Taste.com.au’s ultimate chip butty recipe

Hot chips + bread + butter = bliss. Here’s how to make the ultimate chip sandwich - and everything you could possibly want to know about the origins of the world’s best sandwich.

Like a beachside holiday between bread, this nostalgic meal offers more than meets the eye. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.

And, often, it’s the meeting of everyday ingredients that form so much more than the sum of their parts. Take, for instance, the humble chip butty. A mingling of textures (crisp hot chips, creamy butter and soft bread) makes this a recipe for sandwich success. It may not be the most photogenic food, but it’s an experience to behold.

We take bread, butter and chips (or fries, for those who prefer a thinner fried potato chip) – it’s a seemingly monotonous combo, right? Buh-bow. Wrong. The power of these three ingredients combined transforms a trio of beige foodstuffs into a holy-moly trinity of tremendous proportions.

Is there anything better than a hot chip sando?

What is a chip butty?

For the unacquainted, a chip butty is a life-changing sandwich that comprises plain white bread that’s been buttered, filled with salty chips and often doused in a flavourful condiment (including tomato sauce, vinegar, mayonnaise or ‘brown sauce’ (like the classic British HP, or barbecue sauce).

Of course, there’s the packet potato chip variety too (think salt-and-vinegar crisps, butter and white bread), and the combination of both (see image above) is a beautiful thing too.

It may sound less than gourmet, but hot salty chips resting on a spread of rapidly softening butter, sandwiched between two slices of good old-fashioned white bread = a seriously satisfying feast (preferably eaten by the seaside, but that’s an optional component of this recipe).

Bread, butter, chips, bliss!

Why is it called a chip butty?

The term ‘butty’ is used to label many a sandwich in the UK, including the famed bacon butty – a much loved breakfast/lunch/brinner sandwich. Alongside our own term ‘sangas,’ Aussies have eagerly adopted the term ‘butty,’ which is Northern English (likely Yorkshire-born) slang for sandwiches (or ‘sarnies’). ‘Butty’ stemmed from the shortened version of ‘bread and butter.’ We know Australians have no qualms about shortening words, so it’s only natural that ‘butty’ has been picked up (and run with) here.

I’ll admit it: as a child I thought they were called ‘chip buddies’ – and look, that’s not too far from the truth. These sandwiches are a valued friend to the holidaymakers, the home movers, and the (dare we say?) hungover among us who’re craving something greasy (in the best of ways).

A cold chip sando is also awesome.

What’s the origin of the chip butty?

Like many good recipes (we’re looking at you, pavlova), a couple of places have laid claim to the butty’s origins. Lancashire, Yorkshire and Liverpool in England have each claimed to be the birthplaces of the butty, while Ireland also stakes a claim. Although we know the term ‘butty’ began in Yorkshire, the sandwich itself (like the paper that’s wrapped around a bundle of hot chips) is cloudy.

Either way, it seems the sandwich was a common sight by the mid 19th century in the UK and, by 1985, ‘The Greasy Chip Butty Song’ was Sheffield United’s official football song.

The secret to a great chip butty is in the ingredients.

Want to know how to make the best butties?

No, this is not a guide to making best friends – but, actually it may be a convincing way to lure in new pals with our butty-making prowess. Here are our tips for achieving the best hot chip butties formula:

1. Back to basic bread: First up? It has to be no-frills, pared-back, sliced white bread. As much as we love a freshly baked sourdough, a rustic rye or a toothsome ciabatta, artisanal goods have no place in a humble butty. This is proper, down-to-earth, budget-friendly grub. Our second-top-tier choice is a soft white bread roll, which also serves as a perfectly acceptable choice

2. Butter up: Then, it’s all about the butter. It doesn’t really matter what kind of butter you use, but I’m going to propose you choose a salted, creamy, full-fat kind. You’ve committed to the chip sando, you might as well go the whole hog (so to speak). Whichever butter you choose, spread it generously. I butter the inside of both pieces of bread.

3. Chip, chip, hooray! For the hunger-killer chip filler, it boils down to your personal preference. For me, chipper-style, paper-wrapped, oft-soggy hot chips make the ultimate butty filling. For others, crisp, crunchy fries are a go-to. This is where you choose your own adventure. Be it chip shop, drive-thru or home-baked (and air-fried), you can’t go wrong.

4. To sauce or not to sauce? Of course, the chip butty does not require sauce – we love it just as it is. But, a sprinkle of vinegar, a drizzle of tomato sauce or ‘brown sauce’, or even a schmear of mayonnaise only enhances the experience further. Essentially, opt for a condiment with a bit of tang to it.

Yum!

How to make a chip butty according to members of the Taste team:

While we’ve spotted jazzed-up, fancy chip butties in restaurants in recent years, with clever additions including finely grated parmesan, it seems the team here keep things low key.

• Holly says, ‘I have mine with as much chicken salt as possible.’
• Michelle reports, ‘I grew up at the beach eating hot chips layered between freshly baked white bread (it has to be old-school, nothing fancy) and butter (spread thick, like it’s a cheese). The butter runs down your arm becasue the hot chips melt it as you try to eat it! And, I always have to have tomato sauce, 100%!’
• Rebecca says, ‘My ultimate chip butty has to have tomato sauce on it and, sometimes, cheddar cheese.’
• I (Sonya) added my two cents, saying, ‘I love a generous splash of white or malt vinegar on mine – and lashings of good, salty butter. If things are dire and chips are not in reach, I’ll gladly use a hash brown instead.’
• Scarlett enters the chat with a rogue suggestion that we think might just work: ‘rocket, tomato and tabasco.’ Genius.
• As for Marina? She’s all about the chicken souvlaki with chips inside and some on the side (the Greek answer to the chip butty!).
• Amira admits, ‘I have been known to walk into a kebab shop and ask for a chip kebab with no meat. That means lettuce, tomato, onion, hot chips, garlic sauce and tabbouleh. So good!’

Okay, so we’ve strayed a little far from the original, but – let’s face it – we’ll take chips and bread in any form.

Have a hankering for chips? Same. Here are some more ideas for finding your chip fix:

Awesome dishes inspired by hot chips and potato gems

How hot chips are eaten all over the world

Loaded fries recipes for hearty appetites

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as Taste.com.au’s ultimate chip butty recipe