We don’t eat a ton of chips in our house (unless it’s kale chips.) But sometimes taco night calls for some homemade tortilla chips. Here’s how to easily make your own tortilla chips that are naturally gluten-free and healthier.
Fried vs. Baked Tortilla Chips
I’ve included directions for how to make yummy homemade chips 3 different ways. You can use the oven for a baked version, fry them on the stovetop, or use the air fryer. Of course, the baked and air-fried versions won’t have as much fat in them, but I don’t worry about that too much as long as it’s a healthy fat.
A lot of recipes call for vegetable oils like canola oil, but here we’re using tallow or coconut oil. They aren’t high in inflammatory Omega-6s like canola, corn, or soy oil. And while I love olive oil in my salad dressing, I don’t like cooking with it. Because olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat it’s more easily oxidized at high temperatures.
Gluten-Free Tortilla Chips
Most tortilla chips are made with corn instead of flour tortillas, so they’re naturally gluten-free. Our family avoids a lot of grains, but sometimes I like a good chip. It’s no secret I love Mexican food, and tortilla chips come with the territory.
Ever since I’ve gotten my auto-immune disease into remission, my body can handle some grains now and then.
Easy Recipes to Serve With Homemade Chips
Tortilla chips are only as good as what you serve them with though. They’re great as an appetizer, snack, or side dish. I usually use cassava flour chips in my BBQ chicken nachos, but homemade tortilla chips would also work. Here are a few more serving and dipping ideas.
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Roasted red pepper hummus
- Smoked salmon dip
- Radish cream cheese dip
- French onion dip
- Fermented Salsa
- Roasted salsa verde
Homemade Tortilla Chips Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 24 corn tortillas
- ¼ tsp salt
Oil for cooking, (I prefer tallow or coconut oil)
- 2 TBSP coconut oil (for air frying or baking)
- 2 cups tallow (or coconut oil, for deep frying)
Instructions
- Place the tortillas in a stack and use a sharp knife to cut the whole stack into quarters to make tortilla triangles.
Deep Frying Instructions
- Line a bowl with paper towels.
- To deep fry, add 1-2 cups tallow or cooking oil to a large skillet.
- Heat over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches about 350°F. You don’t have to use a thermometer. You can test the temperature by dropping a little piece of tortilla into the oil. If it immediately starts bubbling and floating the oil is hot enough.
- Drop the tortilla pieces into the hot oil one at a time until there is a single layer cooking.
- Cook 2-3 minutes until the tortillas just start to turn golden brown around the edges and the bubbling slows.
- Use tongs to flip them and cook 1 minute more.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the finished fried tortilla chips into the prepared bowl and sprinkle with salt.
- Repeat frying and flipping until all the tortillas are used.
- Serve and enjoy.
Air Frying and Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven or air fryer to 350°F.
- Spread the tortilla pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a fryer basket (working in batches if necessary).
- Brush with coconut oil or spritz with coconut oil cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake/air fry until lightly browned and crispy. About 5-7 minutes for the air fryer and 10-15 minutes for the oven.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
What do you like to serve with your tortilla chips? Leave a comment and let me know!
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