For those of us who live close enough to Canada, you usually just satisfy your craving for Ketchup Chips when you happen to get up there. But with COVID and all, it’s been a long time since I’ve had Ketchup Chips. Until Trader Joe’s decided to bring us a Ketchup Flavored Seasoning Sprinkle. But was I gonna mandolin potatoes and fry them fresh….I mean it’s not hard, but…no I wasn’t. The good news is, there’s a shortcut. (Thanks, Food Network for the technique).
You can do them either in the oven (as Food Network suggests) or in the airfryer. It’s just a matter of how much you want to make. Get yourself some plain potato chips. I went with Classic Lays and Wavy Lays (my preferred potato chip, hence the party size bag).
Preheat the oven to 350F. Meanwhile, arrange the chips on a baking sheet. You want to just get their oils to release a bit, so go for the middle or lower racks. Bake for 8 minutes. (The recipe says 10 mins, but I didn’t want it to have twice cooked potato flavor. Eight was good.)
Remove from the oven and immediately hit them with the Ketchup Sprinkle (both sides). The more the better. You can see some of mine were a little light. I didn’t want to overdo it right out of the gate. But go for more. If you’ve had TJ’s Patio Chips in the summer, you know they don’t hold back on the seasoning. So go for what fits your taste.
For me, the Wavy Lays came out tastier. They catch more of the sprinkle and are less salty overall. One Food Network commenter complained this technique left them with stale tasting chips the next day. But I had some a day later and they were fine. And as far as how they measure up to the real deal? Look, they aren’t a replacement. I still want Lays to bring Ketchup chips to the States. But this is a fun way to use this sprinkle.
For the airfryer, I dropped the temp down to 300F and fried them for 5 minutes. (I have a Gourmia for reference, so the pan, or whatever you call it, doesn’t hold a ton).
What’s great is if you have other TJ’s seasonings you love, like the Pickle Seasoning or Ranch, this technique can get you through until they come back next summer. Although, Kettle Chips also has a Dill Pickle flavor.
Here’s the quick vid of oven baked and airfried.