I’m not usually one to fall for “miracle” recipes or foods or face creams or anything that claims to be the best thing since since sliced bread. But. But. BUT. I’ve been seeing one of these too-good-to-be-true-type recipes on social media and I just couldn’t resist. Sweet potato fries are my secret guilty pleasure. I rarely crave junk food but I love the salty sweet combo of sweet potatoes. So when I saw that people were making sweet potato chips in the microwave…. You know I had to check it out.

Believe you me, I was as skeptical as they come when I started out on this microwave journey to hopeful chip heaven. So skeptical, in fact, that I had a baked sweet potato already made in the near certain case that the “chips” turned into soggy wet disks of mush. Imagine my surprise when I pulled these bad boys out of the micro only to let them cool a bit and take a CRUNCHY bite. I’m talking serious crunch. Not like “yeah ok they’re not chips but they’re sweet potatoes so I guess they taste alright…” No. These were the kind of crunchy were you chew with your mouth open just to hear that satisfying snap. Now, I will say I’ve made them again since then and had ever so slightly variable results, with some turning out a little less crunchy and more chewy. While the process may not be an exact science with perfectly consistent results, these are worth every bit of the 7 minutes it will take to get that satisfying but totally guilt-free crunchy snack.

The key to getting these nice and crunchy is definitely getting the thinnest possible slices. Unfortunately, that means that unless you’re an expert with a knife, using a mandolin is the only way to get the thinnest and most even pieces. The good news is, using a mandolin means you can get this job done in about 15 seconds! Just please, please, please watch your fingers…. I’ve had many a mandolin accident and it’s NOT a good time.

Once your potato is sliced into extra thin rounds, toss with a little olive oil (or Pam- I’ve tried both with identical results) and seasoning them for flavor. I’ve only done salt and pepper but play around! Next time I plan on trying some cumin and chili powder for a little heat. Line the microwave tray with parchment paper and distribute the potatoes in a single layer, you may have to do half a time. Then set the microwave for 3 minutes and don’t. go. anywhere. Surprisingly, these will burn if you don’t watch. My signal is when the smallest chip just barelyyyy starts to burn, the rest should be close to done. The time varies a lot and I’ve had a batch in for as long as 7 minutes before- just add time as you go and watch very carefully.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, just make sure it covers your micro tray.

Single layer. No crowding.

I have started pairing these with just about everything….

These are best about a minute after they come out of the microwave and do not keep well or stay crispy in the fridge. Not that that’ll be an issue- trust me, you’ll eat the whole batch! But that’s ok, because they’re totally guilt-free!

Enjoy!