Air Fryer Banana Chips — Crispy Kerala-Style Chips with Zero Oil at Home

Kerala banana chips are one of India's most distinctive snacks — thin, crispy, golden, with a faint sweetness from raw banana and a clean oil flavour from the coconut oil they are traditionally fried in.

An air fryer makes them without the oil pool. Raw banana sliced thin and air fried at the right temperature produces chips with the same satisfying crunch, the same golden colour, and none of the absorbed oil. The only ingredient change: a very light mist of oil on the chips before cooking, rather than submerging them in hot coconut oil.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4)

•  2 large raw (green) plantain bananas — unripe, firm

•  Half teaspoon turmeric powder (for colour and preservation)

•  Half teaspoon salt (plus more for sprinkling after cooking)

•  Half teaspoon coconut oil or any neutral oil — for very light coating

•  Optional: pinch of red chilli powder for spicy version

•  Optional: 1 teaspoon jaggery powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon water for sweet coating

Method — Step by Step

Step 1 — Prepare the Bananas

Peel the raw bananas — this requires more effort than ripe bananas. Score the skin lengthwise with a knife and peel sections away. The skin of raw banana is stiff and may stain fingers brown (this is natural — wash off with lemon juice). Soak peeled bananas in salted water for 5 minutes to prevent browning.

Step 2 — Slice Evenly

Slice the bananas into thin rounds — 2-3mm thickness is ideal. Even thickness is the most critical factor: thin slices crisp before thick slices, and mixed-thickness chips give uneven results where some burn while others are still soft. A mandoline slicer gives perfect consistent thickness; a sharp knife is fine with care.

Step 3 — Season and Coat

Pat the slices dry with a paper towel — surface moisture prevents crisping. In a bowl, toss the dried slices with turmeric and salt. Add a very small amount of oil (half a teaspoon for 2 bananas) and toss to coat. The oil should be barely visible — just enough to help the seasoning adhere and promote even browning.

Step 4 — Preheat and Air Fry

Preheat the air fryer to 160°C for 4 minutes. Arrange the banana slices in a single layer in the basket — this is essential. Overlapping slices steam each other rather than crisping. If making a large batch, do multiple rounds rather than overcrowding.

Air fry at 160°C for 15-18 minutes. Shake the basket every 5 minutes to redistribute and ensure even crisping. Watch carefully from the 12-minute mark — thin slices can go from golden to too dark in 2-3 minutes.

Step 5 — Season While Hot

Remove from the basket immediately when golden. Sprinkle additional salt or spice mix while the chips are hot — this is the only moment seasoning properly adheres. Once the chips cool, seasoning falls off.

Step 6 — Cool on Rack

Spread on a wire rack to cool. Like all air fryer crispy snacks, banana chips continue crisping as they cool. The final texture — the snap you get from a good banana chip — develops fully in the first 5-10 minutes of cooling.

Seasoning Variations

Spicy Kerala Banana Chips

After cooking, toss hot chips with: half teaspoon red chilli powder, quarter teaspoon black pepper, pinch of asafoetida, and salt. The classic roadside Kerala flavour.

Coconut Jaggery Banana Chips

Dissolve 1 teaspoon jaggery in 1 teaspoon warm water. Toss raw slices in this before coating with oil (skip the turmeric). Air fry at 150°C for 16-20 minutes. The jaggery caramelises during cooking, giving a sticky-sweet coating similar to Kerala sweet banana chips.

Chat Masala Banana Chips

After cooking, toss hot chips with a pinch of chaat masala, amchur, and salt. North Indian spin on the traditional Kerala recipe.

Best Air Fryers for Banana Chips 

The Neo 3.5L handles one banana worth of chips per batch comfortably. 7 presets, adjustable temperature down to 160°C, Rapid Hot Air Technology. Perfect for households making banana chips as a daily snack rather than bulk festival batches. 

The Swift 6L with viewing window is ideal for banana chip batches because you can monitor the browning without opening the basket and releasing heat. Banana chips go from golden to burnt quickly — being able to watch them through the window without disrupting the cooking environment is genuinely useful. 128 reviews. 

For making banana chips in quantity — for Onam, Diwali, or bulk snack tins — the Evita 6.5L is the right capacity. The in-built memory function saves your banana chip settings so every batch replicates exactly. 111 reviews.

Related Guides

→ Air Fryer Murukku Recipe — Crispy Chakli Without a Drop of Oil

→ Air Fryer Methi Mathri Recipe — Flaky Fasting Snack Done the Healthy Way

→ Air Fryer French Fries Recipe — Crispy Fries with Less Oil

Frequently Asked Questions

Which banana is best for air fryer banana chips?

Raw, unripe green plantain banana — not the ripe yellow banana you eat as fruit. Raw plantain has high starch content and low moisture — exactly what crispy chips need. Ripe banana has too much sugar and moisture; it caramelises too quickly and the chips come out soft and sticky rather than crispy.

Why are my air fryer banana chips not crispy?

Three most common causes: slices too thick, bananas not fully raw (partial ripeness), or basket overcrowded. Slice to 2-3mm maximum on a mandoline. Ensure the bananas are completely green and firm. Cook in a single layer with no overlapping.

How long do air fryer banana chips last?

1-2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. Unlike deep-fried chips that go rancid from absorbed oil, air fryer banana chips stay fresh longer. Ensure they are completely cooled before storing — trapped warmth creates condensation that softens the chips. 

Can I make banana chips without any oil in an air fryer?

Yes — with no oil at all, banana chips still come out crispy but the surface can look slightly dry and the colour is paler. Even half a teaspoon of oil for a full batch makes a noticeable difference to golden colour and surface texture. Using coconut oil (traditional in Kerala banana chips) adds a faint authentic flavour.

What temperature for air fryer banana chips?

160°C for 2-3mm thin slices (15-18 minutes). For slightly thicker chips (3-4mm): 150°C for 18-22 minutes. Shake the basket every 5 minutes. Watch carefully from the 12-minute mark — thin chips can burn in 2-3 minutes if left unmonitored.

Conclusion

Air fryer banana chips are the healthy version of a snack most people love but rarely make at home because of the deep frying. Raw banana, 2-3mm slices, light oil coat, 160°C for 15-18 minutes, season while hot, cool on a rack.

The technique works on any Wonderchef air fryer from the 3.5L Neo to the 6.5L Evita. Match the capacity to how much you want to make per session.

Shop Wonderchef Air Fryers
Neo 3.5L | Swift 6L | Evita 6.5L — for banana chips and all Indian snacks.