Originally published on June 26, 2014
You might think that making tortilla chips is pretty straightforward; I know I did. Slather them with some oil, cut them into triangles, and then throw them into a hot oven. Right? Right? Someone tell me I’m right. Actually, I wasn’t right. And the first time I tried to make tortilla chips this way, I was disappointed when I pulled them out of the oven and found hard little bits of I-don’t-even-know-what. Instead, take the time to prep them a little bit, let them take a swim in lots of oil, and there will be no disappointment on your menu.
Ingredients:
1 pack of flour tortillas, or 12 homemade tortillas
3 or 4 cups of vegetable oil (or canola, or peanut), plus more for brushing
Salt
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. When warm, add tortillas directly on the rack and leave in for about 10 minutes. The intention here is not to cook them, only to dry them out.
2.) In a large Dutch oven on the stove, warm 3 or 4 cups of vegetable oil on the stove to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While oil is heating, cut the dried-out tortillas into triangles. The easiest way is to pile all the tortillas on top of each other and then slicing them in half. Place one of the piles on top of another, and then cut all of the tortillas in half again. If needed, make several piles (because they might be getting too tall to cut all at once,) and cut each pile in half.
3.) When oil on the stove is hot, add tortilla triangles in batches into the oil. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the tortillas are slightly puffed and golden brown and then add another batch. Remove from oil, drain on paper towel, and season with salt immediately.
4.) When all tortilla chips are finished cooking, serve with pico de gallo, guacamole, or your favourite dip, and enjoy!