I am making a batch of chilaquiles today and decided to make my own tortilla chips for several reasons… I wanted to make sure they were fresh. I wanted to make sure they were crispy and well seasoned. And I wanted them to be a little bit smaller than the typical store bought sized chip.
Until today, I have never made tortilla chips myself. I have always been a big fan, but just picked them up from a store… until today…
If I had known that homemade tortilla chips were so much better than store bought ones before today, I would have been making them all along.
They take just a few minutes to make, can be seasoned with anything you love and are fabulously shatteringly crisp. I will be making my own tortilla chips from now on and if you want to join me, let’s get started…
Begin by slicing corn tortilla chips into wedges. You can use any color corn tortillas and slice them into 8 equal wedges for small chips, 6 wedges for medium chips or 4 wedges for big chips.
Add a couple of inches of a neutral frying oil into a large skillet over medium to medium high heat, grab your favorite seasoning and line a large baking sheet with paper towels. Let’s make some chips!
Be sure to wait until the oil is hot enough before you start adding your tortilla wedges. The ideal chip frying temperature is right around 350 degrees, but you can also test the oil by grabbing a tiny piece of tortilla and dropping it into the oil. As soon as the oil begins to sizzle right when you drop the tortilla in, the oil is hot enough to start frying your chips.
Drop the tortilla wedges in about 20 or so at a time and fry them until they are golden brown and crisp.
Use a large slotted spoon or spider to flip the chips around a bit in the oil as the fry. When you feel them begin to get crispy, transfer them onto a paper towel lined baking sheet.
Note: The darker the chips get, the more crispy they will be. I liked the darker ones best, but this is totally personal preference!
As soon as you pull the chips out of the oil, season them while they are nice and hot. I made some with sea salt (simply perfect), some with garlic salt (amazing) and some with sea salt and some lime zest (totally fabulous!).
Letting the chips chill on some paper towels will help soak up any excess oil leaving them wonderfully crisp. If you are making a big batch, I recommend using a few baking sheets to let the chips spread out a bit. After a few minutes, you can gather the chips up and add a little extra salt if you like things extra salty.
These homemade tortilla chips are absolutely fabulous and once you start making them and customizing your seasoning, you may never buy the store bought ones again!
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Ingredients
- corn tortillas
- neutral oil (for frying)
- sea salt
- your favorite seasoning or spice blend
Instructions
- Cut corn tortillas into equal wedges
- Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and set aside for now
- Add 2 inches of a neutral oil into a large skillet placed over medium to medium high heat
- Once the oil reaches 350 degrees or a small piece of tortilla begins to sizzle as soon as it is dropped into the oil, add the tortilla wedges (about 20 at a time)
- Once the chips are golden and crisp, use a large slotted spoon or spider to transfer them onto the paper towel lined baking sheet
- Season the chips with sea salt and your favorite seasoning or spice blend while they are still hot
- Enjoy!
