Name: Salt And Pepper Chips Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 300 g Oven Chips (See Notes); 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil; 1 Onion; 1 Red Bell Pepper; 1 Red Chili; 1 Green Chili; 2 Garlic Cloves; ½ tsp Chilli Flakes; 2 Spring Onions; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tsp White Pepper; 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice

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How To Make Chinese Salt And Pepper Chips

These salt and pepper chips (also called salt and chilli chips) are incredibly tasty and very easy to make. It’s made with simple ingredients and the taste is INCREDIBLE!

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Who knew chips tossed in Chinese salt and pepper seasoning would taste so good? Every bite has so much flavour! It’s peppery, salty, chilli and full of spices that make these chips taste amazing!

Now you can enjoy delicious Chinese takeaway chips in the comfort of your own home – without the takeaway bill! They’re the perfect side or main to sit back and relax with.

I love having salt and chilli chips with homemade Chinese crispy beef or crispy salt and pepper chicken, it’s the ultimate combination of great tasting flavours.

Why You’ll Like This Recipe

Well first and foremost who doesn’t love chips?
This recipe is super quick and easy.
You can adjust the chillies and spices to your own taste.
You can make salt and pepper chips with oven chips, sweet potatoes, fresh potatoes (and other vegetables like parsnips).

Watch How To Make It

Where Does Salt And Pepper Chips Come From?

Salt and pepper chips are a British favourite sold in many Chinese takeaway shops across the country.

Despite the name ‘Chinese‘ salt and pepper chips, this recipe is pretty much a British dish with a Chinese inspired twist (in the form of flavourings such as Chinese five spice, ginger and garlic).

Chinese takeaways grew very popular in the 1880s and these chilli chips with salt and Chinese flavourings were invented to satisfy the British palate.

Recipe Ingredients

To make homemade Chinese style salt and pepper chips, you’ll need the following ingredients below:

Chips: I used straight cut oven chips in this recipe. Any type of chips are fine to use, a few examples are fried oven chips and fresh chips from potatoes .
Vegetables: The vegetables used in this dish are onions, red and green chillies, garlic, red bell peppers and spring onions.
Chinese Salt And Pepper Seasonings: This seasoning spice mix is what creates great tasting chips. It’s not just made up of salt and pepper, there’s a lot more to it. See how to make the spice mix below.

Chinese Salt And Pepper Seasoning

To make the spice mix, you’re going to need salt, white pepper and Chinese five spice, these are the 3 main ingredients.

You can either add the seasonings to a bowl and mix it together for a ready-made mixture or add the seasonings one-by-one to the dish.

Some recipes like my Chinese salt and pepper seasoning add optional chilli flakes and spices like garlic powder, but these additions are optional.

What Are The 5 Spices In Chinese Five Spice?

It’s surprisingly easy to make your own Chinese five spice from scratch, all you need are the 5 ingredients below:

Star Anise
Fennel Seeds
Szechuan Peppercorns
Whole Cloves
Cinnamon

It’s the perfect combination of spices used in Chinese cuisine that can be added to dishes like this to provide extra flavour. These spices are quite strong, so a little really does go a long way! It’s very easy for this spice mix to overpower a dish.

Check out this post for the recipe and a list of the best Chinese 5 spice substitutes too!

How To Make Salt And Pepper Chips

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make Chinese salt and pepper chips. Full recipe instructions are on the recipe card:

Step One:

Pour oven chips into a roasting tray and drizzle a tablespoon of oil over the chips. With your hands, toss the chips around until the oil evenly coats the chips.

Place the chips in the oven to cook at 180°C (gas mark 4, 350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes or according to packet instructions.

Whilst the chips are cooking in the oven, use a sharp knife, to chop the spring onions, chillies, garlic, bell pepper and peel and chop the onion.

Step Two:

With a wok or frying pan add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and stir-fry the onions, garlic, bell peppers and chillies over a medium to high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until the garlic and onions have softened.

Step Three:

Salt and pepper chips mixed with vegetables

Add the chips, dried chilli flakes and spring onions to the pan and continue to stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the seasoning mix (Chinese five spice, white pepper and salt) and toss the chips and vegetables around for 1 to 2 minutes or until the seasonings are evenly distributed.

Serve and enjoy! And that’s how to make salt and pepper chips at home.

What To Serve With Salt And Chilli Chips

The options of what to serve with these delicious salt and chilli chips are endless! You could have it as a meal on its own or serve it as a side.

I’ve listed a few tasty contenders below that I think will go amazingly well with this dish:

Salt And Pepper Chicken (have salt and pepper chips and salt and pepper chicken)
Chinese Crispy Beef
Honey And Chilli Chicken
Chinese Curry Sauce
Prawn Spring Rolls & Vegetable Spring Rolls

Chips Cooking Variations

I find that using oven chips for this recipe makes it incredibly simple and easy, although there are various methods available for cooking your chips.

Fresh Potatoes

To make this recipe with fresh potatoes, peel and cut the potatoes into chunky sized chips or wedges and boil it in a pan of water for 10 minutes.

Drain the potatoes from the water and place it on a baking tray. Coat with a few tablespoons of oil and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and fully cooked. Continue to stir fry the vegetables, adding the cooked chips and seasoning mix.

Deep Fry Or Air Fry

You can deep fry the potatoes for a nice crispy exterior and a fluffy middle section or you can cook the chips in an air fryer and achieve great textures too. Whichever method you choose, once the chips have cooked, continue with the remaining recipe instructions.

My Top Tips

Even though this recipe is super easy, prepping your ingredients will make this recipe even easier. Slice the onions, spring onions, bell peppers, garlic and chillies ready to stir fry straight away.

Pre-make the Chinese salt and pepper seasoning mix to avoid adding each spice separately. It can become your go-to spice blend to add a pinch of flavour to any dish.

Not a fan of heat? Take out the seeds from the chillies to take away some heat from this recipe.

How To Store

To store, allow the chips to cool down before placing them into an airtight container. Place the chips in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Freezing & Reheating

Can I Freeze Salt and Pepper Chips? Yes, you can freeze salt and pepper chips! Allow it to cool down before transferring to an airtight and freezer-safe container.

How Long Can You Keep Salt and Pepper Chips In The Fridge For? These chips taste best freshly made! It’s best to eat them straight away, but if you have leftovers, keep it in the fridge for no more than a day or 2.

How Do I Reheat Salt and Pepper Chips? To reheat from chilled simply put the salt and pepper chips in a container with a loosely fitted lid and heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until hot throughout. To reheat from frozen, cook the chips in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot throughout.