The popular salad green, which is probably chilling in your fridge while you read this, is the undisputed star of TikTok’s latest viral recipe—lettuce chips. While similar to those kale chips everyone was munching on a few years ago, lettuce chips actually require zero cooking and are decidedly easy to prepare. As dozens of TikTok users have demonstrated in recent weeks, all you need to make lettuce chips is lettuce (obviously), fresh lemon juice, red (or white) wine vinegar, black pepper, and pink Himalayan salt. To get that chip shape, simply tear into a big head of lettuce with your bare hands and toss the pieces in a bowl. Then, you can add the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, pepper, and salt to the bowl and give the “chips” a good toss. And that’s it! This viral “recipe” seemingly originated from TikTok user @amalawadfit, who posted a clip about lettuce chips last month and dubbed them a healthy alternative to potato chips. Since then, hundreds of videos have been posted and the “lettucechips” hashtag has more than 6.6 million views. While critics (rightfully) point out that this dish is nothing more than a “glorified salad,” even skeptics have admitted that you shouldn’t critique this nutritious snack until you sample it for yourself. “I’m just gonna say it,” shared @cecilybauchmann, who was initially reticent about giving these “chips” a try. “Do not knock it until you try it.” Added user @carrieberkk: “Honestly, it just tasted like normal lettuce with a kick, but it was really good.” And as with many other viral TikTok recipes, there are many different ways to customize this easy recipe to your liking. A quick glimpse at “#lettucechips” on TikTok shows that some users have tossed some grated cheese into the mix, while others have kicked things up a notch with flavorful ingredients like truffle salt and ranch seasoning. Additionally, some people have started to make other good-for-you chip varieties, such as cucumber chips and carrot chips. What’s more? Since many TikTokers pointed out that lettuce chips are somewhat similar to salt and vinegar potato chips, they of course pair very well with some standard dips. One TikTok user proudly dunked them in some homemade salsa, while another ate them with a savory cashew feta dip.
