I love living in the Southwest with all the fantastic flavors - the sweet heat of peppers and the sunny zest of freshly squeezed lime make my heart (and my tastebuds!) jump with joy. Today I’m going to sing some praises of the humble tortilla, a side that provides a crunchy base for the spices of Southwestern Tex Mex cuisine, and show you how to make your own tortilla chips fresh from your kitchen.
A Little Tortilla Chip History
The tortilla chip as we know it didn’t start in a Mexican kitchen but a tortilla factory in Los Angeles. Rebecca Webb Carranza, a savvy businesswoman who owned a corn and flour tortilla factory in southwest Los Angeles with her husband, decided to fry up the discarded triangles from their automated machine and sell them for 10 cents apiece in their factory.
Inspired by similar traditional Mexican dishes made from fried corn or flour tortillas, Rebecca’s fresh, bite-sized chips were a huge hit, inspiring a revolution in Mexican food in the United States. Can you imagine life without a big basket of tortilla chips and salsa before your meal at your local Tex Mex restaurant? Me neither, and we have Mrs. Carranza to thank!
How To Make Your Own Tortilla Chips at Home
Tortilla chips are so simple to make in your own home that once you try them, you may never go back to regular bagged tortilla chips again! To start, you’ll need the following ingredients:
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A package of flour or corn tortillas
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Coarse sea salt
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A lime
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Vegetable oil
You’ll also need a pizza cutter or sharp knife to create those triangle shapes we love so much, a heat-resistant slotted spoon, and a large frying pan or deep fryer.
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Heat your vegetable oil in the deep fryer or frying pan until it reaches 350 degrees F, or about 5-10 minutes. Make sure there’s enough oil in the pan to cover the tortilla pieces
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While your oil is heating, stack 4 or 5 tortillas, and using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the round tortilla into eight even sections.
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Using the slotted spoon or deep fryer basket, gently add the tortilla sections to the hot oil. Be careful not to overcrowd your pan - stick to a single layer at a time.
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Fry our tortilla sections in the frying pan for 1 to 2 minutes, turning them occasionally until they are crisp and golden-brown.
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Remove the tortillas from the hot oil and place them on a paper towel-covered plate. Sprinkle sea salt and freshly squeezed lime while they’re still hot.
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Serve with your favorite salsa
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When you make your own tortilla chips at home, you’ll bring the flavors of your favorite Tex Mex restaurant to the comfort of your dining room.
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