Fresh and hot and right out of the fryer, homemade tortilla chips bring the flavour of fresh restaurant tortilla chips straight to your table! All you need is some leftover corn tortillas and some oil for frying and a few minutes of time.

Don't you just love the flavour of restaurant tortilla chips especially when served with some pico de gallo or guacamole? You can get some close contenders from the grocery store these days, but there is still nothing that beats the flavour of hot chips right out of the fryer.
Good news is, they are SO easy to make at home! All it takes is some leftover corn tortillas and some oil for frying. A candy thermometer is also a helpful tool to help regulate the temperature of the oil to get them perfectly crisp without over cooking them.
You're going to love this!
- Restaurant quality - these homemade tortilla chips are better than anything you can buy at the store, and are just as good as your favourite restaurant.
- Quick and easy - just cut, fry and season!
- Use up leftover tortillas - made some tacos and have leftover tortillas? Homemade tortilla chips are a great way to use those up in a tasty snack.
Ingredients
- Corn tortillas - either white or yellow, and even better if they are a couple of days old and a bit stale.
- Oil - for frying the tortillas. Choose something with a high smoke point and neutral flavour like canola, peanut or vegetable oil.
- Sea salt - I always use sea salt when cooking, but for recipes like this where the salt will be directly tasted, it's extra important.
How to make them
Cut the tortillas. Cut the tortillas into 6 equally sized pieces. First, cut the tortillas in half, then cut the halves into equal thirds.
Fry the tortillas. Add an inch or so of oil to a large skillet with high walls to heat it to 350ºF. The temperature on the dial should be around medium, but using a candy thermometer will help with accuracy. Cook the tortilla chips about 30 seconds on each side, and remove them when they are crisp any slightly golden.
Remove the chips and season. Line a baking sheet with a couple of layer of paper towel and place the freshly cooked chips on it. Season immediately with sea salt - the salt will not stick if the chips have cooled.
Helpful hints
Keep an eye on the temperature. The temperature of the oil will change as you cook. Specifically, it will cool as you add and cook the chips. To cook the best tortilla chips you need to keep the temperature as close to 350ºF as possible. Any lower and your chips will cook slower, absorb more oil, and not cook thoroughly. Higher and they will burn before they cook.
Use a thermometer. A candy thermometer can be inserted into the oil to keep track of the temperature.
For storage. Place a paper towel at the bottom of an airtight container then pile the cooled chips on and seal the lid on tight. The paper towel will absorb any excess oil and moisture and help to keep the chips fresh. Tortilla chips taste best the same day they are made, but you can get an extra day out of them if stored properly.
Common questions
If your tortilla chips are chewy, it's most likely because the temperature of your oil was too low when frying. For better temperature consistency, use a thermometer set in the oil to manage it.
For frying, you want a neutral tasting oil that can hold up at a high temperature. Good oils to use for frying tortillas are canola, vegetable and peanut oils.
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Homemade Tortilla Chips
Ingredients:
- 10 corn tortillas
- sea salt
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the tortillas into 6 equal slices
- Heat a tall sided frying pan to medium and add a couple of inches of oil. Let the oil heat up to 350ºF - you can use a candy thermometer to measure this.
- Add the sliced tortillas to the pan without crowding them and cook on each side until they are just lightly golden then remove with tongs or a a spider strainer.
- Place the freshly cooked tortillas chips on paper towel and season immediately with sea salt.
* nutritional information is calculated by online tools and may not be 100% accurate.
Alex says
These are SO much better than storebought - the taste is absolutely superior and so delicious. We served with some guacamole and devoured them quickly!
Courtney says
Thank you! With guacamole is my favourite way to eat them 🙂
Sandhya S says
So much better than the ones from the packet. I love them with Salsa and Guacamole.
Courtney says
I totally agree!
Wanda says
My daughter can polish off a bag of tortillas in no time at all! Thrilled to find this recipe so I can start making them at home!
Courtney says
She's going to love them, I'm sure!
Jessica Formicola says
We are having tacos for dinner tonight, so I think I'll try making these chips to go with them! Thanks so much for sharing!
Courtney says
You're welcome, enjoy!
Catherine says
Homemade tortilla chips are so easy to make! I have to try this asap. Mm warm chips and salsa...couldn't think of anything better!
Courtney says
I can't either!
Toni says
I think I'm never going back to store-brought tortilla chips ever again! This is really good!
Courtney says
So good and so easy!