If you’ve ever had that irresistible late-night craving for fiery, crunchy salt and chilli chips from your local Chinese takeaway, you’re in luck—I’ve cracked the code! This authentic salt and chilli chips, takeaway style recipe, will have you making the ultimate version of these chips at home!
Salt and Chili Chips are made from thick-cut crispy chips tossed with stir-fried onions, peppers, fresh chillies, and a punchy spice blend. This delicious dish has its origins in UK and Irish Chinese takeaways. It is the spicier version of traditional British chips. I warn you, they are addictive due to the crunch, the heat and the umami combo.
In this post the words chips and fries are used synonymously to refer to strips of raw potatoes that are fried until golden brown and crispy.
Likewise, the spelling of the words chili and chilli refer to the exact same thing—the hot pepper from the Capsicum family.
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- Adjustable heat level from mild to ‘my mouth is on fire’. By simply adjusting the quantity of chili peppers used, the heat level of these fries can be customized.
- Lots of flexibility with the cooking method. Fries can be shallow fried, deep fried or air fried and crisped to your taste.
- Cheaper than takeaway prices (about £5 / ≈ $7 at a Chinese restaurant). This recipe for the same quantity of salt and chilli chips cost about half the takeaway price.
- Healthier as this recipe air fries the chips instead of deep frying them, therefore reducing the fat content.
- Homemade Chinese 5 spice blend is used, but a store bought preparation can also be used.
- Air fryer instructions are given below the instructions if you want to prepare salt and chilli chips completely in the air fryer.
Chinese 5 Spice
Chinese 5 spice is a classic aromatic spice blend used primarily in Chinese cuisine. It was created to balance the five fundamental tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. The standard recipe is to use equal amounts of the following spices:
Fennel seeds — mild anise flavor.
Star anise — licorice-like flavor.
Cloves — intense, sweet, and slightly bitter.
Chinese cinnamon (cassia bark) — more robust than regular cinnamon.
Ground ginger — warm, spicy and pungent.
Any whole seeds should be pulverized in a spice grinder and mixed with the other ground spices.
If you are a fan of making your own spices, I highly recommend the following recipes for homemade Chorizo seasoning, and Lemon Pepper Seasoning.
Peppers – Choose Your Heat Level
Did you know there is a heat scale to tell us how much heat peppers contain? In 1912 a scientist named Wilbur Scoville, developed a scale to quantify heat in capsaicinoids (chemical compounds found in chili peppers and hot sauces.)The Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) scale grades peppers according to their heat content, with smaller numbers showing the least amount of heat.
Bell Pepper (0 SHU) Sweet and crunchy with no heat.
Poblano Pepper (1,000–2,000 SHU) Mild with earthy flavor and dark green in color.
Jalapeño Pepper (2,500–8,000 SHU) Medium heat, used primarily in salsas, nachos, and poppers.
Serrano Pepper (10,000–23,000 SHU) Hotter and crisper than jalapeño.
Habanero Pepper (100,000–350,000 SHU) Intensely hot commonly found in super-hot sauces.
Ingredients
With the cost savings, fresher taste and full control over the spice level – what are you waiting for? Let’s get started with an introduction to the ingredients.
- Chips (fries): use either frozen or blanched fries (fresh, raw potatoes cut into strips and partially fried at a lower temperature).
- Peppers: choose 2-3 types with contrasting colors and heat levels. I chose green bell pepper, a green Poblano pepper and a couple of red peppers (Fresno variety).
- Onion: white, yellow, sweet or even red. I chose a standard yellow onion.
- Spice blend: Chinese 5 spice.
- Soy sauce.
- Sesame oil.
- Vinegar: the most authentic to use is Shaoxing vinegar. In a pinch – use malt vinegar.
- Scallions: spring onions.
How to Make Salt and Chilli Chips
Peel the onion. Cut onion into slices. Then cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut peppers into slices or rings.
Cook the fries in an air fryer for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
Heat the sesame oil in a pan over high heat.
Add to the pan the sliced onions and peppers to fry.
Pour in soy sauce to the pan.
Add cracked black pepper.
Sprinkle in the Chinese 5 spice.
Once the chips have finished air frying, add them to the pan and pour in the Shaoxing vinegar.
Combine all the ingredients together for a few minutes, then garnish with sliced scallions.
Ways to Vary This Recipe
- Use different peppers than I used which were bell, Poblano and Fresno, all of which are on the milder side of the Scoville Heat Unit scale. Use the guide above when choosing which peppers to incorporate and spice things up!
- Add seasoned fried chicken (usually tenders or nuggets) to turn this meal into a Spice Bag, a favorite choice from Chinese takeaways in Ireland. A Spice Bag typically contains fried chicken, fries, onions, peppers and spices tossed together and served in a paper bag.
- Use alternative vegetables such as sweet potato fries to replace the chips, leeks replace onions, teriyaki sauce can replace the soy sauce and so on.
- Have some red chilli flakes on hand for those people who want the original recipe to be hotter.
How to Make Salt and Chili Chips Completely in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F for 3-5 minutes.
- Cook the fries in the air fryer for 10 minutes, then remove.
- While the chips (fries) are in the fryer, add the sesame oil to a bowl and add the sliced peppers and onions. Mix the oil with the vegetables to coat them evenly.
- Place the coated vegetables in the air fryer for 10 minutes.
- Return the chips to the air fryer, place them on top of the vegetables and air fry for another 3-5 minutes ensuring all the food is hot.
- While the chips are reheating with the vegetables, mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, and spice blend in a large bowl.
- Remove the chips and vegetables from the air fryer and add them to the spicy vinegar mixture. Stir carefully to combine.
- Pour the salt and chili chips onto a serving plate and garnish with sliced spring onions.
What to Serve with Salt and Chilli Chips
Here are some suggestions how to make this ‘fakeaway’ even more epic.
- The obvious pairing is to serve salt and chilli fries with fried chicken nuggets or tenders to complete the Spice Bag, a favorite in Irish Chinese takeaways.
- Other proteins such as crispy beef, sweet and sour pork or stir fried chicken can be added to this side dish of salt and chill chips.
- For a vegetarian friendly meal, top these fries with a couple of fried eggs or golden, crispy tofu.
- In keeping with the Chinese takeaways in Ireland, finish the fries with a generous pour over of curry sauce.
- Use these salt and chili chips as part of an entire Asian spread made for get togethers or a weekend feast!
A Tip From Me
To avoid soggy fries, make sure the fries are crispy before they are added to the pan. The vegetables have been fried over a high heat, maintain this heat when the fries are added to the pan. Do not at any time add a lid to the pan.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
Good question! They are essentially the same thing. People in Northern England, Scotland, and places like Liverpool more commonly use the name salt and pepper chips.
In Scotland, Ireland, or certain food chains, people say salt and chilli chips instead.
Either type works well in this recipe. Frozen are easier but fresh offer more flexibility. Either way prepare the fries until they are crispy and golden and then use them to make salt and chilli chips.
I highly recommend using an air fryer to reheat. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Add the leftovers and air fry for 3-5 minutes. All the food has been cooked thoroughly, so look for steam coming off the food as an indicator that the leftovers have reheated sufficiently.
Ultimate Salt and Chilli Chips Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen steak fries
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 poblano pepper
- 2 Fresno peppers
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp Chinese 5 spice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing vinegar
- 3 scallions
Instructions
- Peel the onion. Cut onion into slices. Then cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut peppers into slices or rings.
- Cook the fries in an air fryer for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
- Heat the sesame oil in a pan over high heat then add the sliced onions and peppers to fry.
- Pour in soy sauce to the pan. Then add cracked black pepper and the Chinese 5 spice.
- Once the chips have finished air frying, add them to the pan and pour in the Shaoxing vinegar.
- Combine all the ingredients together for a few minutes, then garnish with sliced scallions.
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