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Dilly Sweet Potato Chips

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on July 22, 2009

Yield

Serves 6

Dilly Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients

2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/16-inch-thick slices using a mandoline or V-slicerSalt and ground black pepper 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Before You Begin

Dill and onion give the chips a pleasant tang.

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches 375 degrees. (Use an instant-read thermometer that registers high temperatures or clip a candy/deep-fat thermometer onto the side of the pan.)
  2. Carefully add just a handful (about a sixth) of the sweet potatoes and fry until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain the cooking temperature.
  3. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the chips to a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels and sprinkle them lightly with salt, pepper, dill, and onion powder. Repeat with the remaining potato slices, allowing the oil to come back to 375 degrees after cooking each batch. The chips can be stored for up to 2 days in a resealable plastic bag.
Dilly Sweet Potato Chips

Dilly Sweet Potato Chips

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/16-inch-thick slices using a mandoline or V-slicer
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
¼ teaspoon onion powder

Ingredients

2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/16-inch-thick slices using a mandoline or V-slicer
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
¼ teaspoon onion powder

Ingredients

2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/16-inch-thick slices using a mandoline or V-slicer
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
¼ teaspoon onion powder

Why This Recipe Works

The best tool for handling the potatoes for our sweet potato chips recipe proved to be a mandoline, which quickly cut the potatoes into perfect 1/16-inch-thick slices. When it came time for cooking, we found that the only way to guarantee that the right oil temperature had been reached was to use a thermometer—either instant-read or a clip-on candy thermometer. To maintain a steady temperature and to prevent the chips from fusing together, it’s important to not overcrowd the pot. The test kitchen favored peanut oil for our sweet potato chip recipe because of its high smoke point and mild but toasty flavor, with vegetable oil as a close second.

Before You Begin

Dill and onion give the chips a pleasant tang.

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches 375 degrees. (Use an instant-read thermometer that registers high temperatures or clip a candy/deep-fat thermometer onto the side of the pan.)
  2. Carefully add just a handful (about a sixth) of the sweet potatoes and fry until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain the cooking temperature.
  3. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the chips to a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels and sprinkle them lightly with salt, pepper, dill, and onion powder. Repeat with the remaining potato slices, allowing the oil to come back to 375 degrees after cooking each batch. The chips can be stored for up to 2 days in a resealable plastic bag.

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