Jessica Ransom
Our potato peel crisps are simple to make, delicious and cheap. What’s not to love?
This is a great recipe to make with your kids and can be a good way to teach them about food waste and why it’s important to reduce how much we throw away. The crisps take 15 minutes to make and can be cooked in the oven or an airfryer if you have one.
Potato peels don’t keep very well so it’s best to cook them straight away. When it comes to seasoning, we’d recommend salt and pepper as a minimum but dried herbs and spices like paprika, oregano or mixed herbs are great too. Have fun and experiment to find your favourite combination.
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes (you will only be using the skins for this recipe)
- 1/2tbsp olive oil
- Seasoning of choice
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Heat your oven to 200C (180C, Gas 6). Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin from your potatoes. Ideally in long strips at least 6-8cm in length. Place the peeled potatoes in some cold water and keep in the fridge for up to a day before using for another recipe.
- Pat the peelings dry with a clean kitchen towel or some sheets of kitchen paper. Put in a bowl and mix in a little olive oil and your choice of seasoning and spices.
- Toss everything together until evenly coated, then spread on a lined baking tray and cook in a single layer for around 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp. Keep an eye on them and remove any that look ready as you go.
Top tip for making potato peel crisps
If you are cooking these in an air-fryer, the same temperature is fine but they may take less time to cook. Try not to overcrowd the pan as it’s best to keep them in a single layer if possible.
What else can I make veg peel crisps from?
You can try other vegetable peelings, like carrot and parsnip. The peel lasts for up to three days, if wrapped well and stored in the fridge. Once you have a substantial collection, make the crisps as per the recipe above.
Is it okay to eat potato skin?
Yes, in fact you should eat the skin on your chips or jacket potatoes because it contains lots of fibre and nutrients.
What to do with leftover potato from potato skins?
If you’ve scooped the potato flesh from your baked potato so you can make loaded skins, you can either mix some of it back with the filling and stuff back into the skins. Or use the potato to make croquettes or gnocchi.
“Crisps are my go-to snack and ultimate guilty pleasure. Making crisps from potato peelings is not only good for the planet, because you are saving food waste but it’s also essentially free because you’re probably using the potatoes for another recipe. I never need an excuse to eat crisps but if I did, those are two very good reasons.”
To peel your potatoes it’s safer and easier to use a peeler rather than a knife. It will also ensure you take off only the very top layer and leave behind as much of the potato flesh as possible.
If you’d like some more potato-based recipes, check out these jacket potato fillings and Gordon Ramsay’s roast potatoes. You might also like the Hairy Bikers fondant potatoes if you’re feeling fancy.
