A high oil content in fried banana chips shortens the shelf life of the product and causes a decrease in product acceptability to consumers. The oil absorption problem associated with fried products might be reduced by using hydrocolloids as edible coatings and modifying the frying process during the oil centrifuge step of vacuum frying. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of edible coating materials and the speed of the oil centrifuge step on the amount of oil absorption and the physical properties of vacuum-fried banana chips. Compared with regular vacuum-fried products (control samples), banana chips coated with either guar gum or xanthan gum solutions at 1.5% or centrifuged at a higher speed than standard conditions (from 140 to 280 rpm) reduced oil absorption by 25.22%, 17.22% and 17.31%, respectively. Moreover, the combination of an edible coating and the higher centrifugation speed resulted in a greater reduction of oil absorption (33.71%) compared with control samples. Therefore, banana chips coated with an edible coating and produced using the higher speed during the oil centrifuge step in the vacuum-frying process maintained a good quality with low oil content, representing a healthier snack for consumers. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.