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Easy and crisp, Homemade Tortilla Chips are simple to make with just a couple ingredients. Corn tortillas fried until crisp and dusted with a sprinkling of salt. A great addition to any party, you’ll never buy a bag of chips from the store again.
I may have told you before how I hated Mexican food….but you may also be new here so I’ll tell you again (or for the first time, if you’re new….and welcome! I’m glad you’re here!) I was a Mexican food shunner. Is that a word? It doesn’t matter….what matters is that I wouldn’t touch any Mexican food.
Fast forward many, many years to when I was expecting my son and the craving for something super spicy haunted me daily. Like nachos loaded with jalapeños or super fiery salsa or enchiladas, even though I thought I didn’t like enchiladas.
So, my husband did what any good husband would do and took me to the local Mexican restaurant to satisfy one of my cravings. As soon as we were seated, we were greeted with a bowl of “fresh from the fryer” tortilla chips. Homemade Tortilla Chips lightly sprinkled with salt. Crispy and crunchy with an obvious corn flavor. THIS is what I was missing….THIS was real deal Mexican food. And so, I created the best homemade tortilla chips in my own kitchen within hours of that visit.
Tortilla chips are a crispy, crunchy snack chip made from corn tortillas that’s fried until golden brown. Sprinkled with salt, they’re impossibly addicting.
If you’ve never made them at home before, you’re in for a real treat because there’s nothing quite like a homemade tortilla chip from scratch! And they’re incredibly easy to make in just a matter of minutes.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Tortillas – Fresh Corn Tortillas are best for this recipe. They fry up crispy and light in seconds. Flour tortillas will also work for this recipe but I find the white corn tortillas fry up crispier. If you have a favorite tortilla brand, you can use those. Extra thin corn tortillas work best for this tortilla chip recipe because they fry up extra crispy. If you can’t find extra thin tortillas, regular tortillas will work but you may need to fry for an extra minute.
- Oil – A good oil for frying with a high smoke point like canola oil, vegetable oil or peanut oil works well for this recipe. Avoid using olive oil because it does not have a high enough smoke point and can end up tasting rancid or bitter.
- Salt – I like to use a fine salt, like popcorn salt, to season my chips. You can use sea salt, kosher salt or regular table salt and totally adjust the seasoning to fit your own taste.
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Tortilla Chips
It’s easy to make homemade tortilla chips with just a couple simple ingredients and about 10 minutes. Freshly made tortilla chips are something special, really, and you may never go back to store bought chips again.
- To start, heat the oil to 375˚F. You can check the oil temperature with an instant read or infrared thermometer OR place a piece of tortilla in the hot oil to test. If the tortilla sizzles immediately, your oil is hot enough.
- Cut tortillas into wedges using a pizza cutter or sharp knife. You can do this however you like, I cut mine into 8 wedges.
- Line a plate or large baking sheets with paper towels to soak up some of the oil when they’re done cooking. Sprinkle a bit of salt on the paper towels to season the bottom of the chips when you transfer to the plates to drain.
- Test the oil by dropping a small piece of tortilla in the oil. If it begins frying and bubbling immediately, the oil is ready.
- Working in small batches, drop a few tortilla wedges into the hot oil being sure they’re not overlapping. Cook for about 2 minutes until they’re crispy and golden brown.
- Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the chips to the paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle immediately with salt.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas until all the chips have been cooked.
How To Store Leftovers
Homemade Chips will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days stored at room temperature. I usually transfer to a zip top bag and, believe me, they won’t last long in my house.
BUT if you do find your chips are still around on day 4, they can tend to get a little soft.
To reheat tortilla chips, simply preheat your oven to 400˚F and bake the tortilla chips on a baking sheet in a single layer for about 2-3 minutes or until you have crunchy chips again. Serve immediately.
Tips for Perfect Chips
- Bake Your Chips First – We’re not baking the tortilla chips, but for extra crispy tortilla chips, make sure your tortillas are a little dried out by baking them for 5 minutes in a 350˚F oven. This will help remove some moisture making them fry up even crispier. If you have stale tortillas, you don’t need to bake them because they have less moisture.
- Seasoning All Around – Before transferring your tortilla chips to the paper towel after frying, season the paper towel with salt, too! This will ensure that all sides of your tortilla chips have been seasoned and not just the top. Want to make them extra? Use Cajun Seasoning or Lime Salt instead of regular salt.
What to Serve with Tortilla Chips
I, first, shared my love for Homemade Tortilla Chips a few years ago here with these amazing Cumin Spiced Chips but what everyone needs is the best Tortilla Chips to use as their base for nachos and to deliver pineapple salsa, Homemade Pico de Gallo and guacamole into their mouth. Right?
Or this easy Cowboy Caviar is fantastic with these chips…..like totally, you can’t stop eating, amazing.
So, here it is….just oil….corn chips….and a bit of salt. And you have one seriously addicting snack. And a craving for enchiladas….am I right? Use them to make this amazing Chilaquiles or serve alongside some Huevos Rancheros!
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Easy Tortilla Chips Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 fresh corn tortillas, cut into quarters
- canola oil
- 1 cup kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat until 350 degrees.
- Cooking in batches, add 3-4 tortillas and fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Using tongs, flip the tortillas and fry for an additional 1 minute or until they’re golden brown and crisp.
- Transfer to a plate lined with several paper towels and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Repeat until all the tortillas are fried and seasoned.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 24 hours at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
TThat’s a whole lotta salt!
Yes it is! Most of it will fall off the chip before you eat it.
One CUP kosher salt???
No…..it’s for sprinkling so you definitely will not use the whole amount.
where do I find the recipe for avocado and mango salsa, for the tortilla crusted tilapia?
Hi Lorraine! The recipe is included with the tilapia recipe…it’s at the bottom of the ingredient list and then the instructions. https://thesuburbansoapbox.com/tortilla-crusted-tilapia-avocado-mango-salsa/
Your photos are fantastic! I love that you’ve shown how simple it is to make tortilla chips, most people just waste money buying them. Great post.
Thanks, Britt!