Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips Recipe - Evolving Table (2024)

FAQs

Why are restaurant tortilla chips so much better? ›

Chef Santibañez also points out that restaurants have high-tech equipment and experienced staff that can crank out chips at a faster rate. Therefore, he asserts that restaurant chips are so delicious because the kitchen staff has "the possibility of frying them fresh for every shift."

Restaurant-style tortilla chips are usually produced from fine masa that is laminated into thinner chips. The raw tortilla pieces are usually cooled and are allowed to retrogradate for longer periods of time before frying.

If the tortilla starts to puff up slightly when flipped, you've done well! If the dough doesn't puff at all, it may be too dry. This will result in slightly tough tortillas, but they're still perfectly edible and good for homemade tortilla chips.

Frito-Lay's line of BAKED snacks are baked, not fried, to give you the great taste you've come to love with Frito-Lay snacks.

The oven is your friend

Just spread store-bought tortilla chips on a sheet pan and bake them at 350°F until they're warm, about 5 minutes. "They also begin to get a little toasty on the edges, which I love. And the heat helps bring life back into chips that are just beginning to go stale," Rhoda says.

Healthier than store-bought chips.

There is nothing wrong with eating store-bought tortilla chips in moderation, but they are usually packed with a lot of oil and salt. The benefit of home cooking is that you control all the ingredients. These homemade chips are a lot lighter and a totally feel-good snack!

Tortilla chips are usually fried in a continuous or batch fryer at about 175°C–185°C for 50–120 seconds; the time and temperature of frying depend on the moisture content of the sample undergoing frying. The fried tortilla chips have a fat content of about 24% and a moisture content of less than 2%.

The Best Thick Tortilla Chips: Santitas

A much hardier chip than Late July, Santitas is thicker and has a grainier texture. They also have a stronger corn flavor and less of an oily finish.

Even if they buy the tortillas, rather than make them, they are still made from flavorful corn masa. The tortillas chips you buy in the store are not made from tortillas. They are made from a corn meal concoction full of salt and seasonings that is fried.

Why are my baked tortilla chips chewy? If you want to ensure your chips won't be soggy or chewy, they must be laid out in a single layer in the oven to prevent steaming. Otherwise, they will not crisp up.

How to make tortilla chips more flavorful? ›

Pour out the bag of tortilla chips onto a baking sheet or two. Spritz with a little olive oil from an olive oil spritzer, then sprinkle with some chile-lime seasoning. Transfer to the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the chips to a basket and serve immediately.

Don't skip the soaking step!

It's imperative you soak your potatoes for at least 30mins. This helps remove most of the starch in the potato, resulting in a crispier finish. It also means that some of the natural sugars are removed, meaning that the outside won't burn before the middle is cooked.

Chef Santibañez also points out that restaurants have high-tech equipment and experienced staff that can crank out chips at a faster rate. Therefore, he asserts that restaurant chips are so delicious because the kitchen staff has "the possibility of frying them fresh for every shift."

TOSTITOS^® Cantina Traditional Tortilla Chips look and taste like authentic restaurant style chips. They're thick, delicious and begging to be dipped. Tell your waiter, er, party host to keep them coming.

While corn chips and tortilla chips are both made from corn, the corn in tortilla chips is subjected to the nixtamalization process, resulting in a milder flavor and aroma, and a less rigid texture. Tortilla chips also tend to be larger, thinner, less fatty, and less salty than corn chips.

Key Takeaway: Tortilla chips are fried, but they can still be part of a healthy diet. If you watch out for potentially high sodium and fat content, you can enjoy some of the benefits of the whole grain corn in tortilla chips.

Tortilla chips are generally manufactured from coarsely ground masa from either fresh masa or dry flour that is sheeted, formed, and cut in preparation for the subsequent steps of baking, equilibrating, frying, and salting/seasoning.

I've found restaurant style to be less salty and slightly thicker than cantina, best with salsa or in nachos. Whereas cantina is thinner, crunchier, and salty, best for snacking.

Tortilla chips are most often made from 100% ground corn, which is naturally gluten-free. They may be made from white, yellow, or blue varieties of corn. Nonetheless, some brands may contain a mix of both corn and wheat flour, meaning they are not gluten-free.