Easy Baked Tortilla Chips Dusted with Spicy Chipotle Salt
This is like cheating, it’s so easy. In fact, it kind of IS cheating, since I didn’t make the tortillas from scratch.
No matter.
This is a fast and simple way to make delicious, spicy tortilla chips.
Just take fresh corn tortillas, brush them with oil, whack them into wedges, and bake until crunchy.
That’s it. Really.
I dusted mine with a little homemade chipotle salt. (Spicy. Hot. Smokey. Yum!)
They’re baked, not fried, so they’re a little better for you, as far as snacks go.
One of these days, I’ll make my own dough from masa harina (corn flour treated with calcium hydroxide, a.k.a. lime) and bust out some authentic, totally homemade tortilla chips.
Until then, this is a perfectly acceptable, easy, and fast substitute for the real deal.
Baking is for the birds. How do I make fried chips?
Oh, sure!
If you’d rather fry your chips, cut up the tortillas as instructed below. Fry them in batches in 360-degree vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a rack.
Sprinkle with salt when they’re hot out of the oil.
How about some dip with those chips?
Coming right up! Serve them with salsa or homemade guacamole, which you can throw together while the chips are in the oven.
Easy Baked Tortilla Chips Dusted with Spicy Chipotle Salt
Chips
12 fresh corn tortillas
vegetable oil
Chipotle Salt
1 tsp. ground chipotle
2 tsp. kosher salt
Serves 2-3
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Spray the tortillas with oil
Start with good corn tortillas. You’ll usually find them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. If you can get them at a local Spanish market, even better. Check the date to be sure they’re fresh.
Traditional corn tortillas are smaller than the flour tortillas usually used for burritos.
Lightly spray each whole tortilla on one side with cooking oil. (Or brush it on.) Stack the tortillas up.
Cut the tortillas into wedges
Whack the stack into four pieces.
And then in four again.
You want to wind up with 8 wedges.
Bake the tortilla chips
Spread the chips out on two ungreased, unlined baking pans. Arrange them so they don’t overlap (if they overlap, they won’t get as crunchy).
Pop the pans into your preheated 400-degree oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until light brown and crisp.
Make the chipotle salt
Put the kosher salt and ground chipotle in a small bowl. Mix together with a fork until uniform. Set it aside until your chips are done.
Season the tortilla chips
When your chips are done, they should be light brown and slightly curled on the edges. They should also be nice and crunchy.
How can you tell? Test a few. If they’re still a little on the chewy side, toss them back in the oven for a few more minutes, then check them again.
When they’re done to your liking, sprinkle the hot chips with chipotle salt. Toss gently to coat. Serve warm!
They’ll keep well for a day or two. Just seal ‘em up in a zip-top bag. Warm them up for a few minutes before serving in a 200-degree oven.
Enjoy!
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18 Comments
I have to admit that I really only like tortilla chips because they’re a convenient way to get salsa or guacamole from bowl to mouth. Love the sound of these. *hugs*
Oh, well that’s absolutely what they’re for, right?
xo
+Jessie
I love baked chips! I am one of THOSE people, for sure, but it is all about texture and nothing about health. I have to make these.
Hehe, thanks! I like ‘em both ways. The main thing is that they have to be fresh. And they have to be crunchy…
Cheers!
+Jessie
Snacking is one of the great joys in life, so these totally rock. I like to do something similar with pita bread and ras-el-hanout. Mmmmm. Hummous.
“Snacking is one of the great joys in life.”
One of my new favorite quotes.
+Jessie
I love tortilla chips! we’re always snacking on them here. I gotta try that spicy chipotle salt yummmy
Let me know how you like it! We’re big tortilla chip fans, too!
+Jessie
Jessie,
I loved this post! I just made homemade tortillas (flour) last week and experimenting with different salts as well…Also, had a look around your blog. Really fantastic! We’re former Bay Staters and your seafood section has me really missing home
I like baked homemade tortilla chips better than store bought and that way I don’t eat them for no reason other than that there is a bag in the pantry.
My husband is a tortilla chip addict. I mean, really. He has a problem.
The best part about baked tortilla chips, is you can enjoy your relatively healthy Chicken tortilla soup without all the fried calories! Great stuff, Jessie!
Great recipe Mouse! Corn torftillas are easy, though. Definitely try ‘em sometime.
wow that’s simple! Looks great!
I’ve done this before – they are so great, right? YUM!
Jessie -
When you put them on the baking sheet, do you place the side you sprayed up or down? It looks like down in your pictures but I can’t tell for sure.
Thanks!
~Annie
Hey Annie,
Thanks for stopping by! I actually don’t think that it matters much which side goes up. Because you stack the tortillas up, the bottoms should pick up some oil from the tops. So each side should wind up with a little oil.
Let me know how you like them!
+Jessie
I do not know why I haven’t tried this sooner! They look delish along with the peach salsa. I am going to try this weekend!!
Now if I could just convince you to make a REALLY GOOD lime salt lol
Thanks for the easy chips!!!