices: lay them between two paper towels in one single layer and pat dry.
- Fry dry potato slices until golden brown. Take them out with a metal clotted spatula onto the prepared wire rack. Sprinkle some salt on the chips.
- Repeat with remaining potato slices.
- To make the Buffalo Ranch dipping sauce, simply whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
- **Note: this makes about the same amount as a big bag of chips but feel free to double the recipe if serving a big crowd.**
Nutrition
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Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
These are amazing!
Thank you, Amanda! I am so glad you liked them!