This is the best hack to revive stale chips (which happens too often and too quickly in summer humidity). It blew my mind the first time I tried it.
For more tips, check out all of our life hacks.
Life is expensive. And prices are just getting worse. So we have to do everything we can to stretch our budget.
And when your budget gets stretched so far it’s about to snap back, you buy yourself a bag of chips because sometimes, it’s okay to splurge on a treat.
So you pour those into a bowl when you’re hanging out outside, having a barbecue and enjoying some sunshine. But then, in this heat and humidity, those fresh chips turn into soggy chips quicker than you can eat them. So you throw what’s left away.
That kind of food waste ruins your grocery budget. And in this economy, we just can’t afford that.
So, stop throwing away your favorite chips when they get soggy and follow this hack to revive stale chips. It’s not my hack. I saw it a while ago when I was scrolling social media, forgot about it, and then my mom reminded me about it when I was almost going to throw away my stale tortilla chips after our block party.
I tried the hack the next day and my mind blown was blown. The chips were fresh again. It was the best thing that happened to me that day (which probably means I need to get out more and get some more excitement in my life because, honestly, that’s pretty lame. But still, fresh chips, saved grocery budget. It’s exciting).
Simple Hack To Revive Stale Chips
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This hack is so simple. It’s three very incredibly easy steps. And within a couple of minutes, your soggy chips have a new life. Pete said the chips taste better this way than they do in the first place. Not that I’m encouraging you to let your chips go stale, but if you do, all is not lost.
Step 2:
Place the tray in a cold oven.
Step 3:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. When the oven beeps, take the chips out and turn the oven off. You’ll have perfectly revived your stale chips.
You can eat them right out of the oven (although they’ll be a little hot, so be careful) or you can let them cool down to room temperature before eating them. Enjoy them with your favorite dip or homemade salsa.
When you’re done eating them, keep proper storage in mind. You’ll want to keep them in an airtight container or in ziptop plastic bags to keep any air out. You don’t want them to go stale again. And, to be honest, I’ve never tried this hack on chips that have already been reheated, so I’m not sure if you could revive them another time.
Hack To Revive Stale Chips: Frequently Asked Questions
Any store-bought chips that were originally cooked in oil will work. So leftover tortilla chips, stale potato chips, old corn chips … you get the idea.
Put the chips directly on the baking sheet. You don’t need any parchment paper or aluminum foil on the bottom.
You also don’t need to worry about using any cooking spray on the pan. There’s enough oil in the chips that they don’t need any extra.
I’ve made my own chips in the air fryer, but I’ve never tried to revive chips in the air fryer.
There’s is a Reddit thread that says you can. You have to scroll down to find out that someone says do it at 385 F for a “few minutes.” But that’s not very exact or helpful and you might not get the best results that way. But hey, try it and then let us know.
Chips go stale because of chemistry.
Chips lose the majority of their moisture during the frying process, creating what the Washington Post refers to as a “crunchy network of starch molecules.” Losing moisture is how the chips get so crunchy. But, these little molecules attract moisture. So, when chips (and these molecules) sit out and are exposed to the air (and, especially humidity), they attract so much moisture that the chips get soggy.
Putting them in the oven pulls the moisture back out so they’re back to being crispy.
More Food Hacks:
I love hacks that just make sense. There are a bunch of life hacks that float around social media that people just put out there for views. And then there are some that are life changing, like this stale chips hack.
Another of my favorite food hacks is the Turkey Club Hawaiian Roll Sliders Hack, which is a simple tip to make one sandwich and turn it into a dozen to feed a crowd. That’s a great way to make a lot of sandwiches for a party. My other food hack, that I use all the time, is this 2 Ingredient Dough Everything Bagel Hack. That’s a simple way to assure that all the seasoning gets into your homemade bagel and not the plate. And my other good food hack for home is this Microwave Popcorn Hack.
And, when I’m in a hotel, I use the Hotel Waffle Maker Hack that I learned from a chef at a hotel. He told me that’s the right way to make a waffle. And since he has way more waffle making experience than me, I listened. And I’ve make my hotel waffles with this hack ever since.
Have you used this simple hack to revive your soggy chips? Let us know how it went in the comments.
Laurie
Sunday 3rd of September 2023
We do this! And I love the chips hot out of the oven! Sometimes I get too lazy though.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
Wednesday 30th of August 2023
Great post! Anything to save some cash is helpful!
Lyndsey
Monday 28th of August 2023
So interesting, I didn't know about this hack. I am happy to have it now though, thank you!
Heather
Friday 25th of August 2023
What a great chip hack. I'm going to read the dough and popcorn hack now. Thank you'1
EsmeSalon
Wednesday 23rd of August 2023
Waste not want not - use whatever you have or repurpose in some shape or form to enjoy every morsel.