Frozen food offers a convenient way to speed up meal preparation, particularly when rushing home after work or lacking the energy to cook from scratch. Frozen food should not be dismissed, especially when trying to keep costs down while feeding several people at once.
One popular frozen staple is chips, eliminating the need to prepare potatoes while recreating those enjoyed at the chippy or a restaurant. Yet a frequent problem when cooking frozen chips is that they can sometimes fail to deliver that coveted crunch and fluffy texture.
On occasion, frozen chips can turn out limp and lacklustre, even after being cooked in the oven. To help home cooks avoid disappointingly soft chips, several chefs have shared their tips that can be applied at home.
Soak, dry, shake or oil: chef methods for crispiness
Mark McShane, chef, food nutritionist and food safety expert, suggests soaking frozen chips before anything else. He said: "Submerging frozen chips in room-temperature water for up to one minute washes away excess surface starch and triggers a rapid temperature shock upon cooking.
"Draining and vigorously shaking the damp chips roughs up their softened edges to form a starchy paste that develops an extra-crisp, textured crust." For optimal results, he recommends cooking the single-layered chips at 400°F (200°C) and agitating them halfway through the cycle.
Chef Kim Woodward of Coal Shed London & Brighton recommends a different method that produces a "real difference". Rather than soaking, she suggests eliminating excess moisture from the chip's exterior. She said: "My top tip for getting frozen chips extra crispy is to remove as much surface moisture as possible before they go into the oven. Give the frozen chips a good pat-down with kitchen paper to remove any frost or excess moisture.
"It's a simple step, but it makes a real difference: less moisture means less steam, allowing the outside of the chip to brown properly and develop that crisp, golden crust, while the centre stays light and fluffy."
Hands-on techniques for a golden finish
Chef Tom De Keyser of The Chalk Freehouse, Chelsea, favours a more hands-on technique. He shared: "My tip is to give the chips a good heavy shake around in a colander (with a cloth over the top so they don't jump out - the holes in the colander help rough up the surface of the chips) before going into hot fat (preferably animal fat such as duck or beef, which will give them a nice colour quicker) to ruffle up the edges to create more surface area for better and more effective crispiness."
Casey Bumpsteed, Chef & Food Stylist and food writer at The Calculator Site, said: "Frozen chips need extra fat, not extra moisture. Before they go into the oven, toss them with a very light coating of neutral oil, around one to two teaspoons for every 500g of chips. You only want them to look slightly glossy. If they look wet or greasy, you have used too much.
"Keep the chips completely frozen while you do this. Most frozen chips have already been blanched and partially fried before they are packaged, so some of the work needed to create that crisp exterior has already been done. The thin coating of oil helps heat reach the surface more evenly and encourages better browning, so you get a drier, crisper outside while the moisture inside turns to steam and keeps the centre fluffy."
Simple oven tweaks for perfectly crispy chips
Mark Schomberg, Head of Culinary at Nomad Foods, which includes Birds Eye, Aunt Bessie's and Goodfella's Pizza, shared an expert-approved method. He said: "Getting perfectly crispy chips at home doesn't have to be complicated. A few simple tweaks to how you prepare and cook frozen chips can make all the difference, so here are my top tips for getting a golden and crispy finish every time."
He advises always ensuring the oven is thoroughly preheated before the chips go anywhere near it, as a blazing hot oven helps develop a crispy exterior from the outset. Chips should be arranged in a single, even layer, not crowded or piled on top of one another, allowing heat to circulate and crisp every surface.
For the crunchiest results, he recommends cooking chips directly on the baking tray rather than lining it with baking paper, despite the extra washing up. He also suggests giving chips a thorough shake or toss midway through cooking, redistributing them so outer chips get their turn in the centre and vice versa, ensuring even cooking and a golden colour.
He highlights that Birds Eye Crispy Straight Cut Chips feature a unique coating specifically developed to keep them crispy straight from the oven, so once ready, they should be served immediately to savour that satisfying crunch at its finest.
