The 5-Minute Trick to a Better Bag of Tortilla Chips (2024)

FAQs

The 5-Minute Trick to a Better Bag of Tortilla Chips? ›

Pour out the bag of tortilla chips onto a baking sheet or two. Spritz with a little olive oil from an olive oil spritzer, then sprinkle with some chile-lime seasoning. Transfer to the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the chips to a basket and serve immediately.

Pour out the bag of tortilla chips onto a baking sheet or two. Spritz with a little olive oil from an olive oil spritzer, then sprinkle with some chile-lime seasoning. Transfer to the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the chips to a basket and serve immediately.

Take store-bought tortilla chips and toast them up in an oven for 350deg for a few minutes. Sprinkle some coarse sea-salt if you like. This should make your next chips with guac seem like actual restaurant style.

The microwave method is just as simple. Line a plate with a paper towel before setting the tortilla chips on top, then microwave on high for 15 seconds. Check the crispness and continue microwaving 10 seconds at a time until done. If you have the option, the air fryer is also a great idea.

Hit the chips with some spice

"Sprinkle the chips with a little chili powder before warming them. Then finish them with a squeeze of fresh lime just when you take them out," Rhoda recommends. With or without, you can't go wrong.

Add some water

Adding water to the tortillas before applying heat will help create a steaming effect, allowing them to soften fully while also getting desirable crispy brown spots. The easiest way to do this is by applying the tortilla while on a hot skillet with water.

Chef Santibañez also points out that restaurants have high-tech equipment and experienced staff that can crank out chips at a faster rate. Therefore, he asserts that restaurant chips are so delicious because the kitchen staff has "the possibility of frying them fresh for every shift."

Too much oil will make the chips soggy. Instead, brush the tortillas with a very thin layer. Bake in a single layer. A little overlapping is fine, but if the chips overlap too much, they won't crisp.

Chips and taco shells should always be stored in closed containers or packages; this ensures maximum freshness and shelf life. Both are fragile and nothing should be stacked or stored on top of boxes. Do not refrigerate or freeze. If chips or shells are left standing in open air they become tough and chewy.

Tortilla or nacho chip warmers are what most Mexican restaurants use to serve up chips that feel and taste as if they are freshly-baked and fresh out of the oven. A nacho chip warmer works to warm tortilla chips and then keeps them warm.

What makes chips more crispy? ›

The difference lies in their starch content and structure. Waxy potatoes are amazing for boiling as they keep their shape, but floury potatoes fry up crisper. Use a floury (also called mealy) potato such as Russet or Shepody for your chips and you'll have better success.

One of the best ways you can keep them fresh is by ensuring they're stored in a dry place — totally away from any moisture. From tortilla chips to potato chips and everything in between, you also want to make sure the bag they're contained in remains tightly sealed.

Sprinkle some onion and garlic powder on top and shake the bag for maximum coverage. Another option is to cover plain potato chips with fresh lemon juice, dried oregano, and garlic powder. Whichever flavor combo you try, your taste buds will be whisked away to the Mediterranean Sea as soon as you take the first bite.

Spread a layer of store-bought kettle cooked potato chips on a baking sheet and sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan cheese (Pecorino also works well). Grind some black pepper on top, then do another layer. Think of it like making nachos: you want every chip to get at least a little bit of action from the toppings.

Chef Santibañez also points out that restaurants have high-tech equipment and experienced staff that can crank out chips at a faster rate. Therefore, he asserts that restaurant chips are so delicious because the kitchen staff has "the possibility of frying them fresh for every shift."