Ingredients (~40 chips)

Cut the Tortillas into Quarters

Stack the tortillas and use a sharp knife to cut them into quarters.

You’ll end up with 40 triangular pieces total.

Using a knife is better than kitchen shears here – you get cleaner, more uniform cuts that fry evenly.

Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan until it’s about 1/2 inch deep.

Turn the heat to medium-high and let it come up to 350F; then turn it down to medium-low to maintain that temp.

If you don’t have a thermometer, drop in a small piece of tortilla – it should sizzle immediately and start browning within ~20 seconds.

Fry about 8-10 chips at a time so they don’t overlap.

Each batch takes ~50 seconds or until they’re lightly browned and crispy.

Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to scoop them out and let them drain on paper towel-lined cookie sheets.

The oil temperature will drop when you add the chips, so give it ~30 seconds between batches to come back up to temp.

Immediately sprinkle the hot chips with the kosher salt – the heat helps it stick better.

Then drizzle or spray with the fresh lime juice while they’re still warm.

You can also toss everything together in a mixing bowl like Chipotle does, but seasoning them on the sheet pan works fine too.

Taste and add more salt or lime juice as needed.

Serve immediately with salsa, guac, or queso – they lose their crunch pretty quickly once they cool down.

These taste way better than the bagged stuff and cost about half as much. The lime juice is what makes them taste like Chipotle’s – don’t skip it.

Use a thermometer or test oil temperature with a tortilla piece. Chips lose crispness quickly when cool.