I Tried the Wildly Popular Recipe for Mashed Potato Chips and It Just Might Be Worth the Hype It’s Been Given

When you hear the words “mashed potato chips,” what comes to mind? This internet phenomenon has been making its rounds online — and, no, it is not mashed potatoes made into chips. The popular hack involves transforming potato chips into a version of mashed potatoes. These “instant” mashed potatoes that nobody asked for somehow surpassed all my expectations, but still begged the question: “Did I really need to do this?” 

Get the recipe: Mashed Potato Chips

For this recipe I decided to put the internet phenomenon to the test by trying four different flavors of mashed potato chips: Sour Cream & Onion, BBQ, Kettle Cooked Jalapeño, and Classic Ridges. I was most interested in seeing how the texture of the Kettle Cooked and Classic Ridges would affect the results. You can choose any flavor you like; the following instructions work all the same. Cue the skepticism. 

Start by bringing 1 cup of water to just about a boil. Add 3 ounces of your favorite potato chips to the water. Use a spoon to mash down the chips and they will slowly start to break down. Let the water simmer and continue to mash and mix. It’s totally normal if you reach a point of doubt while looking down at your pot of wet chips. I do urge you, however, to have faith and forge on; the magic is about to happen. Once your water is mostly evaporated and your chips have become more of a pasty texture, add 1/4 cup of half-and-half and continue to mash until mixed together and creamy. Serve immediately and garnish as you like for extra flavor.  

For my experiment, I garnished as follows: 

• Sour Cream & Onion: Extra-virgin olive oil and chopped green onions
• BBQ: Simply crushed BBQ chips 
• Kettle Cooked Jalapeño: Mixed shredded cheese
• Classic Ridges: Extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper flakes, and chopped chives

This recipe came completely out of left field. When I think about how instant mashed potatoes work, it kind of makes sense that this recipe works, too. But never in a million years would I have thought to try this.

Will I make mashed potato chips for a family meal in replacement of the real thing? Probably not. Was I pleasantly surprised with every bite? Yes, I was. Did I enjoy the process and learn a fun kitchen hack at the same time? Heck yes. I wouldn’t recommend getting in the habit of making mashed potato chips over actual mashed potatoes, but if you’re in a pinch and have a bag of chips on hand and a friend you want to impress, I say go for it. 

1. Have an open mind. For the first three quarters of this recipe, all it’s going to look like is a pot of wet chips. Respect the process and you’ll definitely reap the rewards. 
2. Get creative with the toppings. Adding extra-virgin olive oil and other toppers can do wonders for the final flavor and texture of this dish. The more you spruce it up, the less you remember it all started as a bag of chips. 
3. Add butter. For an even more creamy texture, add butter to the mixture when adding the half-and-half. You’ll thank yourself later.