Microwave Veggie Chips

Veggie Chips cooked in the microwave that are ready in five minutes and so much better for you than traditional store bought chips. Make them with all your favorite veggies and seasoning combinations!

I couldn't be more excited to share this veggie chip recipe, or perhaps it's more of a kitchen hack, with you today! It's been life changing for me this week. I mean what is better than freshly cooked potato chips and these ones are guilt free. Let's be real. I have eaten these at least once a day for the past week and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. So many seasoning options, so many dipping options, it's the best way to eat your veggies.

Before we get into the how for these microwave veggie chips, let me share a bit about where this all started. Growing up, about once a summer, my sister and I would drive a few towns away to buy German Fries. Now, these weren't just any fries, they were freshly fried potato chips doused in an obscene amount of salt and vinegar. They were the ultimate salty snack.

Fast forward a few years later and my husband and I started taking regular trips to Mexico where I once again fell in love with freshly cooked, street style, potato chips. I still regularly dream about the ones we had in Oaxaca doused in lime juice, salt, and hot sauce. They put store-bought chips to shame. But as you can imagine, none of these options are very healthy and they are geographically impossible most of the time.

That brings me to last week when I had a serious craving for these chips and looked to the internet for a solution. And that's when I came across these microwave potato and veggie chips. It seemed too good to be true, but after some experimentation, the results were seriously delicious.

Plus I couldn't believe how much healthier they were compared to store-bought chips. All you need is your favorite veggie, cooking spray or olive oil, your seasoning of choice, and a microwave. So easy and so very good.

Tips for Making Veggie Chips in the Microwave

• Depending on your diet and preferences, you can coat your chips in either cooking spray or oil. You will get a crunchy, crispy chip either way.
• When it comes to veggies, starchy vegetables are going to come out the most crispy. Think potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, or squash. Softer veggies like zucchini, summer squash, and eggplant will work and taste delicious but won't come out quite as crispy. One way to increase the crunch factor with softer veggies is to salt them beforehand. Lay them out on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Then let them sit for 15-20 minutes. This will draw out some of the liquid and make for a crispier chip. Also, it's important to note that these chips will brown a bit more and it's important to make sure they don't burn.
• Since all microwaves are different, it will take a little experimenting in the beginning to find the perfect cooking time for your particular microwave. You basically want to cook them long enough that they get nice and crispy but not so long that they burn. Just keep an eye on them while they are cooking and you will see when they start to brown. It's quick.
• Seasoning! There are so many amazing seasoning options for these chips. I love the classic combination of salt and pepper but it's also fun to get creative. I love putting cinnamon on sweet potato and carrot chips. Cumin, curry powder, rosemary, ranch powder, cajun spice, lemon pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, and truffle salt are all delicious.
• Dips: It's also a great idea to use these for dipping. I love using these chips with hummus, salsa, and yogurt based dips. And I have been known to dip the sweet potato chips in almond butter. They are also delicious doused with vinegar, hot sauce, or lime juice.

Veggie Chips Seasoning Ideas

There are lots of different ways to season up microwave potato and veggie chips. Here are some of my favorites:

• Cajun seasoning: No surprise here since I recommend this seasoning for almost everything but it really does add a great spicy kick to veggie chips.
• Truffle salt: To make things taste really special, add some truffle salt or a drizzle of truffle oil.
• Barbecue: If you love barbecue chips, you can make a barbecue inspired seasoning blend. Just mix together 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon chili powder. Sprinkle on the chips when they come out of the microwave.
• Salt and vinegar: Season the vegetable chips liberally with salt and drizzle with your favorite vinegar. You'll need to eat these quickly so they don't get soggy, but that shouldn't be a problem.
• Sour cream and onion: Make a healthy version of these chip favorites with a homemade seasoning mix that uses 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon dill. Plus salt and pepper to your liking.

Are vegetable chips good for you?

This all depends on the veggie chip. These microwaved veggie chips are made with little to no oil, so they are a super healthy way to get your chip fix. Baked veggie chips are also another really healthy option when you make them yourself.

When buying veggie chips in the grocery store, it is really important to find out how they were cooked, how much oil they use, and what kind of oil. Look for a veggie chip that is baked and not fried. Also, look for a chip with minimal oil that doesn't have any added sugar.

How to bake veggie chips?

If you want to bake these in the oven instead of fry them, follow the same instructions, making sure to cut the vegetables nice and thin. Then lie them flat on parchment paper in a single layer, making sure they don't overlap. Spray them with cooking spray and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Flip over and spray again with cooking spay. Bake another 5-10 minutes depending on the vegetable. Keep a close eye on them to make sure you take them out of the oven when they are nice and crispy but not burned. Veggie chips can turn from delicious and crunchy to black in less than a minute.

Here are some of the products I used to create this recipe:

• A Mandoline can be helpful when you are trying to make really thin slices. I have an expensive one and inexpensive one and actually find I reach for the inexpensive one more often whenever I need to nice thin slices.