In this study, fresh-cut potato chips were soaked in L-cysteine (Cys) aqueous solutions at different concentrations (1, 3, and 5 mg/mL) and then deep-fried. The results showed that the contents of glyoxal (GO), ketoacetaldehyde (MGO), 3-deoxyglucuronone (3-DG) and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in fried potato chips were significantly reduced after Cys immersion, and so was the production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) from dicarbonyl compounds. Besides, it was found that the acid value, peroxide value and carbonyl value of oil in fried potato chips also showed a downward trend after Cys immersion. Cys also affected the flavor of fried potato chips, increasing the contents of volatile aldehydes and alcohols but decreasing the content of pyrazines. Sensory evaluation by 12 panelists indicated that cysteine-treated potato chips had higher acceptability scores than the control group.