Easy Fried Tortilla Chips

These easy fried tortilla chips are made by frying corn tortillas for a couple of minutes and salting them the second they come out of the oil. They’re golden, blistery, and crisp enough for a loaded spoonful of guacamole, although half the bowl is usually gone before anything gets dipped.

Easy Fried Tortilla Chips Made from Corn Tortillas in Hot Oil

I started making tortilla chips at home because I didn’t want to leave the house. I live five miles out of town, and I’ve learned to make things easier for myself. The best part is that I usually end up with something better. And in this case, that was homemade fried tortilla chips. Standing over a pot of hot oil seemed better than getting ready and driving to the store.

When I really thought what separated a stack of corn tortillas already in my refrigerator from the bag of chips I was going to leave the house to buy, it wasn’t something I minded making. Store-bought tortillas are normally what I use, but my homemade corn tortillas can also be fried into chips. Making chips at home has become a brainless activity. Cut the tortillas into wedges, fry them in hot oil, and salt them while they’re still hot. The payoff is fried blisters and crunch. They get eaten pretty fast, so full warning.

Paying attention to the oil temperature and how many chips I fry at once changed how these came out. I keep the oil at 350°F and fry the chips in small batches. If the temp drops too much, the tortillas stay in the oil longer and absorb too much of it. Once I got that right, homemade tortilla chips became less about me not wanting to go to the store and more about knowing I had something better to work with sitting in my fridge.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I think six wedges per tortilla makes the perfect size for chips. At one point I did try eight, but the chips didn’t have enough room for a good scoop of homemade pico de gallo or guacamole. And forget cutting the chips into fours, they were too big. Six is easy to fry and a better size once they’re in the bowl.
• Canola oil is neutral in flavor and great for frying. There are only three ingredients in this recipe, so you notice everything. Vegetable oil can go in the pot instead, and peanut oil is fine too, but there hasn’t been any reason for me to stop using canola at this point.
• The 350°F oil temperature is where I really stopped messing around. Below that, the chips need extra time and take on too much oil, and going hotter gets color before the tortilla has had enough time to crisp. Keeping a frying thermometer in the pot means I can see when the oil climbs back to 350°F before the next batch goes in. That’s much easier than trying to judge hot oil by looking at it.
• Of course we’d all prefer to dump in as many chips as possible at once, but that ruins them. Too many chips cool off the oil, so I only fry a handful, pull them out, salt them while they’re hot, and wait for the oil to come back to 350°F. Then I do it again. It takes a few batches, but once I stopped trying to rush everything, I got the same crunch from the beginning to the end.

Ingredients

• White corn tortillas – Store-bought tortillas are what I normally use, and slightly older tortillas are fine if there’s already an open package in the fridge. You’ll need 12 tortillas for one batch.
• Canola oil – You’ll need enough oil for the tortilla wedges to fry freely in the pot. I use canola because it’s neutral in flavor and handles the 350°F frying temperature well.
• Fine sea salt – I use fine salt because it spreads over the chips better and you don’t end up biting into a big piece of salt, which is the worst. Add it as soon as the chips come out of the oil so it sticks.

How to Make Easy Fried Tortilla Chips

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (cut the tortillas)
  Stack a few tortillas at a time and cut each one into six wedges. I try to keep them somewhat even because wedges close to the same size will fry at about the same rate.
• Step Two (heat the oil)
  Pour the canola oil into a heavy pot and heat it to 350°F. I leave a frying thermometer in the pot so I know when it’s ready and can keep an eye on the temperature once I start adding the tortillas.
• Step Three (fry in small batches)
  Add a small handful of tortilla wedges to the oil and move them around with tongs or a spider so they stay separated. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chips are lightly golden and crisp. Don’t add too many at once because the oil temperature drops quickly, which means the chips need longer to fry and can absorb more oil.
• Step Four (drain and salt)
  Lift the chips out of the oil, let the excess drip back into the pot, and transfer them to paper towels. Salt them while they’re still hot so the fine sea salt sticks.
• Step Five (bring the oil back to 350°F)
  Before adding another batch, let the oil return to 350°F and adjust the heat if you need to. Repeat until all the tortillas are fried, then transfer the chips to a bowl once they’ve cooled enough to eat.

Recipe Tips 

• Keep a thermometer in the oil the whole time you’re frying. The temperature will drop every time a batch of tortillas goes into the pot, so wait until it gets back to 350°F before adding more. If the chips are taking longer than 1 to 2 minutes and seem greasy, check the temperature first.
• Don’t try to get through the tortillas faster by adding more at once. I know it’s tempting, but a crowded pot drops the oil temperature and also makes it harder to move the wedges around so they fry evenly.
• Watch the color toward the end because tortilla chips can go from lightly golden to darker than you wanted pretty quickly. If that happens, turn down the heat and give the oil a chance to get back to 350°F before continuing.
• Salt every batch as soon as it comes out of the oil. Fine sea salt sticks while there’s still some oil on the chips, and you won’t have to keep adding more later trying to get enough salt on them.
• Give the chips some room while they cool instead of putting the hot batches on top of each other. They’re still releasing steam when they leave the oil, and trapping the moisture can soften them.

Storage

• Let the tortilla chips cool completely before putting them into a container. Any warmth trapped inside creates moisture, and that’s an easy way to lose the crunch you spent time frying them for.
• Once they’re cool, keep them at room temperature in an airtight container or resealable bag. I wouldn’t refrigerate them because they do better somewhere dry, and they’re best within a few days.
• If they soften after sitting, spread them on a baking sheet and put them in a 300°F oven for a few minutes. Let them cool before deciding whether they need more time because they’ll crisp more as they cool.

FAQs

• Can I use store-bought corn tortillas?
  Yes, and that’s normally what I use. My homemade corn tortillas are fine too, but you definitely don’t need to make tortillas before you can make tortilla chips.
• Why did my tortilla chips turn greasy?
  Check the oil temperature first. If it drops too far below 350°F, the tortillas have to stay in the oil longer to become crisp and can absorb more oil in the process. Let the oil return to 350°F before frying the next batch.
• Why are some of my tortilla chips darker than others?
  The wedges may be different sizes, the pot may be too crowded, or the oil temperature may be changing between batches. Cutting the tortillas somewhat evenly and frying only a handful at a time takes care of most of it.
• Can I bake the tortilla chips instead?
  Yes. Brush both sides of the tortilla wedges lightly with oil, arrange them in a single layer, and bake at 375°F, turning them once, until they’re crisp. They won’t have the same texture as fried tortilla chips, but baking is fine if you don’t want to use a pot of oil.
• Can I use flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas?
  Yes, but expect a different chip. Flour tortillas puff more when fried and brown faster than corn tortillas, so keep a close eye on them and start checking them earlier.
• What other oils can I use for frying tortilla chips?
  Vegetable oil and peanut oil are both fine. I use canola because it’s neutral in flavor and handles the 350°F frying temperature well, but any neutral oil suitable for frying can be used.
• Can I season them with something besides salt?
  Yes. Garlic powder, onion powder, or smoked paprika can go on while the chips are still hot. But start light because once you’ve added too much, you can’t take it back.
• Can I make homemade tortilla chips ahead of time?
  You can. Let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature. I think they’re best within a few days, but they’re still best right after they’re made.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• Doing more at once has never made me finish anything sooner.
• I’m better at seeing when waiting is part of the process and not an indication that nothing is happening.
• There have been times when making room for something has been more useful than making an effort.
• Urgency is not really my thing anymore. It’s made me interfere with things that were doing fine without me.
• Knowing when something is ready and wanting it to be ready are two completely different things.
• I’ve traced disappointing results back to the times I decided I didn’t have another minute to give.
• I now have more respect for recovery time.

What to Scoop Up With These Chips

• Baked Taco Dip – Beans, cheese, salsa.
• Jalapeño Popper Dip – Cream cheese, jalapeños, cheese, crunchy topping.
• Grape, Corn, and Black Bean Salsa – Grapes, black beans, corn, lime, jalapeño.
• Pickle de Gallo (Dill Pickle Salsa) – Dill pickles, jalapeños, onion, garlic, lime.
• Avocado and Three Bean Salsa – Avocado, corn, beans, lime-garlic dressing.

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Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Easy Fried Tortilla Chips

Easy fried tortilla chips made with corn tortillas, canola oil, and salt. Fried in small batches at 350°F, they’re crisp, golden, and ready in 1 to 2 minutes per batch.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired

Keyword: crispy tortilla chips, easy fried tortilla chips, fried corn tortilla chips, fried tortilla chips, homemade fried tortilla chips, homemade tortilla chips, how to fry tortilla chips

Servings: 6

Calories: 260kcal

Author: Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Dutch Oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Holds the heat so the oil temp stays consistent.
• thermometer for frying Helps keep the oil at 350°F for crisp, non-greasy chips.
• baking sheet Keeps chips spread out after frying. Line with paper towels.

Ingredients

• 12 (360 g) white corn tortillas
• 3 cups (720 ml) canola oil
• ¾ tsp (4 g) fine sea salt

Instructions

• Cut the tortillas into wedges by stacking a few at a time on a cutting board and slicing each tortilla into six pieces with a sharp knife.
  12 (360 g) white corn tortillas
• Pour the canola oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and set it over medium heat. Heat the oil to 350°F (177°C). Using a thermometer helps keep the oil at the right temperature, which is key for crisp chips that don’t absorb excess oil.
  3 cups (720 ml) canola oil
• Working in small batches, carefully add a handful of tortilla wedges to the hot oil. Stir gently with tongs or a spider so the pieces stay separate. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chips are crisp and lightly golden. Keep an eye on the oil temperature as they fry.
• Lift the chips from the oil and let the excess drip back into the pot. Spread them in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season immediately with fine sea salt while they’re still hot.
  ¾ tsp (4 g) fine sea salt
• Let the oil return to 350°F (177°C) between batches, adjusting the heat as needed. Continue frying the remaining tortilla wedges in small batches until all the tortillas have been fried.
• Let the chips cool slightly before transferring them to a serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• The oil temperature will drop when the tortilla wedges are added. Let it return to 350°F (177°C) before frying the next batch.
• Fry only a small handful of tortilla wedges at a time. Adding too many lowers the oil temperature and can cause the chips to absorb more oil.
• Salt the tortilla chips as soon as they come out of the oil while there is still a small amount of oil on the surface.
• Vegetable oil or peanut oil can be substituted for canola oil.
• The amount of oil absorbed during frying will vary depending on the tortillas, oil temperature, batch size, and frying time. Because not all of the frying oil is consumed, the calories and fat listed in the nutritional information are estimates.
• Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, and Noble Pig makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy Fried Tortilla Chips

Amount Per Serving (45 g)

Calories 260 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Monounsaturated Fat 11g

Sodium 210mg9%

Potassium 110mg3%

Carbohydrates 22g7%

Fiber 2g8%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 25IU1%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 40mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you made these Easy Fried Tortilla Chips? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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