Skinny microwave jalapeño potato chips might just be the perfect healthy snack — crispy, low fat, and low calorie, with just enough heat to make it interesting…

Microwave potato chips are now officially a series here at tvfgi, with this fiery Jalapeño version coming in at #2.  My regular microwave chips were so awesome I felt like I needed to run the idea past you again.  This is for all you Jalapeño lovers out there.

Potato chips are my ‘thing’.  I can’t really have them around the house because I’m not satisfied until each and every bag is empty.  Not a good thing.  And I’m so tempted by all the interesting flavors that are out there now, the other day they had  a whole WALL of Kettle Chip flavors at my supermarket.  That’s where this little idea really helps a girl out.  Compared to store bought they have way less fat, and all the ingredients are natural — potatoes, olive oil, salt, and Jalapeño powder.  And they’re super cost effective — we all know those supermarket bags are 90% air — a single potato makes stacks and stacks of these chips!

I’m also officially addicted to Amazon Prime…how else could I get a little packet of powdered Jalapeño delivered to my door, for free, on a Sunday??  The thing with flavoring chips is that you need to do it with dry herbs and spices, anything moist will make them soggy, which is obvious but I thought I’d mention it because that poses a problem if you want to flavor your chips with something that you don’t normally find in your spice aisle.  Luckily it turns out they powder just about everything — asparagus?  Kelp?  Broccoli?  Yup, they’ve got it.

Skinny Microwave Jalapeño Potato Chips

Ingredients

• 1 russet potato
• olive oil for brushing
• 2 tsp Jalapeño powder less if you don’t want them so spicy
• 4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Scrub but don’t peel your potato. Set a mandoline slicer on the 1/8 inch setting and slice a couple of test slices of potato. They should be thin, flexible, and translucent.
• Toss the salt and jalapeno powder together.
• Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the carousel plate in your microwave. If your microwave doesn’t have a plate, then use a dinner plate, but be aware that your cooking time may vary because the plate itself will absorb some of the microwave’s energy.
• Lightly brush both sides of the potato slices with olive oil. Lay them out in a single layer on the parchment paper and microwave for about 3/12 to 4 minutes, just until they turn golden and crisp. Check the first batch often until you find the right timing for your microwave.
• Working in batches, put some of the salt mixture into a paper bag and add some of the chips, then shake gently to coat. Repeat with remaining chips.

notes:

• I made my original chips with and without oil, but in this case a light coating of oil is what allows the flavorings to stick to the chips, so you’ll need it.  But be sure to coat them LIGHTLY — too much oil will allow too much of the jalapeno salt stick to them, and they’ll be pretty intense, not to mention salty.
• I bought my Jalapeño powder on Amazon, here.  It’s pretty spicy, so use it to taste.
• I also ordered vinegar powder while I was at it…