A potato substrate with less than 6% moisture content is at least partially coated with a food starch component to yield a potato chip product with reduced fat content. After thermal processing, the partially coated potato substrate contains at least 20% less fat content compared with a similar thermal-processed uncoated potato substrate. The coating composition generally contains one or more modified or unmodified food starch components. It is typically applied to the surface of the potato substrate in the form of a slurry but conceivably may also be in a dry coating form.