Crispy Chicken Skin Chips
Crunchier than a Bojangles biscuit. One ingredient, zero waste, and a pup who will hear the air fryer from three rooms away.
“In a real kitchen we'd never throw skin away. Monkey figured this out before I did. Now she just sits and waits while I break down a chicken.”
Chris Schmidt · The Chef Series
Ingredients
- 8 chicken skins (thigh skins work best — they're thicker and crisp up beautifully)
How to make them (Air Fryer)
- Pat the chicken skins thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Lay three or four chicken skins in a single layer, skin-side down, on the air fryer basket.
- Set the air fryer to 400°F for 12 minutes total.
- At the halfway point (6 minutes), flip the skins over so they're skin-side up.
- Continue cooking until crispy. Add a minute or two if any spots are still flabby.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dump excess fat between batches.
How to make them (Oven)
- Heat the oven to 400°F convection (or 425°F non-convection), rack in the middle.
- Pat the skins thoroughly dry. Place in a single layer, skin-side down, on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Flip skin-side up and bake for another 10 minutes, until golden and crispy.
Keep them happy
Skip the salt if these are just for the pup — she'll love them plain. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, though they rarely last that long.
Meet the Makers
Chris Schmidt
The Chef
Chris Schmidt is a Dallas-based chef who's currently launching a hot sauce brand and spends most of his free time on foodie trips across the South. He got into dog-friendly cooking when Monkey started stealing scraps off his counter. He still can't figure out how she gets up there.
Monkey
The Taste Tester
A loyal chihuahua with strong opinions and a permanent spot under the prep counter. Approves only the recipes that make it into print.
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