Every time I make these homemade tortilla strips I have to stop myself from eating the whole batch! They're so crispy, fresh, and perfect on top of soups and salads. I always make them to eat with my chicken tortilla soup recipe, but they’re also great on taco salads or crunch them up and add them to your favorite chili recipe. And trust me, they taste a 1000x better than any store-bought tortilla strips!
How To Make Crispy Tortilla Strips
Just 3 simple ingredients and 10 minutes is all you need to make homemade tortilla strips! Here’s a quick step-by-step overview:
Step One: Grab a bag of yellow corn tortillas. I like to use 5-6 tortillas at a time and save the rest for later.
Step Two: Cut the tortillas into strips roughly ½ inch thick and 2-inch long pieces.
Step Three: Heat the cooking oil in a small frying pan and add the tortilla strips a few at a time in a single layer. Fry the strips for roughly 60-90 seconds until they are golden brown and crispy!
Step Four: Quickly remove the strips with a slotted spoon or tongs and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Season with salt immediately after each batch while they are hot.
Cooking Tip!
Keep an eye on the heat! The first batch may take closer to 2 minutes to get crispy, but each batch after that will cook pretty fast as the oil will be hotter. Keep an eye on the strips and lower the heat if needed.
These also taste great added on top of a big bowl of homemade chili or your favorite taco salad. Enjoy!
Homemade Tortilla Strips
Ingredients
- 6 yellow corn tortillas*
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Stack 2 corn tortillas on a cutting board and cut them into strips roughly ½ inch thick and 2-inch long pieces.
- Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the tortilla strips in batches a few at a time. Make sure they are in a single layer so they cook evenly without crowding the pan.
- Fry each batch of strips until they are crispy and golden brown. The first batch may take roughly 2 minutes to get crispy, but each batch after that will only take roughly 45-60 seconds to cook.
- Once the strips are crispy, quickly remove them with a slotted spoon or tongs, and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate. Immediately sprinkle salt over each batch of strips while they are hot.
- When you are down to your last batch, you may need to lower the heat a bit as the oil will be really hot at this point. Enjoy these tortilla strips with your favorite recipe.
Notes
- You can fry more or less tortillas depending on how many servings you need at the time.
- I prefer using corn tortillas for this recipe because I like the taste better, but you can certainly use flour tortillas instead.
Laurie says
This was a great recipe with very clear instructions. The fried tortillas really made the tortilla soup!