6 Clever (and Delicious) Ideas For Crumbled Chips

They add salt and crunch to soups, cookie dough, and whatever else you’re cooking.

Feb 13, 2024

4 min read

Despite packaging companies’ best efforts, crushed chips at the bottom of the bag are inevitable. For years, I tossed the dredges begrudgingly. (I hate wasting food!) Now I know better. Chip crumbs — be they potato, tortilla, pita, or even pretzels — can be utilized in so many ways. Oh, how I wish I could reincarnate the crumbs of yesteryear! But, ever onward. Here are six clever uses for chip crumbs.

Scramble them.

Fold crushed tortilla chips into scrambled eggs right before pulling them from the stove, top with salsa or hot sauce, and call it a lazy migas (Tex-Mex scrambled eggs and pan-fried tortillas). Swap the tortilla chips with pita chips and you have a fast iteration of fatoot samneh, the Yemeni dish of scrambled eggs and toasted pita. Really, though, any chip provides loads of texture, salty crunch, and heft to your morning scramble.

Call them mini croutons.

Rather than sprinkle croutons on soups or salads, reach for crushed chips. They provide just as much crispy texture and are arguably a lot more fun. Blended vegetable soups love to be finished with potato chip crumbs, and while I don’t need to tell you this, tortilla chips are meant for chili and Southwestern-inspired salads. I use crushed pita chips in place of fried pita in the Middle Eastern bread and vegetable salad fattoush, though they feel at home in Greek or Caesar salads as well.

Use them as a binder.

Swap breadcrumbs in any veggie burger, meatball, or meatloaf recipe for chip crumbs. Blitz the chip crumbs in a food processor to ensure they’re finely crushed before using. And since all chips are fairly salty, you can reduce the amount of salt in the recipe, generally by about half.

Turn them into a crust for chicken or fish.

The traditional way to bread chicken or fish is to dip the protein in flour, then a beaten egg, and, finally, breadcrumbs. My weeknight approach streamlines the process. Rather than a fussy three-step method, I reach for Dijon mustard and chip crumbs. Pulse the chip crumbs in a food processor until they're evenly crushed (though they don’t need to be as fine as what you’d make for meatballs) and dump the crumbs into a shallow bowl. Rub Dijon mustard all over boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs, or skinless fish fillets like cod or tilapia, then press them into the crumbs to adhere. Pan-fry or bake at 400°F, flipping halfway through, until cooked through, which could take 10 to 30 minutes depending on the cut of chicken or fish. (Best to use a meat thermometer to check when done.)

Stir them into cookie dough.

Potato chips and pretzels are the best contenders here. Fold up to 1 cup of crushed potato chips or pretzels into your favorite chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie dough to lend a kick of salt. Alternatively, crushed pretzels are also super tasty sprinkled over a pan of brownie batter before baking.

Sprinkle them atop casseroles.

Add crunch to casseroles of all kinds by finishing them with chip crumbs before baking. Pita chips are nice on chicken casseroles; tortilla chips are, of course, welcome on any casserole that leans Mexican-ish; potato chips thrive on baked macaroni and cheese; and pretzels are quite nice on vegetable gratins or sweet potato casserole.

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PHOTO CREDIT:

Photographer: Natassja Ebert
Food Styling: Mary Rupp
Art Direction: Sarah Ceniceros Gomez

Topics

Use It All Recipes

Author

Sheela Prakash

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Crumbled chips may not be snack-ready on their own, but they’re one of the easiest ways to add instant crunch and flavor to everyday dishes. Whether you sprinkle them over casseroles, use them as a crispy coating, or fold them into salads or dips for extra texture, those leftover bits can become the secret ingredient that makes a recipe shine. And if you’re craving a specific chip flavor to experiment with, you can skip the store run and shop your favorites through DoorDash Grocery Delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ordering Snack and Pantry Items on DoorDash

You can find the brands of chips you love — or discover new ones for cooking experiments — on DoorDash Grocery by using the search bar: type the chip brand name, “potato chips,” or a flavor you’re thinking of (like “BBQ chips” or “plain salted chips”). Because DoorDash pulls from a broad network of grocery stores, convenience shops, and supermarkets, you’ll often see both familiar and new chip varieties at once. You can also browse under the Snacks or Chips category to scan entire chip selections side-by-side — great when you’re cooking up a recipe and want to compare options quickly.

Yes — you can browse local grocery stores on DoorDash for chip flavors and styles like kettle-cooked, ridged, wavy, or seasoned. Just search terms like “kettle chips” or “ridged chips,” and the app will pull matching options from multiple nearby stores. You can also open a store’s Snacks or Chips category to scroll through all the varieties in one place. It’s a fast way to find the exact texture or flavor you want for snacking or cooking without bouncing between stores.

The easiest way to compare snack and pantry items across multiple stores on DoorDash is to use the search bar for the item you want—like “potato chips” or “BBQ chips.” The app will display results from different nearby grocers side by side, showing prices, sizes, and brands all in one view. You can tap into individual stores to check for deals or promotions, but most of the comparison happens right on the main results page.

Yes — you can usually add extra ingredients like chips, seasonings, or veggies after you’ve checked out, as long as your order hasn’t been shopped yet. Just open your active order in the DoorDash app and tap Add Items to include anything you missed. It’s an easy way to round out a recipe or restock your pantry without rebuilding your cart, and everything arrives together with the rest of your groceries.

DoorDash helps keep fragile items like chip bags from getting crushed by having a trained shopper pick and pack them with care—light, delicate items are placed on top and kept separate from heavier groceries. During delivery, Dashers are instructed to handle bags gently and transport them in a way that protects anything that can easily break or flatten. And if something still doesn’t arrive the way you expected, you can report it through Help in the app for a quick refund or credit under the Quality Guarantee.

Yes — finding dietary-friendly or baked chip options on DoorDash is easy with a quick keyword search. Just type terms like “baked chips,” “low-salt,” “gluten-free,” or “organic chips” into the search bar, and the app will pull matching products from nearby stores. Product labels make it simple to confirm details before adding anything to your cart, and browsing a store’s Snacks or Health-focused categories can surface even more options.

If the chip flavor or grocery item you want is out of stock, substitutions on DoorDash are designed to be simple and completely optional. Your shopper will suggest a similar item—like another flavor, brand, or bag size—and you’ll receive a notification to approve, decline, or request something different. You can also chat directly with your shopper if you have a specific backup in mind. It’s a flexible way to keep your order on track without settling for something you don’t want.

Yes — you can schedule your grocery delivery to arrive right before you start cooking or hosting guests. At checkout, simply choose Schedule Ahead and select the delivery window that fits your plans. It’s a convenient way to make sure chips, ingredients, and other essentials show up exactly when you need them, without a last-minute run to the store.

If a grocery item arrives damaged, open, or different from what you ordered, just open your order in the DoorDash app and tap Help to report the issue. DoorDash’s Quality Guarantee covers problems like incorrect items, damaged packaging, or anything that isn’t in the condition you expected. You can request a refund or credit, and most fixes are handled quickly so you can restock without any hassle.

DashPass and linked grocery loyalty accounts can help you save on groceries by stacking multiple perks in one place. With DashPass, you get $0 delivery fees on eligible orders and reduced service fees, which makes stocking up on chips, pantry staples, and weekly groceries more affordable. If your local grocer supports loyalty integration, linking your account unlocks member-only pricing, digital coupons, and in-store deals directly in the app. Together, these benefits make it easy to stretch your grocery budget without changing where—or how—you like to shop.