Move Over Potato Chips, It’s Time For Salami Chips!

When I lived in Chicago, there was an Italian restaurant that made a chopped salad that I was obsessed with. My favorite part of the salad was the crispy bits of prosciutto that they used instead of bacon. I’m assuming that they used prosciutto because they had a lot of it around and they were making good use of the odd pieces leftover from dishes that required beautiful flat slices of prosciutto.

But I didn’t start making my own crispy prosciutto until I saw a version of them in Chrissy Teigen’s first cookbook, Cravings. Since then, I have made them on the regular and I use them to top a lot of dishes, as well as serve them on cheese and charcuterie boards as crunchy tidbits that sometimes double as crackers for my friends who are avoiding carbs.

When I saw how much my friends loved the “prosciutto chips,” it didn’t take me long to apply the same technique to salami and start making “salami chips.” They take a little bit longer to cook, but they are extremely satisfying. Think about the coveted pieces of pepperoni on a pizza that get browned on the edges and crunchy—if you are like me, that’s the reason to eat a pepperoni pizza.

Like the proscuitto chips, this is a 1 ingredient recipe. You simply lay them flat on a piece of parchment paper and bake them in a preheated 350°F oven. As they bake, they will release some of the fat that is [naturally] in the salami and it coats them so they don’t dry out. I love the way that the sides of the salami slices become ruffled as they bake.

If you bake them for 15-20 minutes, they will cool and be crisp-but not crunchy—and retain some of the texture and chew of the salami. The more you bake them, the crunchier they will become. You will need to check on them frequently if you bake them more than 20 minutes to make sure that they don’t burn.

You can use the salami chips in much the same way as you use the prosciutto chips, or you can use them for a twist on the proverbial chip and dip and serve them with French onion dip as an easy and novel nibble or game day treat.

Salami Chips

4 ounces thin-cut salami slices

French Onion Dip, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Prepare a half sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper.

3. Set the slices of salami on the parchment paper equal distance from each other in straight lines.

4. Place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until slightly crispy around the edges. Make sure and check at 10 minutes and crisp to your liking. I prefer 20 minutes. Add more time if you like them crunchier.

5. Remove from oven and let cool. This last step is essential as they only become crispy once they cool. Place chips between two layers of paper towels to blot the oil while they cool.

6. Eat as a snack, add to a cheese or charcuterie board or serve with sour cream French onion dip.