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Homemade Tortilla Chips

There are many factors that a perfectly crispy tortilla chips depends on, including the quality of the tortilla, the temperature of the oil, and the amount of frying time. The secret to achieving crispy tortilla chips is that you have to dry them a little bit before frying.
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Crispy Tortilla Chips, Crispy Tortilla Chips Recipe, homemade tortilla chips
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 161kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 Corn tortillas *
  • cup vegetable oil**
  • Salt to season

Instructions

  • Cut the corn tortillas into 6 equal size triangles.
  • Lay the tortilla triangles in a single layer on a baking sheet or a clean dry kitchen towel. You need to do this step overnight, or at least let them dry several hours before frying, in order to ensure crispy results. I usually leave them overnight on my kitchen counter or inside the oven.
  • In case you don’t have the time to dry them overnight, just place them on a plate for about 30 seconds in your microwave on high power. Always arrange them in a single layer. You can also dry them in a 350°F-preheated oven for 5-8 minutes.
  • Cover a plate with paper towels to absorb any excess oil after frying the chips.
  • Heat ¼ cup of oil over medium heat, and once the oil is hot, start frying one layer of tortilla chips. (see notes above about heating the oil). The chips will start getting a golden color in a few minutes. After about 20 seconds, turn the chips over. Remove from pan once they are lightly golden and crispy all over. This step takes about a minute. Remove from frying pan and place on the napkin-covered plate.
  • Keep frying the rest of the tortilla triangles in single-layer batches, and add more oil if needed. You won’t need that much oil, just make sure that you wait until it’s hot before you start another batch. Season the tortilla chips with salt and they are ready to enjoy!

Notes

  • Store-bought tortillas work better than homemade corn tortillas. Homemade corn tortillas tend to be thicker than the ones sold at the store (unless you make them super thin), and will, therefore, require a longer period of time to air-dry.
  • **It is likely that you’re not going to use all of the oil if you make sure your tortillas are dried. Start by heating up  ¼ cup of the oil, then add more if necessary.
  • Store-bought yellow corn tortillas are usually thinner and make pretty-looking chips, and they get crispy almost instantly when you drop them into the hot oil. Do not overheat the oil to the point where it starts smoking. If this happens, remove the frying pan from the heat for a few minutes to cool off.

Nutrition

Serving: 6Tortilla chips | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.3mg