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You are here: Home / Cooking / All Recipes / How To Cook Perfect Irish Chips

How To Cook Perfect Irish Chips

April 2, 2012 by Irish American Mom 33 Comments

Irish chips are simply delicious, soft and tender on the inside and just slightly crispy on the outside.  Their thick cut is perfect for absorbing the bitter-sweet goodness of malt vinegar drizzled on top.

Let’s straighten up our terminology here:  In Ireland chips are french fries.  A typical American chip is called a crisp, a cookie is a biscuit and a biscuit is a scone.  I could go on and on, but that’s a topic for another day.  It sure can get confusing!!!!

So just so we are straight, we are cooking french fries Irish style today!

American french fries are thinner than an Irish chip, which is thinner than an American steak fry.  They are not as crispy on the outside as most American fries and definitely don’t receive any extra seasonings – just plain, fried, potato goodness.

Cooking the perfect Irish chip is not as simple as chopping a few spuds and plunging them straight into hot oil.  This just doesn’t work – by the time the inside of the chip has softened, the outside is just too crispy and burnt.

My trick for cooking the perfect Irish chip is parboiling.

Ingredients:

  • 4 large russet potatoes
  • Sea salt
  • 6 pints of canola oil for deep frying.

Peel the potatoes.

Here’s how I cut them to get the right size.  Halve the potato lengthwise, then quarter it lengthwise.  Cut each quarter in half lengthwise, then each eighth size piece in half again.  Each potato should yield 16 long chips.

Yikes!  That sounds like a crazy math lesson!!!  Confused yet????

Here is my pile of chips.  Now, recipes for perfect french fries call for soaking the cut potatoes in water for hours before cooking.  This reduces the starch.  The next step involves pre-frying the fries in oil at 300 degrees.  Later, when ready to serve, the pre-cooked chips are fried once again in super hot oil.

This method involves way too much planning for me.  When I want chips I usually don’t realize it until an hour or two before dinner, and planning all that pre-soaking just takes too much time for me.  I also think cooking in oil at a lower temperature only allows the chip to soak up too much fat.

My solution is to parboil the sliced potatoes to help remove some starch and to start the cooking process before final immersion in hot oil.

So toss the sliced potatoes into a large saucepan and cover the chips with water.  Season with some salt at this stage.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for just 4 minutes.  Don’t overcook the chips or they will fall apart before frying.

Drain the chips into a colander and just let them sit there for 5 to 10 minutes.  They will steam away, drying out in the process, making them perfect for dipping into hot oil.  Dry fries minimizes a crazy, sizzling ‘oil meets wet chips’ frying reaction.

In addition, I like this steam drying process.  It eliminates the need to pat the fries dry with paper towels or dish towels – much less mess.

Pour the oil into a large dutch oven or deep frying pan, bringing the level to a little under half full.  Heat the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

When frying with hot oil be very careful.  Keep the pot on the back burner so little ones don’t get splashed or burned.

Lower the parboiled chips into the hot oil.  Be prepared for the sizzle!

Don’t put too many chips into the pan at once or they will stick together.  My dutch oven is big enough to cook two potatoes worth of chips at the same time.

Cook them until they are just turning golden.  This takes about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how many chips are in the pot together.

Carefully remove them from the oil with a metal strainer, and place them on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up any excess grease.

Serve with burgers, chicken or my favorite – beer battered fish and mushy peas.  Look at those beautiful Irish chips, cut thick with a soft center and a lovely golden, slightly crispy finish.

They are just crying out for a sprinkle of malt vinegar and a little shake of salt.

Here is the printable recipe:

How To Cook Perfect Irish Chips

Print recipe
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  • Print text only
How To Cook Perfect Irish Chips
Serves4
Prep time20 minutes
Cook time25 minutes
Total time45 minutes
Meal type Side Dish
Misc Serve Hot
Region British
Irish chips are simply delicious, soft and tender on the inside and just slightly crispy on the outside. Their thick cut is perfect for absorbing the bitter-sweet goodness of malt vinegar drizzled on top.

Ingredients

  • 4 Large russet potatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 6 pints canola or vegetable oil (for deep frying)

Directions

Step 1Peel the potatoes. Halve each potato lengthwise, then quarter it lengthwise. Cut each quarter in half lengthwise, then each eighth size piece in half again. Each potato should yield 16 long chips.
Step 2Add the sliced potatoes into a large saucepan and cover the chips with water. Season with salt. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for just 4 minutes.
Step 3Drain the chips into a colander and just let them sit there for 5 to 10 minutes to steam dry.
Step 4Pour the oil into a large dutch oven or deep frying pan, bringing the level to a little under half full. Heat the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5Lower some of the parboiled chips into the hot oil. Don’t put too many chips into the pan at once or they will stick together. Cook in 2 to 3 separate batches.
Step 6Cook them for 8 to 10 minutes until they are just turning golden.
Step 7Carefully remove them from the oil with a metal strainer, and place them on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up any excess grease.
Step 8Serve hot with burgers, chicken or beer battered fish and mushy peas.
Powered by GetMeCooking

Happy chip making!!

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

 

Irish American Mom

You can check out all by Irish cooking tips on my recipe index page here.

Food collage with pocket pancakes, blueberry scones, potato soup and potato cakes

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Cooking, Irish Side Dishes, The Spud Saga Tagged With: All Recipes, Cooking, French Fries, How To Cook The Perfect Irish Chip, Irish Chips, Parboiling chips, Potatoes, Side Dishes, The Spud Saga

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Comments

  1. [email protected] says

    April 5, 2012 at 9:41 am

    Hi Mairead,
    A plate of chips with a bit more than a sprinkling of malt vinegar and salt is one of life’s simple pleasures.
    They are also one of the few universal eats to keep everyone happy, haven’t met a kid yet that’ll turn down a nice crispy chip/frie. I enjoy your stories, everyone’s perspective is formed by their life experiences, and your unique view on things Irish and American is really entertaining and informative.
    Thanks,
    Brian

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      April 5, 2012 at 11:51 am

      Hi Brian – My kids love chips and like their Dad they drown them in vinegar. I will have to share my recipe for curry sauce – you know how much Irish people love their chips and curry sauce after a few pints.

      Thanks for visiting my site, and for your lovely comments. Your site looks wonderful. I’ll check it out in more detail later when I get a few moments to myself later. I am looking forward to your great information about Ireland.

      All the best!

      Mairead

      Reply
      • Sarie says

        October 10, 2012 at 3:47 pm

        Have you ever decided to share your curry recipe? I’m not Irish, and I’ve only been to Ireland once for a couple of weeks, but one of my top ten all time favorite foods is curry chips. After not knowing what to order one night I told the waiter to surprise me with something good. He brought me curry chips and I fell in love … I ordered 5 more times before leaving Ireland. Well, there are no Irish pubs close to where I live, so I would love to try out your recipe!

        Reply
        • Irish American Mom says

          October 10, 2012 at 5:13 pm

          Sarie – I love chips and curry sauce. I’m planning to make colcannon next, since it is a traditional Halloween dish in Ireland, but I will make some chips and curry sauce after that. I have to schedule my cooking when my kids are at school, otherwise cooking and taking photos gets a little hectic around here. I’ll make them next week then it will take me a few days to edit my photos and write the post.
          Thanks for stopping by and checking out my recipes.
          Mairead

          Reply
  2. Janice says

    April 5, 2012 at 6:24 pm

    I’m in the middle of making these right now! I’ve been eating them up as I cook the batches. I hope I leave some for the rest of the family. These make a great treat for those days when oven fries just won’t do.

    I pinned it on Pinterest!

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      April 5, 2012 at 7:21 pm

      Janice – I fully understand how irresistible freshly cooked chips can be. As I cook the batches, I too just can’t help myself nibbling as I go. I usually have to cook a whole extra potato to account for all the sneaky fingers in my house. So glad to hear you like this recipe and thank you for sharing it on Pinterest.

      Best wishes!

      Mairead

      Reply
  3. Angela says

    January 12, 2013 at 1:32 pm

    In Ireland we do not par- boil our chips – they go straight into the oil and they will not burn if they are cut to correct size. Crispy outside, perefectly cooked inside. Doused in lashings of vinegar – preferably white vinegar and not that brown watery stuff… a sprinkle of salt – to die for!

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      January 12, 2013 at 3:22 pm

      Angela – My mouth is watering thinking of Irish chips, doused in vinegar just as you describe. In Ireland there is no need to par-boil – the spuds are great for chips. Here in America I had a lot of trouble getting that crispy outside and floury inside. The big difference is the type of potato available. I found that par-boiling russet potatoes was the only way to go here in America, to cook a chip someway close to the chips of my childhood memories. There are no “floury” spuds here in the States.
      All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
      Mairead

      Reply
      • Sue says

        August 27, 2016 at 12:38 am

        Thanks Mairead. I could never get my chips done just like they are at home. Seriously…as Angela said, they just go straight into the oil at home. I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong. Of course it was the potatoes (it couldn’t have been me) lol. Thank you for insight…I’m dying to try your recipe!
        Sue

        Reply
        • Irish American Mom says

          August 28, 2016 at 2:31 pm

          Hi Sue – I hope my chip making tips sorted out your Irish chip cooking issues. They’re not as easy to get right as they look, but par-boiling is a great way to get the inside of the chip just right.
          Best wishes,
          Mairéad

          Reply
  4. alice says

    October 27, 2014 at 2:38 pm

    I know this is really a long time later to be commenting but I’m excited to try this. I have been craving chips with curry sauce something fierce and you cannot get them in Minnesota. I’m just making the curry sauce right now and I’m getting ready to start the chips. I can’t wait! Yum! Chips and curry! Woot! Thankyou. 🙂

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      October 27, 2014 at 4:40 pm

      Alice – I love to hear from readers, no matter how long it takes. I keep the comment section open on my blog, so that readers can reply at any time. I hope my curry sauce helped satisfy your cravings for chips and curry. It really is a taste of home I often just have to have, and this recipe does the trick for me.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  5. Minty Chip says

    December 14, 2014 at 4:08 pm

    I have trouble with cutting these and I can semi figure out my problem but I can’t completely figure out what is wrong. My fries are more like steak fries if that makes sense. Could you elaborate on the cuts? Also, I love this website, made these and the chicken goujons twice and they are just so delicious!

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      December 15, 2014 at 10:04 am

      Thanks so much for checking out my recipes. Your fries will be closer to steak fries than French fries, if you cut them the way I do. When we make chips in Ireland they are much thicker than a regular fry. Hope this helps and I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed my chicken goujons recipe too.
      Take care,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  6. deborah says

    February 19, 2015 at 6:53 pm

    Thank you for this recipe, can’t wait for the curry recipe! It’seems hard to find an “Irish” curry sauce here in New Jersey and I was playing around with the idea of having curry chips as a fun starter at my upcoming nuptials.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      February 20, 2015 at 10:57 am

      Deborah – Chips and curry sauce would truly be a fun starter for your wedding reception. If you have any Irish guests they would absolutely love it. Thanks for your feedback on my recipe and wishing you every happiness for the future. Have a wonderful day, and enjoy every moment.
      Mairéad

      Reply
      • Jay says

        March 30, 2019 at 12:54 pm

        Canola oil for frying? CANOLA? Russet potatoes?

        This is an abomination haha. Chips should be cooked in beef dripping (it gets hotter and gives incredible crispiness and flavour) potato should be maris piper.

        All smothered in malt vinegar and salt.
        You have made me want chips…..im off to the chippy 🙂

        Reply
        • Irish American Mom says

          March 31, 2019 at 5:48 pm

          Hi Jay – Beef drippings – now you’re talking really over-the-top amazing chips, but I’m afraid having a pan of beef drippings at the ready is far from realistic in my American or Irish kitchen. I hope you enjoyed your chips from the chippy.
          All the best,
          Mairéad

          Reply
  7. Warren fox says

    January 2, 2016 at 8:27 am

    Hi sorry was reading your chip recipe, and noticed the part about boiling. Most decent chip shops generally 3 stage fry their chips.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      January 2, 2016 at 4:50 pm

      Hi Warren – thanks so much for letting us know that most chip shops have a 3-stage frying process for chips – that’s what makes them so delicious. When making chips at home I simply par-boil the sliced potatoes to start the cooking process. That’s my little kitchen tip for simplifying the chip cooking process at home, but I suppose true chip enthusiasts would definitely not approve of this kitchen hack.
      Best wishes,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  8. babra says

    March 3, 2016 at 3:27 pm

    Thanks for this recipe. I will give it a try.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      March 3, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      Hope you enjoy these chips. 🙂 🙂 🙂
      Mairéad

      Reply
  9. Paul Southern says

    April 27, 2016 at 3:45 pm

    As a Geordie, and we love our fish and chips, those chips were lush and I will be trying your beer batter and sharing this on facebook x

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      April 27, 2016 at 6:07 pm

      Thanks Paul – good to hear you give these chips your two thumbs up, and as a Geordie you know good chips.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  10. Tommy says

    January 22, 2017 at 9:51 pm

    I’m Irish.. NEVER NEVER use russets to make these. You should use Yukon Gold or any flowery yellow potato.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      January 24, 2017 at 4:13 am

      Hi Tommy – Thanks for your tip on potato choice. I like floury potatoes too. I find Yukon Golds are never as floury as I like, but it is hard to find a floury potato in America like we can in Ireland.
      Take care,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  11. Alexeis says

    October 21, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    Can Irish potatoes be fried without peeling off their skins?
    Anytime I think about making fries, the turn off part is the peeling of the skin. I find it time-consuming.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      October 21, 2017 at 5:10 pm

      Hi Alexieis – You can definitely make fries with the skins on. In Ireland we always peel the potatoes before making chips or fries, but here is no reason why you can’t leave the skins on. In fact the skins may even make your fries a little more nutritious – even if they aren’t quite ‘healthy’ food.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  12. Brian says

    November 17, 2017 at 10:17 am

    http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33675975 worth reading this BBC article about which oils to use

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      November 22, 2017 at 5:53 pm

      Thanks for this informative link.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  13. Mr Kane Jarrett says

    April 28, 2018 at 2:45 pm

    They’re not “Irish chips” they’re just chips, and you’re not “Irish-American”, you’re just American.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      April 30, 2018 at 3:57 am

      Having been born in Ireland I will always be Irish, but being a naturalized American citizen I am now blessed to be able to call myself American too. So I do not see myself as just American since I am a dual citizen of Ireland and America. Thanks for offering your opinion.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply

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  1. “Good Eats and Great Treats for St. Patrick’s Day”? | KM Foodservice says:
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