We are obsessed with chips and salsa as an appetizer or snack! And although our favorite store-bought tortilla chips are Juanita’s (or Juantonio’s), you CANNOT beat homemade tortilla chips!
Have you made them before? They’re easier than you think, take just a few simple steps and only use 3 ingredients. And they’re so crunchy and DELICIOUS!!! The best part is how fresh they taste compared to store-bought.
These restaurant-quality tortilla chips not only taste great with salsa, but can be used to eat your favorite dips like Spinach Artichoke Dip and in other salsas like Salsa Verde or Black Bean and Corn Salsa!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Few ingredients. And we mean FEW! There are only 3 ingredients needed to fry up a batch of chips.
- Simple steps. There are just a few steps, and they’re made in 30 minutes!
- Fiesta ready. Serve these at Cinco de Mayo parties or fiestas, or pair them with your favorite Mexican Dinner. Either way, you might want to double the batch!
Homemade Tortilla Chips Ingredients
- Corn tortillas (8 corn tortillas): Corn tortillas give classic tortilla chip flavor, and they fry up sturdy with the best crunch. Use white or yellow corn tortillas. Slightly dried-out tortillas fry up best. **Our favorite brand is the Kroger corn tortillas.
- Vegetable oil (¾-1 cup): A neutral oil fries the chips quickly and evenly, giving you crisp chips without adding extra flavor. Or use another oil with a high smoke point such as avocado oil, peanut oil, or canola oil.
- Kosher salt, or other coarse salt, to taste (kosher salt, or other coarse salt, to taste): Salting while warm helps it stick, and coarse salt gives the best bite and texture.
How to Make Tortilla Chips
PREP. Lay tortillas on paper towels or wax paper to dry for a few hours. Cut each tortilla into 6 triangle-shaped wedges.
HEAT. Add oil to the skillet or a large frying pan, fill to about ¼ inch high on the sides, and heat over medium heat to about 350°F.
FRY. Working in batches, fry tortilla wedges in the hot oil until the color changes just slightly and pieces are crispy, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat with a slotted spoon or with tongs and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain when done.
SERVE. Sprinkle with salt while warm. Serve tortilla chips with salsa (Red Salsa or Green Salsa).
Alternative Cooking Methods
Air fryer tortilla chips. Brush or spray each side of the tortillas with oil. Use a pizza cutter to slice the tortillas into triangles. Place the wedges in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 350°F for 5-7 minutes.
Oven baked chips. see Baked Tortilla Chips
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- For quick and easy cutting, we stack 3 tortillas and use a pizza cutter to cut triangles.
- The oil should be between 350-375°F. To test if the oil is ready, place a corner of a tortilla slice in the oil. It should bubble and sizzle right away. If it browns too rapidly, the oil is too hot.
- Besides a bit of sea salt, we’ll use different flavors like garlic or onion salt, ranch seasoning, cayenne pepper, or chili powder for a bit of heat.
- Aside from salsa, we love to serve homemade corn tortilla chips with favorite dips like Chili Cheese Dip, 7 Layer Bean Dip, BLT Dip, and Jalapeno Popper Dip
Tortilla Chips Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas
- ¾-1 cup vegetable oil
- kosher salt, or other coarse salt, to taste
Instructions
- Tortilla chips fry better when the tortillas are a little dried out. You can lay them out on paper towels or wax paper for a few hours before cutting, or dry them in the oven: Lay tortillas out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 200°F for 10 minutes.
- Cut each tortilla into 6 triangle-shaped wedges.
- Add enough oil to a large skillet to fill about ¼ inch high and heat over medium heat to about 350°F. You can test the heat of the oil by adding a small piece of tortilla to it; if the oil is hot enough, the tortilla should sizzle.
- Working in batches, fry tortilla triangles in the hot oil until color changes just slightly and pieces are crispy, 3–4 minutes. Place on a paper towel-lined plate when done.
- Sprinkle chips with salt while warm. Serve warm with salsa.
Notes
- For quick easy cutting, stack 3 tortillas and use a pizza cutter to cut triangles.
- Keep a constant oil temperature. To test if the oil is ready, place a corner of a tortilla slice in the oil; it should bubble and sizzle right away. If it browns too rapidly, the oil is too hot.
- Try out different seasonings like garlic or onion salt, ranch seasoning, cayenne pepper, or chili powder for a bit of heat.
- Serve with Tamale Dip, BLT Dip, Guacamole, or Homemade Salsa
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store the cooled homemade tortilla chips in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag for 3 days. You can keep them longer, but they will start to become stale.
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This recipe was originally published April 2021.
You can’t start Mexican food without chips and salsa. A great recipe for your own homemade version.
I make your chicken tacos at least once a month and have started using this recipe for the leftover corn tortillas. My kids love the homemade chips
Just wanted you to know that we make these chips ALL the time! They are so easy to make and are so delicious! We love them.
Awe, that makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for your kind words. 🙂
I had older tortillas and made these chips out of them, they made for the best movie night snack! Loved them, they are such a great way to use leftover tortillas after taco night!
We love making our own tortilla chips!! We go through a lot of tortilla chips, so making them has been fun & we always have the ingredients on hand! So much better than store bought!
I’ve always wanted to try homemade tortilla chips. You made it so easy and they turned out great. Thanks!