Baked Tortilla Chips

Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips are perfectly crispy and sturdy enough to scoop up all your favorite dips! Corn tortillas are lightly brushed with oil, salt, and lime juice, then baked in the oven for a quick and easy snack. They’re so good that you’ll want to skip the store-bought chips and make these healthy, vegan, and gluten-free chips at home instead!

Hands down one of the WORST things is when you go in for a big ole’ scoop of a thick and chunky homemade guacamole only to hear…

CRACK!

The tortilla chip breaks.

Now you’re left with chip crumbs, guacamole-covered fingers, and a rumbling belly.

What if I told you there is a way to make perfectly crispy, crunchy, and STURDY tortilla chips – completely from scratch?!

And all you need is 3 ingredients, an oven, and less than 20 minutes!

Not to mention, these homemade corn tortilla chips are also secretly healthy for you, too.

Yup!!  Since you’ll be baking them in the oven, they only get lightly coated in oil. And if you use a certified gluten-free and vegan corn tortilla brand, then they fit the bill for those diets, too!

Ingredients

The simple ingredients you need to make this Tortilla Chip recipe include:

• Tortillas. Either white or yellow corn tortillas are used. When choosing your tortillas, look for ones that are about 5 to 6-inches in diameter and are relatively thick and sturdy on their own. If they are smaller or larger you’ll have to adjust the amount of oil and salt accordingly. Excellent brand options include Guerrero, Mission Foods, El Milagro, and Tia Rosa.
• Oil. Vegetable or avocado oil are preferred since they have little to no added flavor. Olive oil may also be substituted if that’s what you have available.
• Salt. Sprinkle on as much or as little of this as you’d like. Coarse sea salt will add a wonderful, salty crunch to the chips, but regular table salt gives you very similar results.
• Lime Juice. While this is optional, it is highly encouraged! It gives these chips the most subtle flavor but adds a wonderful zest of freshness to them.

How to Make Baked Tortilla Chips

The basic steps for making tortilla chips in the oven are simple to follow. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.

Coat with Oil

When selecting which tortillas to use from the package, select the ones that are still whole and not cracked.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, salt, and lime juice. This way all of the flavors will be evenly distributed on the chips.

While the tortillas are still whole, use a pastry brush to cover both sides in a light coating of the oil mixture. Avoid brushing too much oil on the tortillas. If you do this, they will become soggy when baked and not crispy and crunchy.

You should have just enough of it to coat twelve 5-inch tortillas.

Cut into Chips

Once the tortillas are coated in the oil, use a large knife or a pizza cutter and slice them into quarters or sixths. 

If you like large chips, you’ll want to make 4 chips out of 1 tortilla. If you prefer smaller chips, make 6 chips out of 1 tortilla.

Bake in Oven

Arrange the coated and cut tortillas in a single layer on a large baking sheet. It’s OK if some of them overlap a little bit, but use an extra baking sheet if you run out of room.

Bake the chips in a preheated 375°F oven. This is a hot enough oven temperature that the tortillas will crisp up nicely but low enough that the oil will not burn off.

The cooking time will vary depending on the type of baking sheet you use. For a lighter-colored sheet bake for 12-14 minutes, and 8-11 minutes if a darker-colored baking sheet is used. 

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: Cut the tortillas and mix up the oil, salt, and lime juice if using.
• To Store: Once your freshly baked tortilla chips have completely cooled, place them in a large 1-gallon sized ziplock bag. They will last for up to 3-4 days at room temperature.
• To Reheat: If the chips start to get a bit soft after storing, simply pop them into a 375°F oven for a few minutes to crisp them back up.

FAQs

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Brush the tortillas before cutting. It’s much easier to brush on the oil before cutting them into triangles.
• Add a squeeze of lime juice. A little bit goes a long way, but it does give a delightful and subtle flavor to the chips.
• Don’t overdo it on the oil. If you brush on too much, the chips will become soggy when baked.
• Know the difference. Lighter baking sheets take longer to crisp up the chips while darker pans cook up more quickly.
• Sprinkle on some salt. Do this just before serving! This added touch gives the chips a wonderful crunchy texture and an extra salty bite.

What to Serve with Tortilla Chips

Since tortilla chips are traditional in the Mexican cuisine, there are quite a few Mexican-inspired dips that are perfect to serve them with:

• Mexican Shrimp Ceviche
• Fresh Mango Avocado Salsa
• Homemade Guacamole
• Fresh Tomato Salsa
• Tomatillo Salsa Verde
• Roasted Tomato Salsa
• Fresh Mango Avocado Salsa
• Texas Caviar Dip
• Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

You can also crush up extra chips and add them to Migas Tacos, or make some Sheet Pan Nachos.