Got tortillas? Then you’ve got what it takes to make the best Homemade Tortilla Chips! With oil and a sprinkle of salt, you’ll have deliciously light and crisp air fryer, baked, or fried homemade tortilla chips, perfect for dipping into your favorite pico, guac, or other dips.
Serve these homemade corn tortilla chips with Homemade Salsa or alongside Taco Layer Dip. They will take your Nacho Bar to the next level! They are also good with this highly addicting, Spicy Chicken Dip.
Jump to:
Got chips? No?! But, do you have tortillas? Then you are set, my friend.
One of the beautiful things about life on a budget is that it teaches you how to make things you didn’t know you could do! When we were paying off debt in the last recession, I learned the wonderful art of enjoying chips and salsa even when there were no chips in the house!
I made homemade tortilla chips.
Chips are universally considered fun food. They are at home at parties, football games, the beach, the lake, the campsite, and in the packed lunch. Crisp and light, they are the perfect vehicle for dipping into all kinds of yummy goodness.
While there are all kinds and brands to choose from, I’d like to make the case that this homemade chips recipe may be your best option.
Why Make This
Homemade Tortilla Chips are easy to make. With just three ingredients, all budget foods to keep on hand anyway, these chips come together in minutes.
They’re delicious! Just try keeping folks away from these. They cook up crisp and golden, perfect for dipping. Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free and tastier than store-bought.
They make use of a versatile ingredient. If the budget is limited and you don’t want to spend money on chips, invest in corn tortillas. Then you can make anything you want with that one ingredient: chips, tacos, enchiladas, and even homemade tostadas.
You can make just as many as you need. No more tortilla chips going stale in a half-used bag. Making homemade tortilla chips allows you to control the quantity so you have just the right amount.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make homemade tortilla chips:
oil – I like to use cooking spray oil as it distributes the oil lightly and evenly when baking or air frying. If you prefer, you can brush the tortillas with a neutral cooking oil, such as your favorite vegetable oil or olive oil. For frying in a skillet, you’ll need enough oil to fill the pan to a depth of about 1 inch. This will vary, depending on the size of the pan.
corn tortillas – Homemade corn tortillas are fairly time intensive to make, so for chips, I recommend using store-bought tortillas. You can also use flour tortillas, just reduce the cooking time as they are likely to brown more quickly. If you buy the large package of tortillas, be sure to use them up in one of these Enchilada Recipes or freeze them for later use.
salt – A light sprinkle of salt is all you need to finish your Homemade Tortilla Chips.
Variations: If you want to flavor your chips, you can season them with lime juice, cinnamon sugar, Tajin, or Za’atar.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make tortilla chips in the air fryer:
- With a sharp knife, cut tortillas into wedges or sixths, cutting in half, and then cutting each half into thirds.
- Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees.
- Lay the tortilla triangles in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray with oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip them over and spray and salt again.
- Place the basket in the fryer and cook for 5-8 minutes, shaking at least once. The chips may flip or move due to the high-speed fan in the fryer. This is okay. Cook time will depend on how crisp and browned you like them. Continue cooking the chips in batches until all are done.
Here’s how to make homemade baked tortilla chips in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay the tortilla triangles in a single layer on pizza screens or baking sheets. Spray with oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip them over and spray and salt again.
- Place the screen in the oven and cook for 5-8 minutes. Cook time will depend on how crisp and browned you like them. If you’re not using a pizza screen, you may want to flip the chips at the halfway mark so that both sides brown lightly. Continue cooking the chips in batches until all are done.
Here’s how to fry your own tortilla chips:
Fried tortilla chips are a little more hands-on. Be sure to watch that the oil doesn’t splash out of the pan.
- Pour about an inch of oil in a deep skillet or pot and heat over medium heat. Once hot, drop in a few tortilla triangles, turning once they are brown on one side.
- Remove the chips from the hot oil and place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.
FAQs & Recipe Costs
Homemade chips are best eaten right away because they taste amazing! However, if you make too much, cool them completely and store them in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or air fryer.
If you want to skip the spray oil, you can. Just watch the cooking time and adjust. The chips will likely brown more quickly and have a slightly different texture.
If you’ve already got a bag of tortilla chips, you can easily reheat them in the air fryer. Place them in the basket for 2 to 3 minutes until they’re the temperature you like.
While corn tortillas are traditional for chips, you may find yourself wanting to make flour tortilla chips, especially if you only have flour tortillas on hand. They cook up light as air! Follow the same directions, just check them sooner to make sure they don’t burn.
Great Dips for Chips
Tell us what you think!
We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.
Homemade Tortilla Chips Recipe
Equipment
- skillet
Instructions
- With a sharp knife, cut the tortillas into sixths, but cutting in half, and then cutting each half into thirds.6 corn tortillas
To cook in the air fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees.
- Lay the tortilla triangles in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray with oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip them over and spray and salt again.spray cooking oil, salt
- Place the basket in the fryer and cook 5-8 minutes, shaking at least once. Cook time will depend on how crisp and browned you like them.
- Continue cooking the chips in batches until all are done.
To bake:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Lay the tortilla triangles in a single layer on a pizza screen or baking sheet. Spray with oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip them over and spray and salt again.spray cooking oil, salt
- Place the screen in the oven and cook 5-8 minutes. Cook time will depend on how crisp and browned you like them. If you're not using a pizza screen, you may want to flip the chips at the halfway mark so that both sides brown lightly.
- Continue cooking the chips in batches until all are done.
To fry in oil:
- In a deep fryer or large pot, pour in oil to a depth of at least one inch. Heat this to 375 degrees.spray cooking oil
- While the oil is heating, place a metal cooling rack over a flattened paper bag or bed of paper toweling to catch dripping oil.
- In batches, fry the tortillas until crisp, about a minute per batch, turning once. Transfer the cooked chips to the prepared rack to drain.
- Sprinkle the chips with salt according to your taste and serve immediately.salt
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on May 4, 2009. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Leave a Reply