Buzz
I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t enjoy fresh tortilla chips, and if such a person does exist, I’d rather not cross paths with them. Yet, oddly enough, it never crosses my mind to make them at home, even though they’re among the easiest and least messy foods to fry in your own kitchen. However, creating them requires a two-step approach. For the crispiest chips, it’s essential to dry them first, and then fry.
Since I have a tendency to overbuy tortillas, I often end up freezing, or at least refrigerating, a portion of what I purchase. They technically stay “good” for a long time, but their texture deteriorates, which makes them less suitable for tacos. While heating them in a skillet helps, I prefer to turn my aging tortillas into fresh, crunchy, salty chips instead.
Just like with potato chips and french fries, removing some moisture makes a big difference. Our chips only spend a couple of minutes in the hot oil, so there’s not enough time for moisture to seep to the surface. A quick bake in the oven eliminates excess moisture, ensuring your chips fry up crispy rather than chewy. For the richest corn flavor, use a neutral oil. While vegetable oil works, I favor light and airy white lard for the best results.
To create your own restaurant-style tortilla chips from slightly stale tortillas, here’s what you’ll need:
As many tortillas as you’d like, keeping in mind that each tortilla will yield four chips
Enough oil to fill a wide frying pan about 3/4 of an inch deep
Fine salt, preferably ground in a food processor
Set your oven to 200℉ and arrange the tortillas on a baking sheet. Bake for around 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until they feel dry but still flexible. Continue the process until you’ve dried as many tortillas as you desire.
Cut the tortillas into triangle shapes, then heat the oil or lard in a large (not nonstick) frying pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 355℉. Add about six chips at a time, frying them for a couple of minutes until they turn light golden brown with a hint more color on the edges, and feel crisp when you lift them with tongs.
Use tongs to remove the chips, allowing any excess fat to drain off, then place them on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, and continue the process with the rest of the tortilla pieces until you have a large pile of crispy, flavorful chips, ready to serve with bowls of salsa.
