Baked Tortilla Chips

Here's the easiest way to make a crispy batch of Baked Tortilla Chips.

They are lightning quick to whip up and they come with all sorts of leeway for seasoning.  I'll put an option for some Pepita seasoning down below, but even if you serve these up with a simple sprinkling of salt there's a good chance you'll prefer them over store-bought chips.

Baked Tortilla Chips Recipe

If you've got some old, lonely tortillas sitting in the back of your fridge then you're in luck!   Older tortillas will crisp up more readily than newer ones.

If you're using newer tortillas then let them sit on the counter for a bit before putting them in the oven; the less moisture there is in the tortilla, the more likely it is to crisp up.

Five tortillas are enough to fill a single baking sheet, and that'll be enough for 2-3 people.  They taste best right out of the oven, so I usually make them to order and plop 'em on the table when dinner is served.

If you have standard sized tortillas, cutting them into sixths will give you perfectly sized chips.

Cover a baking sheet with a thin layer of oil and add the chips.  Forming a single layer will allow them to cook evenly.

Add a layer of oil to the tops of the tortilla chips.  I think it's easiest to use an olive oil sprayer, but you could also use a pastry brush (or even your fingers).

Give 'em a sprinkling of salt and plop 'em in a pre-heated 350F oven.  They'll need about 10-15 minutes to cook.

I think it's best to take them out when the edges are starting to brown and the center is still slightly chewy.  If you try to get the center ultra-crispy (by letting them cook longer) they become brittle and the corners will turn into lethal weapons.

This batch was in for 13 minutes.

Sprinkle with salt and they are ready to eat!

You can serve them up with homemade salsa if you want (with a special nod to Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa and Salsa Verde) or you can give them a light dusting of seasoning and eat them as is.

Since you've got pepitas left over from your recent Green Mole sauce (right?!!), then you could easily use those to put together a quick batch of seasoning.

Here's what we're using for this batch:

That's the same New Mexican chili powder from our Chili Powder post.

To start, roast 1/4 cup of pumpkinseeds in a dry skillet over medium heat.  When they start to pop and turn golden brown they are roasted enough (4-6 minutes).

Add them to a blender or food processor and grind them down to a fine consistency.  Then combine them with the other ingredients in a mixing bowl.

It'll taste sharp and salty, but it needs to be in order to influence the flavor of the warm tortilla chips.  It only takes a small amount of this seasoning to give the chips a boost in flavor.

Sprinkle the seasoning liberally over the chips and serve 'em up!

Yum!

Keep in mind that the seasoning mixture is flexible -- feel free to alter it to your liking.

But even if you just season these chips with salt I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.  When they are just out of the oven they will easily rival a batch of fried chips -- but no deep fryer required!

Buen Provecho.