Homemade Tortilla Chips

Make Homemade Tortilla Chips just like you get in the restaurant! Once you make these, you’ll never buy tortilla chips in an air puffed bag again.

close up overhead shot of bowl of tortilla chips with bowl of salsa


 

They’re easy to make and will satisfy your snack cravings paired with some salsa, hummus, or dip. 

Why These Are The Best Tortilla Chips

A three ingredient snack that takes less than 30 minutes to make- what’s not to love!

  • Great for using leftover tortillas – So you made soft tacos… or some other type of Mexican food. If you are anything like us, we always end up over purchasing tortillas. They don’t freeze well, so instead of wasting them, I make Homemade Tortilla Chips.
  • Add different flavors – Of course, they’re great just the way they are with a little fine sea salt. But you can add a spritz of lime, spritz of lemon, or even add seasonings like cumin or chili powder to take them up a notch.
  • Just like a Mexican restaurant – There is nothing better than going out to your favorite Mexican joint and receiving a warm basket of chips with homemade salsa, is there? And now you can make them right at home.

Ingredients

You only need three simple ingredients to make the best homemade tortilla chips you’ve ever had.

  • Corn tortillas – The traditional tortilla chips that you think of are made from white corn tortillas. You can also use yellow corn tortillas for a more traditional color. Flour tortillas will not produce the chips you are looking for.
  • Neutral oil – Any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work here. Think vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil or avocado oil.
  • Sea salt – For salting homemade tortilla chips, use a fine sea salt, but not an iodized table salt, which can sometimes taste metallic. 
overhead shot of tortilla chips ingredients

How to Make Homemade Tortilla Chips

You are going to be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to make your own tortilla chips at home.

  1. Prepare tortillas and oil. Cut tortillas into quarters. Heat oil over high heat in a large frying pan for a few minutes.
  2. Add tortillas to oil. Working in small batches, add tortilla wedges to hot oil. Using a metal slotted spoon gently turn around the tortilla chips until they are evenly browned. 
  3. Remove to lined plate. Once browned, using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet or plate.
  4. Add salt and seasonings. Sprinkle with fine sea salt and any other seasonings you’d like to add.
  5. Cool and store. Allow to cool completely and then store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

What to Serve with Homemade Tortilla Chips

Of course, the most obvious things to serve these chips with would be homemade salsa or guacamole. But you can also serve with other dips like queso, hummus or spinach dip. I love serving mine with my famous Cowboy Caviar!

Going beyond dips, you can use them as a base for any nachos recipe you can think of. You can also cut them into thin strips and add them to things like white chicken chili or chicken tortilla soup.

Variations

There are plenty of ways you can make these homemade tortilla chips your own.

  • Flour tortillas – You can fry up flour tortillas, but they will not be the tortilla chips you had in mind. True tortilla chips are made with corn tortillas. 
  • Flavors – Spritz fresh lemon or lime juice on fresh chips. After draining excess oil on a paper towel lined baking sheet, toss tortilla pieces with chili powder or seasoned salt. 
  • Using a different oil – Vegetable oil, canola oil and peanut oil are the best for deep frying because of the high smoke point, meaning that it won’t burn. 
close up overhead shot of tortilla chip topped with sea salt

Storage and Freezing

You can make these homemade tortilla chips up to one day in advance.

How to Store Tortilla Chips

They are best fresh, but since they aren’t loaded down with preservatives or other stuff, they are only good for about 5 days. They won’t last that long, I promise. 

You can also reheat them. Arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake them for 5 minutes at 200 degrees. Don’t go much hotter or for longer or else you risk burning them.

Can I Freeze Homemade Tortilla Chips?

You can freeze anything you want, but whether it stills tastes good after is debatable. I am going to put tortilla chips in the “don’t freeze these” category, but you may disagree. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are tortilla chips healthy?

I loathe this question every time I get it. If you want my personal answer, NO! Yes, they are made with corn tortillas and corn is a vegetable, but it is also a carb and these are fried. Rarely are fried foods considered to be healthy. 

Can I make these into baked tortilla chips?

This particular recipe is for fried tortilla chips and I have not experimented with baking them, so I won’t pretend to say yes. You can find a recipe for homemade baked tortilla chips HERE

Are tortilla chips gluten free?

They are made with corn, but usually mixed with some sort of flour. Whether yours are gluten free or not will depend on the type of corn tortilla you use. Check the package.

Why don’t my chips look like your chips or the restaurant chips?

This really depends on the type of tortilla you use. Make sure you used CORN tortillas and not flour tortillas. Tortillas vary greatly in color, size and thickness too. All of this will play a part in your chip appearance.

More Snack and Dips You’ll Love

Chips and dips are some of my most favorite snacks. Here are some that we reach for over and over again.

A bowl chili cheese dip

Chili Cheese Dip

4.92 from 12 votes
If you are a fan of dips you need to make this 3 ingredient Chili Cheese Dip, whips up in under 10 minutes and is fool-proof!
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Ranch Kale Chips are a quick and easy 3 ingredient kale chips recipe that offer a tasty and healthy alternative to other chips and snacks. #ranchkalechips #kalechipsrecipe www.savoryexperiments.com

Ranch Kale Chips

4.78 from 18 votes
Ranch Kale Chips are a quick and easy 3 ingredient kale chips recipe that offer a tasty and healthy alternative to other chips and snacks. 
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close up angled shot of bowl of hot honey snack mix

Hot Honey Chex Mix (Sweet & Spicy Chex Mix)

4.80 from 5 votes
This EASY Hot Honey Chex Mix is the perfect blend of salty, spicy, and sweet. It's easy, customizable, and absolutely delicious!
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overhead shot of homemade tortilla chips with salsa and limes with text overlay
close up overhead shot of bowl of tortilla chips with bowl of salsa

Homemade Tortilla Chip Recipe

4.11 from 39 votes
Homemade Tortilla Chips Recipe: why buy a bag when you can make your own, hot and crispy? You won’t believe how easy it is!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cut tortillas into quarters.
  • Heat oil over high heat in a large frying pan for 3-4 minutes.
  • Working in small batches, add corn tortillas to hot oil. Using a metal slotted spoon gently turn around the tortilla chips until they are evenly browned. 
  • Remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet or plate. The first batch will take the longest- 3-4 minutes, by the time you get to the last it could only take one minute.
  • Sprinkle with fine sea salt. 
  • Allow to cool completely and then store in an airtight container for up to a week. 
  • Serve with your favorite salsa, hummus, dip or eat them plain!
  • Tried this recipe out? Come back and leave us a comment! 

Nutrition

Calories: 310 kcal, Carbohydrates: 34 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 18 g, Saturated Fat: 13 g, Sodium: 35 mg, Potassium: 145 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Calcium: 63 mg, Iron: 1 mg
Author: Jessica Formicola
Calories: 310
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: homemade tortilla chips
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
collage of homemade tortilla chips
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Jessica Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and food lover behind Savory Experiments. She is obsessed with butter, salt and bacon and spends all her time in the kitchen and behind a camera. Jessica is a contributor to PopKitchen by Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

Read More About Jessica

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. While these taste ok, they DEFINITELY don’t look like the picture or restaurant chips. My husband thought I cooked pita chips as the first batches look burned. I used white corn tortillas like the store brand I buy. I think I’ll keep seaching for a homemade tortilla recipe

  2. 4 stars
    I appreciate the nutritional information, but cannot find what constitutes a “serving”. How many chips per serving comes up to 310 calories?

    1. I Cricket, about 12-15 chips (the equivalent of 3 small corn tortillas). I use an automated system to calculate nutritional value, so yours might be different based on the tortillas you use.

  3. 5 stars
    I love having those little wins. Wins that I keep in my head but still make me smile!

    Chips and dip is such a great snack and your chips are just perfect!
    I made some with a batch of leftover tortillas and they were great with our guac last night.
    And so much healthier than the big brand ones!