The One Rule To Remember When Making Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips

The tantalizing combination of sweet and salty is everywhere, from treats like soy sauce-topped ice cream to sea salt-flecked chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate-covered potato chips take this blissful pairing to new heights with a mouth-pleasing, crispy crunch. While these treats can be made at home, world-renowned pâtissier Adriano Zumbo told Food Republic that it's important to remember a key temperature rule.

"Cooling melted chocolate to 90 degrees Fahrenheit before dipping [your chips] ensures a smooth, even coating that sets properly. Skipping this step results in a messy, runny coating," Zumbo explained. He advised using a food thermometer to ensure the chocolate has cooled enough for dipping. A digital instant-read thermometer — like this one by ThermoWorks — is the easiest option. Just place it in the chocolate, and the temperature displays within seconds.

To melt chocolate, chop baking bars or wafers into small, evenly sized pieces. Avoid chocolate chips, which melt much thicker since they're designed to retain their shape when heated. Use the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each pause, or melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot with a small amount of simmering water. This classic double-boiler method provides uniform, gentle heat that reduces the risk of burning. Alternatively, you can melt chocolate in a small pot over very low heat, stirring constantly. If you accidentally overheat the chocolate, don't panic — there's a way to save it. Just be careful not to get any water in the chocolate, or it will seize, turning thick and clumpy.

Once the melted chocolate has cooled to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, dip each potato chip at least halfway, let the excess drip for a few seconds, then place it on parchment paper to dry. If you want to coat the entire chip in chocolate, use a fork or tongs to fully submerge it. Jazz up the dipped chips with toppings like flaky salt, crushed nuts, shredded coconut, chili flakes for a pop of heat, or crumbled bacon for some fatty decadence. To keep leftover broken chips crunchy, store them in the freezer, or mix the chip pieces with melted chocolate and scoop out tablespoons of the mixture to harden.

Adriano Zumbo shared his ideal chocolate-and-potato-chip combination for the best-tasting coated chips, telling us, "Dark chocolate and kettle-cooked potato chips offer a good balance of sweet and salty." Ruffled kettle chips could be a great option — their thicker texture helps prevent an overwhelming ratio of chocolate to chip while also creating gullies for the chocolate to settle into.

Have fun experimenting with other flavor combinations beyond dark chocolate and kettle chips. Try coating chips in milk or white chocolate, being extra cautious during melting since they burn more easily. Consider using non-kettle chips, ruffled or not, and think about how flavored chips might pair with chocolate — options like barbecue, salt and black pepper, cheddar and sour cream, jalapeño, or Cajun spice could be exciting.