How To Make Tortilla Strips

These Homemade Tortilla Strips are so easy to make and so much cheaper than the ones you can buy at the store. With only three ingredients, you can make several batches at a time and store them for when you want to top your salad with an extra crunch, or toss them in wraps, on soups, or just to snack on when the munchies strike. And because they’re homemade, they taste much fresher than the ones you can get at the store. I promise, it’s worth making your own.

Crispy Strips in Three Ingredients

These crispy tortilla strips come together with just three simple ingredients. Here’s all you need:

Corn tortillas (I usually use yellow, but you can use white corn tortillas too) Oil for frying (I like a good vegetable oil or corn oil) Kosher salt (I prefer the larger, coarser salt crystals to regular table salt when making this recipe. You can use sea salt too)

Flavored Tortilla Strips

Want to add a little more flavor variation? Add some extra seasonings to get the flavor profile you are looking for! I love using the flavored chips in tortilla soup or Southwest-style salads. In addition to the salt, you can add any of these spices and ingredient. Just add a sprinkle of each ingredient to taste. The chips are already quite flavorful so you really just need to add a dusting.

Cheesy Doritos Style – Parmesan cheese + paprika + chili powder Cool Ranch Dorito Style – Hidden Valley ranch dressing powder + paprika Garlic and Lime – Garlic powder + Lime (we like to use a TrueLime lime juice powder) Fajita seasoning or taco seasoning Onion powder Tomato powder

Tips for Making Perfect Corn Strips

Using a pizza cutter, slice the corn tortillas into strips, usually about a quarter of an inch wide. I found if you stack two or three tortillas together, you can still cut them evenly and it cuts down on the process quite a bit. Make sure your vegetable oil is really hot before adding tortillas. Working in batches, fry the strips in the hot oil. Make sure to not overcrowd the pan. Once they’re crisp and golden, let the strips dry on a paper towel. Sprinkle each warm batch with kosher salt and let them cool. Store in an airtight container or bag for about a week. Any longer than that and they can taste stale. You can also freeze the tortilla strips; they’ll stay nice and fresh in the freezer for up to a month. Pull out a handful when you’re making a salad or a bowl of soup. Try cutting the tortillas into fourths (triangles) to make tortilla chips. You can also use flour tortillas instead of corn, the consistency just won’t be quite the same.

Baked Tortilla Strips

Love tortilla strips but want to skip the frying? You can easily bake these tortilla strips in the oven. Brush each tortilla with cooking oil and then cut tortillas as directed in the recipe. Place the strips in a single layer on a baking sheet limed with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake at 400-degrees F for 9-10 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on the chips so they don’t over bake (some ovens may run hot). Spray cooked strips with a little cooking oil and toss with salt. Read Next: All the Cafe Rio Recipes