If you’re looking for a healthy safe starch chip, you should absolutely try taro chips. They make a perfect alternative to potato chips and are great for dipping in guacamole or pico de gallo. If you use a mandoline to make these, make sure you use the proper safety guard and perhaps invest in a pair of cut resistant gloves!
Type of dish: Snack
Equipment: Mandoline or peeler, baking sheet
Servings: Makes one batch
Ingredients:
- Taro root, peeled
- Duck fat, lard, or coconut oil
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Thinly slice the peeled taro using a peeling gadget such as a mandoline with its safety attachment guard in place to protect fingers. The shortcut method, which will not end in round slices, but still nice size chips (pictured), is to use a vegetable peeler to easily create thin slices.
- Brush the slices lightly with the fat of choice and sprinkle with salt and any other seasonings you are using.
- Arrange the slices in a single layer on a greased baking tray and roast for 12 minutes. One taro root can make a lot of chips. Because of the single layer, it is necessary to use several baking sheets or work in batches, greasing pan again if necessary in between batches.
- After 12 minutes, check to see if they are crispy all the way through and no longer soft in the center.
- Remove to cool and sprinkle with salt.
Enjoy!
Note: I earn a small commission if you use the links in this article to purchase the products I mentioned. I only recommend products I would use myself or that I use with patients in my practice. Your purchase helps support this site and my ongoing research.
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Great idea. Can’t wait to try this. Are you concerned with the coconut oil oxidizing? I’ve been told not to heat coconut oil above 350.
these look great, though I have yet to find taro in one of our grocery stores…must look. I do miss crispy a lot.
I also really enjoy dehydrating zucchini…very good…not really crispy, but they do the job for me. I slice them and then toss them with olive oil, salt and apple cider vinegar before dehydrating.
They are easily available in most of the Indian grocery stores.
Can you recommend a good mandoline?
I remember a visit to the accident department of my local hospital once where the nurse said that every holiday season the number of mandoline accidents goes through the roof.
I love taro; it’s the perfect starch IMO. White taro or pink. I cut it into little cubes or strips then simmer it till it’s gluey with a little salt. I find it doesn’t need flavouring, the plain taro taste is enjoyable enough. A little goes a long way.
what a cool new idea to try! thanks! can’t wait!!
not heard of taro root but i do similar with baked sweet potato shavings.
I’m curious – is it the amount of oil in your roast chips that keeps them low carb or would both these vegetables still be low carb with less fat being used in their cooking?
Coconut oil has no carbs. So, the amount shouldn’t impact the total carbs.Taro isn’t really low carb. 1/2 cup contains 14 carbs. To put that into perspective, 1/2 cup of cauliflower has 3 carbs, and 1/2 cup of sweet potatoes has 20.
I would call taro a medium-carb vegetable. It does have some fiber, but I’m finding different amounts listed in different sources. The number seems to be between 3G and 7G per 1/2 cup. I don’t know of paleos subtract fiber from carbs like they do on the Atkins diet.
All this considered, I’d put these chips in the snack-food category. Don’t binge on them, but eat them when you want a salty snack. Chips are like nuts, it’s easy to keep reaching for more. If I don’t pre-portion snacks like this, I usually eat much more than anticipated.
thanks for responding – i think i’m confusing low carb with low glyceimic index foods:
Sweet potato was slower to break into sugars than straight potato? (atkins-like also?)
In this same vein i wondered if the addition of fat slowed the breaking down into sugars of the low/middle carb foodstuff and so avoid any resulting blood sugar peak?
the Perfect Health Diet recommends adding fat to carbs, so I suspect you’re right there. The fiber would certainly help slow down the sugar release (hope I’m using the right term here.)
Where can one get organic GMO free taro root in the Bay Area ?
The post doesn’t explain why taro is healthier than potatoes.
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