How To Make Homemade Tortilla Chips

Homemade Tortilla Chips Ingredients

Making homemade tortilla chips might seem daunting, but all you need is 3 simple ingredients:

• Corn tortillas
• Vegetable oil
• Fine sea salt

So, do you use white or yellow corn tortillas for homemade tortilla chips? The answer is, either! Both kinds of tortillas will work for this recipe, as long as they’re corn tortillas – not flour. 

We find that 4-inch tortillas work best as you can easily cut them into quarters and the chips will be the perfect size. However, you can use larger tortillas if you’d like.

How To Make Homemade Tortilla Chips

You can easily make homemade tortilla chips from corn tortillas by frying them on the stove. Grab a frying pan, cooling rack, small metal spatula, and spider strainer and you’ll be ready to go.

Side note: Clear a large area in your kitchen near the stove that you don’t mind getting messy. You’ll want plenty of space to drain the chips and salt them after frying!

Here’s how to make tortilla chips at home:

1. Start by cutting the tortillas into quarters (or more if using larger tortillas). Use a large, sharp knife and press straight down through a stack of about 10 to 12 at a time for consistent sizing.
2. Next, heat about a quarter inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. We recommend using a deep cast iron pan like this one to contain any oil splatter.
3. While the oil is heating up, set up a large cooling rack over a sheet of paper towels near the stove. This is where you’ll drain the chips after frying. Grab the following items and place them within reach: sea salt, a small metal spatula, and a spider strainer or slotted spoon.
4. Once the oil is hot, it’s time to start frying the tortilla chips! Carefully add tortillas into the pan in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Usually we can fit about 6 to 8 chips at a time. Let them cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then carefully flip them using a small metal spatula (avoid tongs as they may break your chips as they fry, since corn tortillas are so delicate). They should be turning a light golden color at this point. Fry for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, then use the spider strainer to carefully remove them from the oil and transfer to the cooling rack.
5. Immediately sprinkle salt over the fried tortilla chips. You want to do this while the oil is still hot on the surface of the chips – this helps the salt stick. Be sure to spread the chips out into a single layer so they can be salted evenly.
6. Repeat until all the chips have been fried and salted. Lower the heat if you start to notice the chips cooking too quickly or browning around the edges. Also, add more oil as needed – make sure to keep about a quarter inch of oil in the pan at all times.

As with frying anything, be careful around hot oil. It may splatter as the chips cook and the chips will be very hot when you transfer them to the cooling rack. 

Our strategy is usually to dump the first batch of chips onto the cooling rack, leave them there while we quickly get the next batch of tortillas in the pan, and then carefully spread the fried chips out for salting. The 15 seconds or so it takes to get the next batch frying helps the chips cool down just a bit so you can spread them out, but they’ll still be hot and oily enough for the salt to stick.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why are my tortilla chips chewy? This is likely because the tortilla chips cooked too quickly. If the oil is too hot, then the chips will crisp up on the outside while the tortilla stays chewy in the middle. Each side should take about 30 seconds to 1 minute to fry – if it’s going faster than that, lower the heat.

Why are my tortilla chips greasy? Homemade fried tortilla chips will be a little more greasy than store-bought chips, since you’re frying them fresh. If they’re too greasy, you can try patting them dry with paper towels after frying. Just note that the salt will not stick to the chips as well if you pat them dry first.

How to keep homemade tortilla chips crispy: Homemade tortilla chips are best eaten fresh – they unfortunately do not stay super crispy once they’re packed away. To keep them as crispy as possible, let them cool completely before packing in a zip-top bag and store for up to 2 days.

Serving Suggestions

Homemade tortilla chips are a great snack served with:

• Pico de gallo
• Guacamole
• Fire roasted salsa
• Black bean corn salsa
• Buffalo chicken dip
• Spinach and artichoke dip
• Mexican bean dip

We also love serving homemade tortilla chips on the side with tacos and burritos for dinner. You can prepare them for celebrations like Cinco de Mayo parties or game days for an extra special treat instead of using store-bought chips. 

You can even use homemade tortilla chips to make our loaded sheet pan nachos, cast iron skillet nachos, or chilaquiles recipes! There are really so many different ways you can enjoy these tortilla chips.