Homemade Corn Chips Recipe

Homemade corn chips are a perfectly healthy way to enjoy chips and dip on a healthy eating plan!

My Mom taught me this pretty early on. She loved to throw parties, especially for family. Birthdays were always a big “to-do” around our house, especially since my birthday is in July when the weather is nice, and the parties can last into the wee hours of the night.

An up close overhead view of a wood bowl filled with Homemade Corn Chips.

But whether she was entertaining 100 people or making hors d’oeuvres for 1, she always had a way of preparing only the best for her guests. Natural, organic foods that didn’t sit in your stomach like a ton of bricks by the end of the night. And these chips and some guacamole were usually on the list.

These are, hands down, the best corn chips you can eat. They taste remarkably fresh and are amazingly crisp and light.

How To Use Homemade Corn Chips

There are endless ways to enjoy a good, homemade corn chip. Here are just a few ideas:

  • With salsa, guacamole, or any other dip you like.
  • Melt cheese over the top for nachos.
  • Crumble them into salads and soups.
  • With beans
  • Dip them in ranch dressing

FAQs

What Tortillas To Use For Making Corn Chips

A stack of corn tortillas laying on a cutting board.

Look for the most natural tortillas you can find. Something that is only made of corn and maybe some lime and salt. If you can, purchase organic corn tortillas to avoid GMO corn. I have found that the best place to find these kinds of tortillas is at a health food store.

Are Corn Chips Baked Or Deep Fried?

A up close view of a wooden bowl filled with Homemade Corn Chips

Most of the corn chips you get at the store or in restaurants are deep-fried. Unless the package specifically says that the chips are baked, you’ll need to make them at home to get the baked version.

Is There A Difference Between Corn Chips And Tortilla Chips?

An overhead view of a wood bowl filled with Homemade Corn Chips.

Yes. Corn chips are tortilla chips, but tortilla chips aren’t necessarily only corn chips. Tortillas are made from either corn or flour (or a mix of the two). So tortilla chips could be made from either corn or flour tortillas, while corn chips are simply a type of tortilla chip.

Are Corn Chips Healthy Or Unhealthy?

Homemade Corn Chips scattered on a cutting board with lemon wedges and chopped greens.

That depends on two things.

  1. What your approach to food is. (Your diet)
  2. Whether they are baked or deep fried.

Deep frying packs in a lot of oil, which is typically an unhealthy type of oil. Store-bought baked chips aren’t necessarily any better, though. Making them at home with all-natural tortillas is really the only way to get healthy corn chips.

Are Corn Or Flour Tortillas Better For Making Chips?

A wood bowl filled with Homemade Corn Chips with a few chips and lemon wedges scattered around the base.

You can make chips from either one, and both are tasty. Corn chips are typically best for Latin foods, while flour tortilla chips are usually great with other types of dip, such as hummus or fruit salsa. That being said, there is a lot of crossover. Both types of chips go with many different types of dip.

Are Chips And Guac Healthy?

Yes and no. The real answer is, that they CAN be. But they aren’t always. It depends on what you put in your guac (although I’ve never seen an unhealthy guac recipe) and the chips you use. Read ingredients. That’s the key to making sure you are eating healthy.

Homemade Corn Chips scattered on a cutting board with lemon wedges and chopped greens.

Consider Your Oils

While it’s tempting to use a light oil like canola oil, vegetable oil, or even peanut oil to make these, consider the oil and its effect on your health. While no oil is perfect, some are better suited for this type of recipe. Some of those are:

  • Grapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Avocado oil

Avoid olive oil which has a very low smoke point.

Recipe Variations

If you wish, you can sprinkle lemon or lime juice on the chips before baking. You can also do this with garlic powder or pretty much any type of spice, such as cumin or chili powder. A few other ideas are taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, or even Cajun seasoning.

Healthy Chips For Guacamole

If you want a variety of healthy chips for guacamole, also try some:

About The Ingredients

Corn tortillas – Look for tortillas with very basic ingredients and no preservatives. Opt for organic to avoid GMO corn.

Salt – I used pink Himalayan salt, but you can use whatever salt you normally use on your food. Sea salt is always a good choice.

Oil – Any type you like. It’s easiest to use it in an oil sprayer.

Lemon – For garnish at serving. Simply squeeze some fresh juice over the chips right before you eat them.

How To Make Homemade Corn Chips From Tortillas

A stack of corn tortillas laying on a cutting board.

Preheat oven to 450℉. and place your stack of corn tortillas on a cutting board.

A stack of corn tortillas cut in half.
A stack of corn tortillas cut into quarters.

Cut the stack into quarters.

Spraying a sheet pan with oil.

Cover a baking sheet with a light spray of oil. Use either a couple of smaller pans or one large baking sheet. You can work in batches if you need to.

Quartered corn tortillas laying on a sheet pan.

Lay out your tortilla pieces in a single layer so that none of them cover each other.

Spraying the unbaked corn chips with an oil sprayer.

Spray your tortilla pieces with a light spray of oil.

Sprinkling the oiled corn chips with salt.

Sprinkle with salt.

A wooden bowl holds a bowl full of homemade corn chips.

Bake in the oven until crispy (About 10 minutes, depending on your oven). Remove the baked tortilla chips from the hot pan. Use tongs, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to remove any leftover excess oil. Cool and serve.

Storage

Transfer these homemade tortilla chips to a food-safe plastic, zipper-top bag or a food storage container. Keep these in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days.

A wood bowl filled with Homemade Corn Chips with a few chips and lemon wedges scattered around the base.

Recipe Supplies

You’ll need a sharp knife, a cutting board, and some sheet pans. An oil sprayer is also a great tool to have for this recipe.

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Healthy Dip Recipes

Homemade Corn Chips Recipe

Copyright Information For The Gracious Pantry
Homemade Corn Chips scattered on a cutting board with lemon wedges and chopped greens.

Homemade Corn Chips

Delicious homemade chips without any added junk you don't want to eat!
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Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 130kcal

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. corn tortillas
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. oil (Any type you like. It's easiest to use it in an oil sprayer)
  • 1 medium lemon (For garnish at serving)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450℉. and place your stack of corn tortillas on a cutting board.
    A stack of corn tortillas laying on a cutting board.
  • Cut the stack into quarters.
    A stack of corn tortillas cut into quarters.
  • Cover a cookie sheet with a light spray of oil.
    Spraying a sheet pan with oil.
  • Lay out your tortilla pieces so that none of them cover each other.
    Quartered corn tortillas laying on a sheet pan.
  • Spray your tortilla pieces with a light spray of oil.
    Spraying the unbaked corn chips with an oil sprayer.
  • Sprinkle with salt.
    Sprinkling the oiled corn chips with salt.
  • Bake in the oven until crispy (About 10 minutes, depending on your oven). Remove the baked tortilla chips from the hot pan. Use tongs, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to remove any leftover, excess oil. Cool and serve.
    A wooden bowl holds a bowl full of homemade corn chips.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted on 10/31/09.

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33 Comments

  1. Ooooo! I’m thinkin’ a little cumin or chili powder with lime! Yum!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Roxanne – Sounds wonderful! Enjoy!

  2. Mmmm this sounds wonderful!!!!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Kat – Yep! It is!

  3. When you are looking in the store for things like corn tortillas, or whole wheat flour tortillas for wraps and such, how do you qualify it as clean? Only a certain # of ingredients?, the fact that you can pronounce all of the ingredients and know what they are?, or a combination of both? Thanks!! I LOVE your site!!!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Amy – The second thing you mentioned there does the trick every time. Look at each ingredient. If you would not buy it individually to cook with in your own kitchen, it’s most likely not clean. 🙂

  4. Kristin Klein says:

    Hi Tiffany, I have a question for you regarding whole wheat flour vs. wheat berries. At Whole Foods, I found flourless, sprouted grain tortillas made with wheat berries. I have been using these in place of bread for sandwiches and I even use them in place of tortilla chips. I was wondering if this would be considered better than eating whole grain or whole wheat bread since it does not have any flour in it. Thank you in advance for your comments! 😀

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Kristin – I don’t find any issues with flour unless you have an allergy of some sort. But think of the wheat berries as added variety. They are a great addition!

  5. Anonymous says:

    Malea – Very true! I don’t know why I’ve never done that. I’ll have to make it a point to try it next time. Thanks for the reminder!

  6. Khutchinson says:

    We ate at a Mexican restaurant tonight and their guacamole was dreadful! I could do better myself, and I do!! All I do is combined chopped avocado, chopped tomato, minced red onion, and it is delicious!! I may also squeeze in some lime juice to keep the guac from going brown so quickly, but usually, just a sprinkle of sea salt and we’re good. Yum!!

    1. Anonymous says:

      Khutchinson – That sounds wonderful! I recently tried mixing a small jar of salsa in with my avocados and just about died and went to heaven! Guac is such FABULOUS stuff!

  7. Anonymous says:

    Kristi – My best advice is to just start reading ingredients on every package you find. Products vary from region to region, so it’s hard to say. Wish I could be more help!

  8. Anonymous says:

    Kristen – Just read the ingredient list. If there’s anything unrecognizable or unpronounceable, it’s probably not clean. That said, Whole Foods does have several clean selections. Just watch the fat. Healthy fats in moderation are a consideration in clean eating.

  9. Attertonle says:

    OMG!! I just made the guac to go with our dinner (didn’t have the ingredients to make the chips). This was the best tasting guac I have had in a long time. It’s SOOOO good! It’s addisctive! LOL And so easy to make. Thans again! This website has become my new best friend when it comes to cooking healthy for my family!

    1. graciouspantry says:

      Attertonle – Wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!

  10. graciouspantry says:

    My pleasure! So glad you enjoyed it!

  11. Lise Williams says:

    Best Guacamole ever. Thanks 

  12. What kind of olive oil spray do you use?

    1. graciouspantry says:

      I have a Misto oil sprayer that I fill with olive oil

  13. I am new at this and trying check labels.
    Mission Tortilla Strips have the following ingredients:
    ground corn treated with lime,
    water,
    vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: cottonseed oil, corn oil, palm oil),
    salt.

    Not many ingredients, but would these be considered “clean”?
    Thanks! Love all the info!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Not really. They are very processed. Plus, most of those ingredients are most likely GMO’s. Not sure where you stand on the issue, but I do my best to avoid them. Either way, I don’t recommend them.

  14. Hello!

    I am posting this recipe on my blog because I am absolutely in love this recipe! I love guac and chips and think that it’s great that you have a clean recipe that is even more delicious than their processed counterparts!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Shanice – Thanks! I only ask that you do not post the actual recipe. Just an intro and a link to my blog. Thanks again! Glad you enjoyed it!

  15. I never knew this was so easy to make…. my daughter loves guacamole dip !!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Rose – Yes, VERY easy to make! I never, ever buy it. The stuff from the store just doesn’t measure up.

  16. Great Receipe! What is the calorie content?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Sophie – I don’t have it for this recipe, but you can enter the recipe into any recipe calculator online.

  17. I made this today, not only was it so easy to make but it is delicious! It taste so much better than that kind you get in the store full of stuff you can’t even pronounce. I will never buy it again. Thank you so much for the recipe oh and I would change a thing or add a thing its perfect.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Tonya – Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

  18. I am surprised that people actually buy packaged guacamole – I don’t even want to imagine what it might taste like.

    Almost as simple as making your own guac is making your own corn tortillas. Just buy a bag of maseca, less than $5 for a 4lb bag. The instructions are on the bag and all you add is water and the dough is simple to roll out into tortillas that you quickly cook in a frying pan and then brown just before using. Another thing that once you taste you will never eat packaged again.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Terri – True. But I think the big issue with corn these days is finding organic corn to avoid GMO’s. And even with that, it’s questionable. But you’re right, homemade is best!

  19. Gotta have cilantro in the guac!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Heidi – I’ve never done it that way, but it sounds wonderful!