Perfectly crispy restaurant-style Tortilla Chips made with only 3 ingredients. Plus all my tips on how to make the best and tastiest homemade tortilla chips.
Tortilla Chips
There’s nothing more satisfying than a pile of freshly made, crunchy and salty homemade tortilla chips. You can dip them in your favorite salsa or pico de gallo, load them with piles of guacamole and top them with ridiculous amounts of cheese you can melt to make the absolute best nachos.
I certainly love the convenience of opening a bag of tortilla chips every time the cravings for chips and salsa emerge, but nothing beats the perfect savory crunch of freshly-made tortilla chips made from scratch.
Making homemade tortilla chips is so easy that I didn’t think I needed to include a recipe here on the blog. At home, I make them all the time because my kids love the flavor of fresh corn tortilla chips right out of the hot oil. That is until my oldest, who is very detailed oriented, asked me for my tortilla chips recipe. Finally, I decided it was time to type up a recipe, although I admit – you really don’t need one, only a few tips are necessary to master tortilla chip making like a boss!
Why Make Your Own Tortilla Chips
- Fresh homemade tortilla chips taste better than restaurant chips and store bought tortilla chips.
- You can control the quality of ingredients.
- You can pronounce the long list of only three ingredients in this tortilla chips recipe.
- You will enjoy a tasty snack free of preservatives and additives.
- After you make a homemade batch of chips, you will want more. The temptation of overeating disappears when you realize having more is not as convenient as reaching for a bag in the pantry. Yes, that’s right making them at home is easy but requires a bit more than ripping a bag open.
- Choose the perfect tortilla for you. Gluten free? Sure, why not? Colorful tortillas? Bring it on. Grain-free? Yup, you can do that too.
Homemade Tortilla Chips Ingredients
- Oil: Using oil that has a high smoke point is essential for frying corn tortillas as the oil will heat up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I prefer using vegetable oil as it’s mildly tasting, readily available and inexpensive. Canola oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil can also be used. Stay away from olive oil and coconut oil.
- Tortillas: I prefer the texture and taste of standard corn tortillas but you can use corn tortillas of any color and thickness. Thinner tortillas make lighter crispier chips.
- Salt: I prefer using sea salt or flaky sea salt but you can use any type of salt that you prefer.
Do I Need Any Special Equipment?
It’s useful to have the following essential kitchen tools for frying at home:
- Sauté Pan, Wok or Dutch Oven: I prefer using a pot with a little bit of a “taller” wall. The flared shape of a wok has many advantages such as the additional room to move and flip whatever it is you are frying.
- A thermometer: A kitchen thermometer is useful to make sure the oil is kept at the same temperature throughout the frying process.
- A Strainer: A metal skimmer is essential for transferring the chips from the hot oil to the paper lined sheet pan. My absolute favorite strainer to use is a cheap Chinese spider. It’s one of my absolute favorite kitchen tools and one I can’t live without.
How To Make Tortilla Chips From Scratch
This is a quick overview of how to make these tasty chips. For detailed instructions, check the printable recipe card below.
- Get Ready: Line a sheet pan or baking pan with paper towels for draining the hot fried chips.
- Cut the Tortillas: Stack a few corn tortillas and cut them into fourths.
- Heat the Oil: Heat the oil over medium-high heat until its temperature reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. A good way to judge if the oil is hot is by placing a small tortilla in the hot oil. The tortilla should sizzle. Reduce the heat to medium and adjust it as needed to keep the temperature as close to 350 degrees as possible.
- Fry the Tortillas: Carefully add some tortilla triangles into the oil. You want them them to fit comfortably in one layer without overlapping or overcrowding the pan. Fry the tortillas for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are lightly golden and crispy. Occasionally use the strainer to stir and dunk the tortillas that come up above the surface of the oil.
- Drain: With the help of the strainer, transfer the chips to the prepared baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Immediately season with flaky sea salt, to taste.
- Repeat: Continue the frying and draining process as needed.
- Serve: Warm and fresh tortilla chips are amazing. Serve them quickly.
Why Are My Tortilla Chips Chewy?
The main reason for chewy chips is low oil temperature. You need to start with an oil temperature of about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Not maintaining the oil temperature hot enough either because you crowd the pan or because the heat is too low will result in chewy chips.
What Kind Of Tortillas Should I Use?
I prefer the texture and flavor of conventional corn tortillas but choose your favorite. I don’t recommend using flour tortillas. Their texture and flavor produces a chip that resembles pita chips more than Mexican style tortilla chips.
At What Temperature Should I Fry Tortilla Chips At?
The best temperature for frying homemade tortilla chips is at 350 degrees Fahrenheit .
How Do I Keep Tortilla Chips Warm?
If you are making a large batch of this tasty treat, keep the fried tortilla chips warm by keeping them in a preheated 250 degree oven. Don’t keep them in the oven too long to prevent them from overcooking and getting overly dark.
How Long Will Tortilla Chips Last?
These are best when served immediately but can be stored in a sealed container or paper bag for up to 3 days. They can be crisped up in the oven at a temperature of 250 to 300 degrees for a few minutes.
Tortilla Chips Seasonings:
Although all that is needed to perfectly season these chips is a bit of salt, here are a few additional ideas:
- Lime Juice: As soon as you remove the tortillas from the oil, season them with salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Lime zest can also be added for a pop of citrus flavor.
- Smoked Salt: One of my oldest son’s favorite salts.
- Tajin: This Mexican favorite adds some lime and chili kick!
- Taco Seasoning: You can never go wrong with taco flavors!
Tortilla Chips Recipe Tips
- Use the right oil for deep frying. An oil with a high smoke point and mild taste is a must. Vegetable oil and canola oil are good choices.
- Keep the oil at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit during the cooking time.
- Season the chips as soon as you take them out of the hot oil.
- Chips cook quickly. Don’t leave them unattended.
What Do You Dip Tortilla Chips In?
The possibilities are endless but here are some of my favorite dipping and scooping recipes:
Best Tortilla Chips Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of oil for frying such as vegetable or canola oil
- 12 corn tortillas
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Cut the tortillas into fourths and line a baking sheet pan with paper towels. Set aside.
- Pour the oil into a sauté pan. There should be enough oil to reach between 1/4 to 1/2 inches in depth so the tortillas are completely submerge in the oil.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat until its temperature reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or until a small tortilla sizzles when placed in the oil). Then reduce the heat to medium and adjust the heat as needed to maintain the temperature as close to 350 degrees as possible.
- Carefully add some tortilla triangles into the pan to comfortably fit in a single layer without overcrowding the pan.
- Fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are lightly golden and crispy, occasionally stirring and dunking the tortillas that come up above the surface of the oil with a spider strainer.
- With the spider strainer, quickly transfer the tortilla chips to the prepared baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Immediately season with flaky sea salt, to taste.
- Repeat the process until all the tortillas have been fried. Push the previous batch of fried tortillas to one side of the baking sheet to accommodate the new batch. Serve.
Recipe Notes
- Use the right oil for deep frying. An oil with a high smoke point and mild taste is a must. Vegetable oil and canola oil are good choices.
- Keep the oil at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit during the cooking time.
- Season the chips as soon as you take them out of the hot oil.
- Chips cook quickly. Don’t leave them unattended.
- If you are making a large batch of this tasty treat, keep the fried tortilla chips warm by keeping them in a preheated 250 degree oven. Don’t place the paper towel you used to line the sheet pan in the oven.
- This recipe makes 4 servings. Each serving is 12 tortilla chips.
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