Basic Tortilla Chips Recipe
Email
Anyone who has snacked on freshly made tortilla chips can attest to their addictiveness and vast superiority to mass-market offerings. If you aren’t lucky enough to have high-quality tortilla chips available in your area, don’t fret because you can make your own with this recipe. It’s a bit of work, but you’ll earn plenty of friends. And it goes without saying that these are a natural pairing for guac and salsa.
What to buy: Use good-quality corn tortillas for this recipe. Though the mass-produced kinds are acceptable, these chips are just tastier made with Mexican-brand tortillas such as Guerrero.
Game plan: Chips can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
This recipe was featured as part of our Super Bowl for a Crowd menu.
- 2 cups vegetable or canola oil
- 10 (6-inch) corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges
- Kosher salt for seasoning
- Heat oil in a large frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking or 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, line two large plates or baking sheets with paper towels and set aside.
- When oil is hot, add a few handfuls of tortilla wedges, being careful not to overcrowd, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chips with a slotted spoon to the paper-towel-lined plates or baking sheets and sprinkle with salt. (Check the oil temperature in between batches and adjust heat accordingly.) Repeat with remaining tortillas and serve.
this is old, but FWIW, mdzehnder, go to any hispanic grocery store and they will have some decent mexican brands.
@Earl Grey; can I assume you're in the Southwest, or do you have some secret source for decent corn tortillas of which I am painfully ignorant? I've certainly never seen them around here (DC area).
I'm going to try this today!
I haven't used this recipe to make tortilla chips before, and I just use regular flour tortillas, although I'm sure corn tortillas are great for chips.
To make the chips easier to flip (and possibly solving the issue of having overdone and underdone chips), I just score the tortillas so that they're cut almost all the way through, but not quite. Then I put the whole thing in the pan, fry it on one side, and then use tongs to flip it over. When it is cool, I break the pieces apart. They don't always break evenly, but perfectly-triangular chips seem odd to me, anyhow.
I've solved the above mentioned problem by arranging them on a baking sheet and keeping them warm in a 250 degree oven while the rest cook. When they're all done I turn off the oven but leave the chips inside until the oven has cooled.
Additionally, the chips I've made (when not consumed all at once) have lasted a lot longer than 5 days.
I have had the same problem, pulguita, but not everytime I make them. I don't know what the difference could be unless it's the brand of tortilla, one that has more preservatives? I don't know.
Instead of kosher salt, I like to use Adobo, with its garlicky taste.
My chips keep coming out half crispy/half chewy - am I cooking too long/too short? My oil is definitely hot enough
A coupla years ago I figured out to do this on my own out of necessity and it made a BIG mess but I did it. and since then I set aside one afternoon a week to make up about 4 freezer bages full and we eat them till they run out (normally about 3 days LOL) They are wonderful. I use white tortillas and my 'kettle cooker' and put paper towel plates all over and plastic bags ready for the cooled ones. They are so great with guacamole and pico de gallo....and they are heaven for nachos under the broiler. oh man.
Guerrero are the normal color but they use a ton of preservatives. They need to get them to California from Texas without going bad. You have to look at the ingredients (3 items) and make sure it's not a lurid yellow. Just yellow or off white.
You're right about the stale part. You have to just make sure to cut them before they get too dry.
I'm confused here. All the corn toritillas, including Guerrero, seem to be the same. I've seen some yellow tortillas here and there, but most of them are an off-white. Is this because I'm in Los Angeles and they give us a different tortilla?
I find the chips come out better if you use stale tortillas. Just get the 36 pack, and when the last ones get all grainy on you, put them into the freezer for chip making :-)
Guerrero? Have you seen the list of ingredients on these? Good corn tortillas should be made from corn, water and lime. Period. And they should not be a lurid, glowing yellow (which means they didn't rinse the line well for a longer shelf life).
Try and find real tortillas made from masa, not masa harina as Guerrero are. It's a huge difference in both tortilla and chip.
Tip: For a heart-healthier chip, bake 'em in the oven till dried. Or you can mist them with PAM or olive oil first for chips slightly less evil than deep fat-fried.
Aw Use the Real Deal! Use MANTECA! Lard, pork fat RULES!
These are shockingly good. Sitting out for days on end in a giant bowl didn't diminish their crispiness either.