Spicy Potato Chips with Gochujang
Sep 01, 2024 • Updated Jan 07, 2025
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If you love classic potato chips as much as I do, these spicy potato chips are definitely for you! These homemade chips are perfect to spice up movie night or to snack on throughout the day. By using fresh ingredients and a unique gochujang seasoning, you can create a chip that’s flavorful and easy to make – your taste buds will thank you!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Listen, I love gochujang! I’ve made so many recipes with it, from glazed carrots and spicy hummas, to vegan chili. I’ve been on a mission to find the Kettle brand gochujang chips for months. I’ve checked every grocery store I came across (even while traveling to other states) but to no avail. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make them from scratch. Honestly, it’s not as hard as you might think. Sure, it’s a bit more effort than grabbing a bag off of a store shelf, but it’s a perfect project for a long weekend in the kitchen.
To pull it off, I made homemade potato chips and created a dehydrated gochujang spice blend to coat them in. When I tell you these are like crack, I really mean that! Eat them alone as a snack or with a couple of vegan mushroom tacos for a delicious and flavorful meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Potato Chips
- Russet potatoes: These create a crisp texture and hold their shape well when fried. Substitute with Yukon Gold for a softer bite.
- Neutral oil: Essential for frying, it allows the seasoning to shine without competing flavours. Use extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
- Kosher salt: Sea salt works if preferred.
Gochujang Seasoning
- Gochujang paste: The star ingredient delivers a rich, spicy, and slightly sweet umami kick. Substitute with sambal oelek or a mix of miso paste and chilli flakes for a similar effect.
- Garlic powder: Adds savoury depth and aromatic warmth. Replace with fresh minced garlic for a sharper flavour.
- Onion powder: Lends a subtle sweetness and rounded savouriness.
- Sugar: Balances the heat with a touch of sweetness. Coconut sugar or brown sugar can work as substitutes.
- Smoked paprika: Provides a smoky undertone that complements the heat. Sweet paprika with a drop of liquid smoke can mimic this flavour.
- Red pepper flakes (optional): Brings extra spice for those who love heat. Adjust or skip based on preference, or replace with cayenne powder.
- MSG (optional): Deepens savoury notes for a full-bodied flavour. Omit or substitute with nutritional yeast if avoiding MSG.
See the full recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and instructions.
How to Make Spicy Potato Chips
Dehydrate Gochujang and Prep Seasoning
Step 1: Spread the gochujang paste as thinly as possible on parchment paper or a dehydrator sheet. The thinner, the better for even drying! Use multiple sheets if needed to achieve a very thin layer. Dehydrate the gochujang at 165F for about 12 hours, or until it’s completely dry and no longer tacky or sticky. If preferred, you can substitute with another chili powder seasoning here.
Step 2: Once dry, carefully peel the gochujang off the parchment paper and transfer it to a blender. Blend until smooth, then sift through a fine mesh sieve to remove any clumps. Store the powder in an airtight container. It may clump over time, so just re-sift as needed. Add the rest of the seasoning ingredients to the blender, along with 2 teaspoons of your gochujang powder. Blend everything together until fully combined – this is your seasoning mix!
Fry Potato Chips
Step 1: Slice the potatoes 1/16″ thick using a mandolin for even, crisp chips. Transfer the slices to a large bowl of ice water and let them soak for 15-30 minutes to remove excess starch. Drain the water and rinse the potatoes well, then pat them dry in a single layer on a kitchen towel. Repeat as needed to ensure all the slices are dry.
Step 2: In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil to 300F using a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Frying between 280F – 300F works best. The temperature may fluctuate as you add the potatoes – adjust the heat as needed or briefly turn it off if it gets too hot. Fry the potato slices in small batches, cooking them for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. If they’re under-fried and bendy, you can return them to the oil. Don’t worry if some chips turn light brown – that’s just the natural sugar in russet potatoes caramelizing.
Step 4: Once crisp, remove the chips with a slotted spoon or strainer, transferring them to the wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with salt while they’re still warm and let them cool completely.
Step 5: Once all the chips are fried, cooled, and salted, place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the gochujang seasoning in batches, starting with half, tossing, and adjusting to taste as needed.
Step 6: Grab a small bowl and fill it with your homemade spicy chips. Enjoy!
Secrets to Success
- Using a mandolin ensures even cooking and consistent texture. If you don’t have a mandolin use a sharp knife and try to slice as thinly and consistently as possible.
- Maintaining the oil temperature prevents greasy or burnt chips.
- Adjust the amount of gochujang powder and red pepper flakes to control the heat level.
Serving Tips
Enjoy these spicy potato chips on their own or pair them with dips like guacamole, vegan sour cream, or a tangy salsa. They also make a great accompaniment to sandwiches, veggie burgers, or salads.
Storage Tips
Store any leftover chips in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Recipe FAQs
If you can’t find gochujang, you can make a similar blend using miso paste, chilli flakes, and a touch of sugar. Sambal oelek is another great substitute that’s readily available in most grocery stores.
The spice level is adjustable! You can dial it back by using less gochujang powder or omitting the red pepper flakes. For extra heat, feel free to add more red pepper flakes or cayenne.
More Fun Snack Recipes
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Gochujang Spicy Potato Chips
Equipment
- dehydrator
- heavy bottomed pot
- slotted spoon or strainer
- wire rack
- sheet pan
- mandoline
- thermometer
Ingredients
Potato Chips
- 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes
- 3 cups neutral oil
- 2 tsp salt kosher, more to taste
Gochujang Seasoning
- 1/4 cup gochujang paste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 1/4 tsp msg optional
Instructions
Dehydrate Gochujang and Prep Seasoning
- Spread gochujang powder on parchment paper or a dehydrator sheet as thin as possible (the thinner the better). Feel free to use multiple sheets if it helps to spread the paste even thinner.
- Dehydrate the gochujang for 12 hours, or until completely dry at 165F (not tacky or sticky). Alternatively, you can opt to use another chili powder seasoning.
Fry Potato Chips
- Slice potatoes 1/16" thick using a mandolin. Transfer the slices to a large bowl full of cool water and ice cubes and let soak for 15-30 minutes. This helps to remove some of the starch. Drain the water, rinse the potatoes well and then lay them flat on a kitchen towel to pat them dry in one layer, repeating until all potatoes have been pat dry.
- Add oil to a heavy bottomed pot along with a thermometer and bring the oil temperature up to 300F. I like to fry my potato chips between 280F and 300F, it's normal for the temperature to increase and decrease as you add things to the oil so keep an eye and don't be afraid to adjust the heat as needed (or turn it off completely for a moment).
- Prepare a sheet tray with a wire rack on top and get ready to fry your potato slices in batches. Add a handful of potatoes to the oil once hot, cooking for 3-5 minutes, or until gently golden brown. If the potatoes are under fried and bendy (versus crunchy), you can always also return them to the oil. Don't be afraid if your chips turn slightly light brown (it's the natural sugar content in the russet potatoes).
- Once crisp, remove the chips from the oil with the slotted spoon or strainer and transfer to the wire rack to cool. Salt the potato chips immediately and let cool completely.
- After you've cooked all of your potato chips and they're completely cool and salted, transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss in your seasoning. Start with half, toss, and adjust to taste as needed.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 5 days.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
