20 Best Seasonings For Homemade Potato Chips

Potato chips — can you really ever have just one? While it's easy to pick up a bag of your favorite brand from your local grocery or convenience store, there's something to be said about being able to put your own creative spin on them. And there's no better way to customize your chips than to make them yourself. 

Once you've mastered the art of getting the perfect thinness and the ideal fry, it's time to think about how you're going to season your homemade potato chips. Potato chips, on their own, are quite greasy and one-note, so you'll want to load them up with seasonings to add dimension and flavor. Regardless of which seasonings you choose, always add them while the chips are still hot from the oil, as this will help the seasoning adhere to the surface. Without further ado, let's get snackin'!

There is a bare minimum when it comes to seasoning potato chips — and that's, of course, salt. Anyone who knows fried food knows it automatically tastes better when salt is added. The mineral cuts through the richness of the frying oil and makes the food even tastier. 

There are tons of different types of salt you can use for a batch of homemade potato chips. However, you may want to use a finer ground salt, like table salt, for your chips instead of something flaky, like Maldon salt. This is because the small crystals can easily permeate all parts of the chip and infuse it with flavor. Kosher salt is also a trusted pairing for potato chips, but you may want to consider grinding it up into smaller crystals before seasoning your chips with it. 

Is there something such as "too much garlic?" Vampires might say so, but we don't think the limit exists. 

Adding garlic powder — or even better — garlic salt to your chips will give them a well-rounded flavor suited for virtually anything, whether making a batch of potato chips as a snack or serving it with a meal for a play on pomme frites. If you're crafting your own spice blend, consider adding garlic powder with ingredients like dried thyme and rosemary for more of a herbal twist, or opt for a savory and smoky vibe with chipotle powder and cayenne. We recommend supplementing with extra salt if you go the garlic powder route to balance the flavors. 

Paprika, in general, is a very under-appreciated spice. For one, there's regular paprika, and then there's smoked paprika. Regular paprika will certainly offer a distinct and beautiful color, but we recommend using smoky paprika if you're after the flavor. It's warming and earthy and will cut through the starchiness to elevate your chips to a new level. 

Depending on the type of paprika you use, you can pair it with similar warming spices, like cumin and coriander. These warming spices mesh well together and can really make your snacking experience all the more tasty. That being said, avoid adding too much paprika, as it can impart a dry, almost bitter bite to your chips if you use too much of it. Cap it at about a teaspoon for every four large potatoes. 

Getting certain fresh ingredients on your chip is a logistical nightmare. This is where infused salts come in. You can rub salt with your favorite fresh ingredients until the flavor is imparted onto the crystals. It's similar to the process of making infused sugar. 

The one drawback to this addition is that it requires some foresight. You'll need to use about 1 teaspoon of spice for every ¼ cup of fine salt. Once the two are mixed, let it rest for about a week, and come back to flavorful salt that can be used for a variety of things (including these tasty potato chips). The possibilities are endless as to what you can flavor your salt with. If you want something with zest, take inspiration from a hint of lime tortilla chip and infuse your salt with lime zest. Or, add fresh herbs from your garden to lighten up the heavy, fried flavor of your spuds. 

Black pepper is one of those seasonings that's undeniably simple, but also undeniably delicious. We would recommend opting for fresh peppercorns for your chips, as they have a brighter flavor than the powder you might find at the back of your spice rack. The fresh-cracked peppercorns will have a bright, piquant flavor that will elevate your chips, but it's not enough to overwhelm spice-averse eaters. 

While you can add black pepper to a normal potato chip, we would also recommend using it for a kettle chip instead. The crunchier texture, combined with the bite of the peppercorns, is a match made in heaven. Once you have dialed in how much black pepper you like to use, you can start experimenting with other varieties, including pink and white peppercorns. 

Parmesan might not be one of the things that come to mind when you think of "seasoning," but it should be. This dry cheese is not only salty, but it also has a delectable umami quality that makes a fantastic addition to an otherwise bland homemade potato chip. 

Like the herby and salty additions on this list, you're going to want to add your Parmesan to the chips while they're still hot so that it sticks. Since this cheese is naturally salty, you won't want to hit it with a ton of extra salt either, though we would still recommend using a little bit to balance out the flavor. Chips solely flavored with Parmesan are excellent, but you can also elevate this recipe by adding a sprinkle of fresh herbs, like rosemary or thyme, or a couple of cracks of fresh black pepper. 

Move over everything bagel seasoning; there's a new (and, if we're being honest, tastier) sheriff in town. Za'atar seasoning is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine. While it can be used for meats and fish, it also makes an excellent pairing for salty, starchy bases like roasted or fried potatoes. The typical components of this blend include sumac (which imparts a tart, citrusy flavor), oregano, marjoram, thyme, salt, and some sesame seeds for a nutty and flavorful touch. It's wildly complex yet familiar all at the same time. 

Since it's a spice blend, you won't have to add too many other ingredients to your za'atar-spiced chips. Though, a little bit of salt certainly could help. Serve your potato chips with a whipped feta dip or a creamy tzatziki.

Some people love instant ramen seasoning so much that they have a drawer full of them. After all, they're not just meant for instant noodles. You can stockpile all your leftover ramen seasoning packets for creative uses — like adding them to your homemade chips.

Ramen seasoning is comprised of different ingredients depending on the flavor you select. Typically, it's heavy on the salt and the umami, thanks to the addition of soy sauce, MSG, and dried alliums and herbs. Adding a packet to your homemade potato chips is an easy, one-stop-shop way to upgrade their flavor. You won't need to add an extra dose of salt to the chips — there's more than enough sodium in the packet to go around. 

Some like it hot, and for them, there is Cajun and Creole seasoning. Cajun seasoning is a fiery blend of white pepper, cayenne, paprika, onion and garlic powder, and black pepper, though you will see variations of it that utilize other types of spices as well. Creole seasoning, on the other hand, tends to lean more on the herbs. There's thyme, oregano, bay leaf, and basil, as well as the usual suspects like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne. 

Based on the array of seasonings in these blends, it's easy to see how you can utilize them as a topping for potato chips. Both spices offer warmth and flavor, though the one you choose will likely depend on how much heat you can tolerate, as well as what dips you plan on eating with them. 

Looking for a potato chip seasoning to serve with crab dip? Your best bet will be a jar of Old Bay. Old Bay seasoning is seafood's best friend, and it can be a great pairing for your potato chips, too. While McCormick has a proprietary hold over the ratios of ingredients in its seasoning blend, there are some notable players: paprika, pepper, celery salt, cinnamon, cloves, dry mustard, ginger, mace — you get it, it's like your whole spice cabinet. 

The one addition you'll want to make here, though, is salt. Adding this ingredient will help highlight the warmth of the other components and help make this blend well-rounded. Old Bay's flavor is also quite punchy, so you won't need a lot of it to coat your chips. A teaspoon for every four (or so) large potatoes is a good place to start. 

Taco seasoning is one spice that you may only whip out when you want to try your hand at Chili's fajitas from the comfort of your own home or when your children are begging for tacos for dinner. But this seasoning blend has a lot of utility in the kitchen for more than just Tex-Mex. You can also use it as an all-in-one addition to homemade potato chips. Make your own taco seasoning at home or rely on a container you buy at the grocery store. There are usually some similar additions across brands — including cumin, chili powder, oregano, and paprika — though the exact amount of heat can vary. 

Once your potato chips are dressed in taco seasoning, serve them alongside a seven-layer dip or as a pairing for classic guacamole or homemade salsa. While they might not taste like a classic tortilla chip, you're bound to love the myriad of spices that this blend can offer your chip. 

Cinnamon sugar-spiced potato chips were probably not on your Bingo card but cast your reservations aside for a second to see the potential behind this tasty seasoning. While cinnamon sugar might be a little odd to pair with a normal potato chip, you could use this sweet-leaning spread for a batch of homemade sweet potato chips instead. The cinnamon and the sugar come together to complement the earthy flavor of the sweet potato, which will transport a ho-hum chip into dessert territory. If you're experimenting with other types of potatoes for your recipe, you may also want to try bringing the purple sweet potato into the mix for a pop of color. 

Cinnamon-sugar potato chips are a great after-dinner, sweet snack. They're also a fantastic alternative for when you want to switch up your savory snack routine. 

Rosemary is savory and complex, which makes it an excellent addition to a starchy and heavy potato chip. Just think about it: You may normally add some dried rosemary to your roasted potatoes, so why not try and repurpose this herb for your crispy potato chips? You can use both fresh or dried rosemary here — though fresh rosemary is going to have a shorter shelf life than the shelf-stable, dried variety. You can also infuse more rosemary flavor into your chips by shallow-frying them in oil with a sprig or two of the herb. This will allow the flavor to permeate deeper into the chip and impart more of that tasty, earthy flavor.

Rosemary is a multi-faceted herb that plays well with others. Consider adding a little bit of garlic powder to your potato chips with it, or opt for a sprinkle of Parmesan for extra umami. 

Truffles are ... divisive. Some people really like the luxurious taste of anything truffle — whether oil-infused or tossed into pasta. For other people, it's a no-go. If you're one of the folks who can't get enough of this fungus, consider picking up a container of truffle-infused fine salt and going to town on your homemade potato chips. The ingredient adds an earthy, umami essence to dishes — in other words, you'll be able to tell it's something more than just "salt." 

Since salt still makes up a lion's share of the seasoning, we recommend only adding enough salt to your potato chips to taste; the black truffle flavor tends to rear its earthy head on its own, so you won't need to supplement that flavor with any truffle-infused oils or flakes.  

When everything bagel seasoning was introduced to the market, it was a revolutionary concept. The blend, packed with dehydrated onions, garlic, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and salt, was the it-girl seasoning that people didn't know they needed until they tried it. Trader Joe's even used its Everything But the Bagel seasoning to coat its kettle chips, and it was yet another well-received product for the brand.

The next time you dig out that container of everything bagel seasoning from your spice cabinet, consider adding it to your potato chips. The thing to know about adding this seasoning to your chips is that it has a habit of not sticking. We recommend adding it to the chips as soon as they come out of the oil to ensure maximum stickage. Or, you can always bake the chips with the seasoning and a little bit of oil, though it's very easy for the fatty sesame seeds to burn in the oven, so you'll need to keep a watchful eye on them if you take this route.  

Ranch dressing is a popular condiment for a reason. It has the perfect blend of tangy buttermilk and herby goodness that can elevate almost any dish. 

For this potato chip upgrade, you're going to want to grab a container of the ranch dressing powder rather than the bottled dressing itself (which would make your spuds soggy and leave more on your fingers than the chips). You can also make your own homemade ranch powder with powdered buttermilk, dried dill, and other herbs. The buttermilk is what gives these chips an almost creamy mouthfeel, which is not something you'll get to experience with other seasonings on this list. Eat your seasoned chips as-is or pair them with a tasty ranch dip to up the ante. 

Pickle people, listen up. The next time you crave homemade potato chips, pull out two ingredients: pickle salt and garlic powder. This two-ingredient seasoning combo can upgrade store-bought potato chips or can be used for a novel flavor on your next homemade batch. Pickle salt, which is sold by brands like Twang, is made with salt, citric acid, and pickle flavors. It offers the same tongue-twisting flavor of a pickle, backed up by the familiar herbs. While it might seem a bit unconventional to add to a potato chip, the sourness of the seasoning will add a unique edge to your recipe. Plus, who doesn't need a little more pickle in their life? 

The garlic powder is, of course, an accessory, but it does help balance out the tanginess of the pickle salt and helps add a savory flair to your chips. While it might take a couple of tries to fine-tune how much pickle salt to use, once you master it, you'll wonder why you haven't tried this seasoning sooner. Only add plain salt on top if the chips need more sodium.

Fans of salt and vinegar chips can easily replicate that tangy, zesty flavor with vinegar powder. This overlooked pantry ingredient is made by reducing vinegar with other compounds like baking soda or maltodextrin until it becomes a dry powder. As its name suggests, it's very powerful in flavor, so adding a little bit goes a long way. 

We recommend starting with a basic salt and vinegar chip before you turn into a snack food alchemist and experiment with too many flavors. Many people will soak the potatoes in vinegar before frying to remove some starch and instill even more flavor. Though, you'll want to hit the chips with the vinegar powder once they come out of the fryer. Start with a tablespoon of powder per pound of potatoes, add some salt, and scale up if needed. 

Both popcorn and potato chips can be topped with an array of seasonings. And, since you can already find pre-made popcorn seasonings at the grocery store, it's not odd to use them on potato chips, too. All you need to do when using these pre-made mixes is shake them onto your chips; no painstaking measuring or mixing is required. Someone has already done the tasting and tweaking for you.

There's something for spice lovers and folks who prefer a tamer taste. You'll find some classic potato chip flavors (and some whimsical delights), including white cheddar, bacon salt, furikake, and more. Try small, seasoned batches to see which powder you like the most. Depending on the flavor, you may want to add extra salt to taste. 

Wing lovers may be familiar with lemon pepper, but it might seem more out-of-the-blue on a potato chip. However, if you think about it, lime is a common pairing for tortilla chips, and salt and vinegar chips are popular, so why wouldn't you also want to try another zesty addition to your potato chips? 

This seasoning blend will marry the sharp bite of black peppercorns with the brightness of lemon. Some lemon pepper seasonings come with salt already in tow, but you may want to taste your chips to see if you need to add additional seasoning there. You can also add some dried herbs, like thyme and rosemary, or extra garlic powder for a more powerful bite.