Homemade Tortilla Chips (Fried or Baked)

by Yvette Marquez on July 30, 2024 (updated October 1, 2024)

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Ever wondered how to make Homemade Tortilla Chips? I’m here to show you an easy 3-ingredient recipe. Whether you prefer them to be fried or baked, these from-scratch Mexican corn chips are deliciously salty, thin but crunchy, and perfect for dipping into your favorite salsa.

overhead shot of homemade corn tortilla chips on an oblong, handpainted serving platter with a rustic terracotta bowl filled with salsa casera.

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Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Simple Tortilla Chip Recipe

All you need are 3 basic ingredients, so snacktime is always within reach.
If you’ve ever had fresh and warm, authentic Mexican tortilla chips from a restaurant, you already know the bagged ones aren’t playing in the same league. Once you try homemade, it’ll be hard to go back!
I’ve made sure to include instructions for both fried and baked tortilla chips, so even if you’re on a diet you can still get in on the fun.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.

As promised, just 3 ingredients stand between you and the best tortilla chips of your life. Here’s what to grab:

Corn Tortillas – No need to get fancy and make your own corn tortillas. This is an easy recipe, so store-bought corn tortillas (preferably stale or slightly dried out) will work perfectly.
Neutral Oil – I generally reach for canola oil, which is relatively cheap, readily available, and not too bad from a health perspective. That said, any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point should be fine including vegetable, peanut, or grapeseed oil.
Salt – I typically like to use kosher salt here—the larger flakes make it easier to season without overdoing it.

wooden cutting board with a stack of corn tortillas being cut into 8 wedges with a small bowl of oil, a pastry brush, and a small bowl of salt.

How to Make Tortilla Chips at Home

You have two options here: baked or fried. If you want your DIY tortilla chips to taste like your favorite Mexican restaurant, use the traditional method. The baked method is great for when you want something lighter, or just don’t want to deal with the mess of deep-frying.

Traditional Method: Fried Tortilla Chips

Step 1: Heat Oil to 350°F.

Step 2: Cut Tortillas into wedges. Use your best judgment on size; 6-8 per tortilla is usually a good starting spot.

Step 3: Fry. Working in batches, carefully lower the tortilla wedges into the oil.

Step 4: Drain & Salt. When the chips are done frying, use tongs or slotted spoon to remove them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil. Make sure to sprinkle on the salt while they’re still hot from the fryer.

salted and fried tortilla chips draining on paper towels.

Lower-Fat Method: Baked Tortilla Chips

Step 1: Preheat Oven to 350°F.

Step 2: Cut Tortillas into wedges.

Step 3: Brush the tortilla wedges with oil and sprinkle with salt. (You can also lightly spritz them using cooking spray and sprinkle on the salt.)

hand using a pastry brush to brush individual corn tortilla wedges with oil on a parchment lined baking sheet.

hand sprinkling oil on the oil brushed tortilla wedges on the baking sheet.

Step 4: Spread the seasoned tortilla chips into a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 5: Bake the chips for 12-15 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Remove from the oven, then enjoy while they’re cool enough to handle.

homemade baked tortilla chips on parchment paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to make your own tortilla chips?

It depends on a few things. The choice of oil is important—avocado oil is the most expensive, whereas vegetable oil is much cheaper. Second, baked tortilla chips use less oil than fried, which means they’re less expensive. Finally, if you properly filter and save your frying oil, it’ll save you money in the long run.

Are homemade tortilla chips healthier than store-bought? Are they gluten-free?

Again, it depends. What’s your definition of healthy? If you make baked tortilla chips, then they’ll probably have lower fat and lower calories than the ones you buy at the store. If you fry them in the traditional manner, they likely won’t.
It also depends on the tortillas—some are made with very basic ingredients like homemade, whereas others may have preservatives or weird artificial ingredients. If you make them with corn tortillas that are certified gluten-free (or, better yet, make your own) and you don’t have any cross-contamination in your kitchen they should be celiac-friendly.

Can you freeze homemade tortilla chips?

While I’ve read that this is a technique some people use, I don’t recommend it. Unless you can pack them completely air-tight, the container will likely form some kind of ice crystals, which will melt and make them soggy upon thawing.

Can you make tortilla chips with flour tortillas?

Sure! Follow the same process as described above or in the recipe card below.

Why are my homemade tortilla chips chewy?

It sounds like one of 3 things happened: either you pulled them out of the oil/oven too soon (before they had a chance to get crispy), you fried them at too low of a temperature (which ends up making them oil-logged), OR they got stale. You can try to salvage them by spreading them out into a single layer on a cookie sheet and baking them at 350ºF for 3-5 minutes, or popping them in the air fryer at 350ºF for 2-3 minutes. If that doesn’t work, consider making migas or chilaquiles!

Optional Variations

This recipe has not been tested with all of these substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

Corn-Free: I typically prefer corn tortilla chips, but you’re welcome to make these homemade tortilla chips with flour tortillas instead like I did for my grilled shrimp and seared tuna appetizer recipes.
Seasoned: Feel free to get creative with your seasonings, sprinkle on lime zest, chili powder, garlic powder, or dried herbs. NOTE: Do not add the seasoning until after frying or it will burn in the oil.
Tortilla Strips: These thin bites add crunch to everything from salads to chicken tortilla soup.

homemade tortilla chips sprinkled with lime zest as flavoring.

fried tortilla strips on a wooden cutting board as an alternative to whole corn tortilla chips.

Serving & Topping Suggestions

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Nachos – Whether you like them movie theater-style with just queso sauce and pickled jalapeños or all gussied up with fixin’s, nacho chips are always a fan favorite. Feeling hungry? Try my chopped carne asada nachos, chicken mole nachos, classic beef nachos, or brisket nachos. If you’re trying to be good, use baked tortilla chips and make my ground turkey nachos or spicy shrimp nachos instead.
Breakfast – Try making tangy chilaquiles verdes, spicy chilaquiles rojos, or cheesy migas breakfast tacos to bring some authentic Mexican goodness to the first meal of the day.
Serious Dips – While tortilla chips are most famous as an appetizer with salsa and guacamole, there are lots of other dips worth mentioning. Try chile con queso, vegetarian 7-layer dip, or colorful cowboy caviar, to name a few.

Expert Tips & Tricks

Don’t Splatter – When you’re working with hot oil, it can be scary to get your hands up close. A common “solution” people take is dropping their items into the oil from a height. DO NOT DO THIS—you’re bound to splatter more oil and possibly hurt yourself if you do. The secret is to use tongs or a large slotted spoon, spider, or fryer basket to lower the chips gently.
Use a Thermometer – You want the oil to be between 350-375ºF for proper crisping. Hotter than that and your chips will burn, cooler than that and they’ll end up soggy. Don’t have a thermometer? Try using a test chip—it should bubble pretty furiously when you first add it, and the chip should float. If you don’t see any bubbles or it sinks to the bottom, the oil is too cold.
Work in Batches – When you add room temp food to the hot oil, the oil temperature will dip. Make sure you’re not overcrowding the pot (which can cause the chips to stick together in clumps) and only add enough to where the oil temperature doesn’t go below 325ºF after adding them.

Storage Instructions

Let the chips cool completely to room temperature before placing them in storage. This will prevent condensation from building up and making them stale.
Homemade corn tortilla chips will keep well in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 5 days.

More Homemade Staples

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #muybuenocooking.

platter of homemade tortilla chips served with fresh salsa.

Corn Tortilla Chips Recipe

5 (1 rating)

Crunchy, salty tortilla chips are a snap to make using my 3-ingredient recipe. Baked, fried, or air-fried!

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Yield:

Prep Time: 2

Cook Time: 6

Total Time: 8