Homemade Tortilla Strips
Skip the bland bagged tortilla strips. These homemade tortilla strips are fried at 350 degrees F for a deeply crisp texture, with simple oil-temperature and frying tips that help you get them golden instead of greasy.
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Homemade Tortilla Strips Are Worth The 10 Minutes
I originally started making these tortilla strips to go on my Southwest Chicken Salad. I could have bought a bag, but the store-bought ones always taste so bland to me. Plus, I only need a handful for a salad, not an entire bag destined to sit half-open in my cabinet until the rest go stale.
Making my own solves both problems. I can slice up one or two corn tortillas if that’s all I need, fry them until they’re deeply crisp, and salt them while they’re still hot. They’re fresh, crunchy and properly seasoned, which is really all I’m asking from a salad topping.
And yes, you can bake tortilla strips. I didn’t. If we’re going to the trouble of making crispy tortilla strips, let’s fry them. Culinary school taught me that temperature control is one of the biggest factors in successful frying, so we’re heating the oil to 350 degrees F and working in batches. That gives the tortillas a quick, crisp fry instead of letting them hang around soaking up lukewarm oil.
Why You Will Love These Crispy Tortilla Strips
- They’re truly crispy. Frying at 350 degrees F gives the tortillas the crunchy, restaurant-style texture I’m looking for, rather than simply drying them out in the oven.
- You can make exactly what you need. Use four tortillas as written, or fry just one or two when you need a handful of tortilla strips to sprinkle over Slow Cooker Taco Soup. No half-used bag slowly going stale in the cabinet.
- The seasoning happens at the right time. Salt goes on immediately after the strips come out of the oil, while there’s still enough surface oil for it to stick. It’s a small detail that makes these so much better than bland packaged strips.
Tortilla Strips Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- vegetable oil or canola oil – use a neutral-flavored oil with a high enough smoke point for frying. You’ll need about 1/2 inch in the skillet, so there’s no need to fill an entire pot with oil for this small batch. Olive oil doesn’t work here since the smoke point is usually too low for frying.
- corn tortillas – I use corn tortillas because I love their flavor and the crisp texture they develop when fried. Four tortillas make plenty of strips for topping salads or soup, but this recipe is very easy to scale down if you only need a handful.
- kosher salt – the difference between a great tortilla strip and one that tastes like packing material. Sprinkle the salt on as soon as the strips come out of the fryer so it sticks.
How To Make Tortilla Strips For Salad
- SLICE. Cut the tortillas in half lengthwise, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Keeping them roughly the same width helps them fry at the same rate.
- FRY. Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a high-sided skillet and heat it over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. An instant-read thermometer is the easiest and safest way to know when the oil is ready. Line a rimmed baking pan with paper towel while the oil heats. Working in batches, carefully add the tortilla strips to the hot oil and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and crisp. Don’t crowd the skillet, because adding too many strips at once can drop the oil temperature.
- SALT. Transfer the fried tortilla strips to the prepared pan and immediately sprinkle them with kosher salt while they’re still hot.
- REPEAT. Allow the oil to return to temperature if needed, then continue frying and salting until all of the tortilla strips are cooked.
Home Chef Tips For Tortilla Strips
- 350 degrees F is the sweet spot. Oil that’s too cool gives the tortillas more time to absorb fat before they crisp. Oil that’s too hot can brown the outside before the strips have fully crisped. If you have an instant-read thermometer, this is a very good time to use it.
- Don’t judge them by color alone. Watch the bubbling around the tortilla strips. As moisture cooks out of the tortillas, the vigorous bubbling will begin to settle down and the strips will become firmer and golden. That’s your cue that they’re getting crisp.
- Give the oil a minute between batches when necessary. Cold tortillas lower the oil temperature every time you add a batch. Letting it climb back toward 350 degrees F before adding more keeps the next batch from turning greasy.
- They’ll crisp a little more as they cool. Don’t wait for them to become dark brown in the skillet. Pull them when they’re golden and firm, then let them finish crisping as they cool.
Tortilla Strips Recipe Variations
- FLOUR TORTILLA STRIPS – You can use flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. They’ll have a lighter flavor and slightly different texture, but the same frying method works.
- CHILI-LIME TORTILLA STRIPS – Sprinkle the hot strips with kosher salt plus a little chili powder and finely grated lime zest for a punchier topping for salads and taco bowls. Or, use Tajin!
- SMOKY TORTILLA STRIPS – Add a small pinch of smoked paprika or chipotle powder along with the salt immediately after frying.
Make Ahead And Storage
- Make Ahead: These homemade tortilla strips can be fried a day or two before you need them. Let them cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. Trapping even a little residual steam in the container will work against all that crispiness you just created.
- Store: Keep completely cooled tortilla strips in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. There’s no need to refrigerate fried tortilla strips, and the refrigerator’s humidity can make them lose their crisp texture faster.
- Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing tortilla strips. Freezing and thawing introduces moisture, which is exactly what you don’t want when the entire point of this recipe is crunch.
FAQ
Yes. Flour tortillas can be cut and fried using the same method. Corn tortillas have a more pronounced corn flavor and are my preference for this recipe, while flour tortillas produce a lighter texture and milder flavor.
Let tortilla strips cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. Don’t cover them while they’re still warm because trapped steam creates moisture and softens the strips.
Greasy tortilla strips are usually a sign that the frying oil wasn’t hot enough. Aim for 350 degrees F and fry in small batches so the oil temperature doesn’t fall dramatically when the tortillas are added.
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Homemade Tortilla Strips
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Ingredients
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
- 4 corn tortillas
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Pour 1/2 inch oil in high-sided skillet and heat over medium-high heat. The oil is ready when it reaches 350 degrees F. An instant-read thermometer is the easiest and safest way to know when the oil is ready.
- Line rimmed baking pan with paper towel.
- Slice tortillas in half lengthwise, then slice them crosswise into 1/2″ strips.
- In batches, transfer tortilla strips to oil and fry 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to prepared pan and immediately sprinkle with salt.
- Continue process with remaining tortilla strips until all are fried.
