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.

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

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

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