Richie Gong has taken to TikTok with a simple hack that will ensure you never have to throw away leftover chip shop chips again – and it’s surprisingly easy to do
The chippy is usually very generous with their portion sizes, which means we’re often left with food leftover.
But instead of throwing the takeaway food items away, you can repurpose them. A TikTok foodie has stepped in with a simple trick to rescue those excess chips from the bin.
Richie Gong shared his savvy storage tip online, teaching us how to give our extra chips a second lease of life: “Most of us have been there – you go to the chippy and they give you way too many and they don’t get eaten,” Richie explained. “But don’t throw them away – instead you can do this.”
He suggests cooling them down completely, then dishing them out into resealable freezer bags. “Give them a good shake, seal the bags and put them in the freezer until you’re ready to eat them,” Richie instructs.
Then, when you fancy some more, just preheat your air-fryer to 200C for a couple of minutes before tossing the chips into the pan. “You don’t have to defrost them and there’s no need for any more oil,” Richie notes. “Give them a good shake to help spread them out and cook for five minutes.”
At the end of his clip, he gleefully demonstrates the satisfying crunch of the revived chips: “Just listen to how crispy they turn out,” he boasts. “They taste even better than when you bought them – give it a try.”
One TikTok user was thrilled with the trick, exclaiming: “Chippy chips are the only chips I never manage to finish, what a great idea.” Richie responded: “Thank you so much. I’m the same. I never manage to finish mine. I’m so pleased to have helped.”
A second person concurred: “Didn’t even think you could do this. Always throw chips away. Thanks for the tip.” A a third praised: “We do this and they’re totally lush from the air fryer. Our chippy does huge portions so we always have some left.”
Echoing the sentiment, a fourth regretted past waste: “All them chippy chips I’ve been wasting – but not any more now I’ve just seen this.” Meanwhile, a seasoned chip lover shared their long-time use of the method, adding: “I’m in my 60s and can’t afford to throw stuff away. So I have been doing this for a long time in my air and you’re right. They definitely are better second time around.”
Not everyone was sold on the idea, however, including one person critic who dismissed Richie’s concept. They wrote: “Chips are the only takeaway food that I never save because they are like cardboard next day.”
Similarly, another detractor found fault with the technique: “Reheated air fryer chips are awful. The potato just doesn’t cook right.”
So would you try it? Don’t forget to let us know in the comments section below.
