These easy pan-fried jicama chips are tossed with fresh herbs and citrus zest for a deliciously crunchy alternative to potatoes.
I seem to be having a mental block when it comes to these jicama chips as I’ve referred to them as parsnips no less than 5 times.
On my grocery list before I even made them, parsnips.
When I was texting people while making them, also parsnips.
When I talked about how good they were, parsnips.
And lastly, when I was editing the pictures of these jicama chips yesterday to share with you today, parsnips.
Luckily, my brain started working again before naming the post otherwise that could’ve be awkward.
Funny thing is, I don’t even really like parsnips!
Besides this parsnip puree recipe and these roasted parsnips with cinnamon and grapes (odd sounding, I know) which are both pretty tasty.
I mean, they’re ok but one bad experience with an attempt at nut butter parsnip fries a couple of years ago was enough to kind of turn me off for awhile.
Jicama fries, however, are totally delicious and I highly recommend them for another way to enjoy baked jicama in a crunchy way.
So, I have no idea why my brain keeps confusing jicama with parsnips. They don’t even look alike and they sure as heck don’t taste alike!
Parsnips epitomize a root vegetable and jicama is more like a water chestnut with it’s fresh crispiness.
I know you’re probably thinking, “um, the only time I’ve eaten jicama is in those lame store bought veggie trays with the nasty ranch dip in the middle” and my goal today is to push those far out of your mind and convince you to fry it up and make some jicama chips!
Crinkle cut stuff is just more fun.
I don’t know why, it’s just fact.
Just like waffle fries beat traditional fries (hence my Chick-fil-A obsession), a few ridges in whatever it is you’re slicing makes eating it that much better.
I made these jicama chips with a wavy knife.
It’s a kitchen tool that’s totally unnecessary but totally fun at the same time and really doesn’t take up too much space to keep on hand.
Extra worth it if you have kids!
I’ve used it on potatoes, on beets and pretty much anything else conducive to slicing and roasting and figured it was time to get my fry on with some jicama next.
It’d be fun on these air fried zucchini chips or roasted sunchokes too!
What Is Jicama?
Jicama is a round shaped root vegetable with a brown papery skin and a white starchy inside. It’s the root of a bean plant actually. The beans themselves are toxic but the root (jicama) is not!
It grows in warmer climates (originally from Mexico) and is also known as a Mexican potato, Mexican water chestnut and a Chinese turnip.
Its flesh is super juicy and crunchy and sort of sweet and nutty. I absolutely love jicama sliced and served cold, it’s incredibly refreshing! Try tossing it with lime juice for a fun treat. Or, use it to make this jicama salad with a delicious honey lime dressing.
How To Make Jicama Chips
There are really just two steps to making this easy jicama chip recipe:
- Slice the jicama
- Pan fry
Using a wavy knife or just a sharp regular knife, thinly slice the jicama root.
Heat some coconut oil in a sturdy pan with a higher sides over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add some of the jicama slices to the pan and fry until golden brown around the edges, flipping halfway through.
Transfer the fried jicama chips to some paper towels to drain off the excess oil and continue, adding oil to the pan as needed until all the jicama is fried into chips.
You can eat the jicama chips just like this, maybe with some kosher/sea salt sprinkled on top or you can top with the citrus herb seasoning as pictured.
Because of the freshness factor going on with jicama, I thought the citrus herb seasoning would go really well with the crispy chips after they’re fried up in some coconut oil.
A quick chop of whatever fresh herbs you have on hand (although I’m quite partial to rosemary), some lemon zest, a good dousing of kosher salt and you have the perfect seasoning to toss with the hot jicama chips.
With Cinco de Mayo coming up and jicama being a plant native to Mexico, it’s only fair to add this to your party plans.
Move over, pineapple guacamole!
These chips are great with anything off the grill or even easy dishes like air fryer brats or air fryer sausage.
Love these jicama chips? Don’t miss these other vegetable chip recipes!
Salt and Vinegar Beet Chips
Mediterranean Eggplant Chips
Pizza Kale Chips
Roasted Garlic Beet Hummus with Brussels Sprouts Chips
Tomato Chips
Citrus Herb Jicama Chips
Ingredients
- 3 jicama, peeled and thinly sliced with a wavy/crinkle cut knife
- ¼ cup minced fresh herbs, I used a mixture of sage, rosemary and thyme
- 2 tablespoons lemon
- zest
- kosher salt
- coconut oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat enough coconut oil so that there is a thin layer (about ½ an inch) in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add jicama slices and fry until golden on each side.
- Remove jicama from pot and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Sprinkle salt, herbs and zest all over chips while still hot.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
*This post is sponsored by Crisp Cooking. All content and opinions are my own.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Could these be done in the air fryer? I bet they’d be great!
Yes, definitely. I also have a jicama fries recipe that can be done in either the oven or air fryer: https://www.runningtothekitchen.com/jicama-fries/
The crinkle knife featured in the phot above is exactly the knife I am looking to replace. (Loved it so much I gave it to my daughter…now I can’t find one!) it’s the one with the orange blade and the white and oranges handle.
Can you please tell me where you got yours?
Thanks!
The knife is from a brand called Crisp. I believe you can find it on Amazon.
Could you bake these instead of frying? Not terribly concerned about fat or anything, I just hate frying at home.
Probably. Haven’t done so but if you have a convection setting, I would try that at 400-425°F until crispy, flipping half way through.
How long do they stay crisp? I would want to make a weeks worth at once.
They won’t stay crisp that long. If you want to prepare ahead, I would suggest cutting them into “chip” shape and keeping refrigerated until you want to eat them and then fry them on demand.