Tortilla chips are great as a snack, but they also make the perfect vehicle for all kinds of dips like spicy pico de gallo, green chile salsa, and Tex-Mex queso. Use them for chili cheese nachos, or turn stale chips into quick, delicious migas for breakfast. The endless possibilities are why tortilla chips are a staple in our house. Once you have had homemade tortilla chips, you will never want to eat store-bought again.
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Key Ingredients and Substitutions
For crispy, airy tortilla chips, you need just three things: tortillas, oil, and salt.
In the printable recipe below, you can find a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
- Corn Tortillas: You can use white, yellow, or blue corn tortillas, but don’t skimp on the quality of the tortillas. It is tempting to buy the cheapest since you are frying them, but better tortillas produce better chips.
- Oil: Any neutral oil will work, such as canola, vegetable, peanut, or soybean oil. Just be sure the oil you use has a high enough smoke point since you will fry the chips at 350°F.
- Salt: We prefer kosher or flaky finishing salt on our chips, but feel free to use any salt you prefer.
Fried, Baked, or Air-Fried – What’s the Best Method
For the best tortilla chips, they have to be fried. Frying produces light, crispy chips that you can’t get from baking or air frying. We include instructions for all three methods, but here are the differences between them.
- Baking produced chips that tasted almost stale, in our opinion. It is an easier method since you are not standing over a pot of hot oil monitoring chips, but the results were lackluster. Leftover baked chips also don’t last as long as fried chips.
- Air-frying tortilla chips is almost as good as frying them, but it’s not quite the same. They are crispier than baked, but still lack the light and airy crisp you get from frying. Oil is still used when air-frying, so not sure the slight health benefit is worth it.
- Frying does require more time and technique, but the finished chip is worth it. Fried tortilla chips are crispier and have more flavor than those prepared by other methods. No, it is not the healthiest cooking method, but the amount of oil left on the chips is not as significant as you might think. Save your fried indulgences for the dishes that need them because baked chips just don’t compare to fried tortilla chips.
How to Make Homemade Tortilla Chips
Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.
Pro-tip: For the best tortilla chips, we recommend frying them, as baking and air-frying do not produce as crispy chips.
How to Make Fried Tortilla Chips
1. Cut Tortillas into Wedges: On a cutting board, stack up the tortillas and cut them into 6 triangular wedges.
2. Fry Tortilla Chips: Add neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or peanut ) to a wide, high-sided pot or cast iron pan that is ¼ to ½ inch deep, heating the oil to 350°F. Working in batches, gently place the tortilla triangles in the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and crispy, flipping as needed. Remove the chips from the oil with a slotted spoon, tongs, or spider strainer, and place them on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Season with salt immediately.
3. Serve: Cool for one or two minutes, then serve with your favorite salsa, queso, or guacamole.
How to Make Baked Tortilla Chips
1. Cut Tortillas into Wedges: Lightly brush each tortilla with neutral oil, stack them on a cutting board, and cut them into 6 triangular wedges.
2. Bake Tortilla Chips: Arrange the cut tortilla triangles in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated 375°F oven until golden brown and crispy, about 7-10 minutes, then season with salt after baking.
How to Make Air-Fried Tortilla Chips
1. Cut Tortillas into Wedges: Lightly brush each tortilla with neutral oil, stack them on a cutting board, and cut them into 6 triangular wedges.
2. Air Fry Tortilla Chips: Pre-heat the air fryer to 375°F. Lightly brush each tortilla with neutral oil and stack them on a cutting board. Then, cut them into 6 triangular tortilla wedges. Arrange the cut tortilla triangles in a single layer on the air fryer basket or rack (working in batches if necessary). Air fry for 7-10 minutes, tossing or shaking the chips halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Season with salt after air frying.
What to Serve with Tortilla Chips
Homemade tortilla chips are delicious on their own, but they also make a great appetizer or side dish. Here are a few of our favorites.
- Chips and Dip: We love them with green chile salsa, habanero mango salsa, spicy pico de gallo, grilled guacamole, Hatch queso, and corn salsa. They are also delicious with chicken salad.
- Nachos: We love using leftover chili to make chili cheese nachos. Or load them up with your favorite toppings for quick, easy sheet pan nachos.
- Migas: If you have leftover chips, turn them into migas the next day for a quick and delicious breakfast.
- Soups and Stews: Tortilla chips are also great with a hearty Texas chili or pork pozole verde as a side or crumbled up for a crunchy topping.
- Seafood: We serve tortilla chips with raw seafood dishes like our octopus ceviche and ahi tuna tower, adding a little crunch and serving as a vehicle for all the tasty seafood.
How to Store
Tortilla chips are best enjoyed within 24 hours, but they can be stored in a reusable plastic bag or an airtight container for up to 3 days. They should remain crispy for another day or so.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Use a thermometer. The oil needs to be at a steady 350°F to prevent the chip from burning if it is too hot or from being chewy if it is too low. We recommend using an instant-read thermometer for cooking.
- Fry in batches. To help keep the oil at a steady temperature and not overcrowd the pan, you will need to fry the chips in batches. This will also keep them from sticking together as they fry.
- Season. Sprinkle with salt as soon as they come out of the oil to maximize flavor.
More Finger Food Recipes to Try
Looking for more finger food recipes? Try these other favorites:
- Charcuterie Skewers – Elevate your appetizer game with these quick and easy skewers. They are the perfect on-the-go appetizer for parties, picnics, a light lunch, or a snack.
- Stuffed Mushrooms with Chorizo – This recipe combines the earthy richness of mushrooms with the bold, spicy essence of chorizo. It is the perfect bite-sized appetizer for any occasion.
- Crawfish Corn Beignets with Mustard Remoulade – Crawfish meets roasted corn in this irresistible crispy appetizer. This recipe is only made better when paired with the mustard remoulade, which is the perfect sauce for dipping.
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Homemade Tortilla Chips
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Equipment
- Large Cast-Iron Skillet (10 inches)
- Spider or Slotted Spoon
- Cookie or Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups neutral oil
- 12 corn tortillas
- kosher salt
Instructions
Frying Tortilla Chips
- Stack up the tortillas and cut them into 6 wedges.
- Add oil to a wide, high-sided pot or cast-iron pan to a depth of ¼ to ½ inch. Heat oil to 350°F.
- Working in batches, gently place tortilla triangles into the hot oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until chips are golden and crispy, flipping as needed.
- Remove chips from the oil with a slotted spoon or tongs and place them on paper towels.
- Season with salt immediately. Allow to cool for one or two minutes, then serve with your favorite salsa, queso, or guacamole.
Baking Tortilla Chips
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Lightly brush each tortilla with oil and stack them up. Cut them into 6 wedges.
- Arrange the cut tortilla triangles in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes until they are golden brown and crisp.
Air Fried Tortilla Chips
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
- Lightly brush each tortilla with oil and stack them up. Cut them into 6 wedges.
- Arrange the cut tortilla triangles in a single layer on the air fryer basket or rack (working in batches if necessary). Air fry for 7-10 minutes, tossing or shaking the chips halfway through, until golden brown and crispy.
