These baked tortilla strips only require three ingredients and make a perfectly crunchy soup or salad topper in just 15 minutes.
I am a sucker for corn. Why? IT’S CAWN!!! Extra points if you get that reference… From popcorn to cornbread to elote, there’s so many ways to eat it, but there’s nothing quite like a crunchy baked or fried corn snack like crunchy tortillas. These baked tortilla strips are delicious eaten by themselves, but they’re especially perfect as toppings on salads and soups like this Easy Black Bean Chili.
Ingredients
All you need are three ingredients!
- Corn tortillas – I love yellow corn tortillas for these because of their flavor and texture. Recently, I’ve been really into Mission brand’s yellow corn “Street Tacos” tortillas
- Oil – I use olive oil or canola oil, but feel free to use any higher-smoke point, flavorless oil, like vegetable or soybean oil
- Salt – I use fine sea salt, but flaky sea salt would be perfect for this too
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Baked Tortilla Strips
1. Prep. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line three baking sheets with foil (or if you have one or two, you can bake in multiple batches). Slice 8 4/12 inch corn tortillas (or 6 ½ inch corn tortillas cut in half) into ½ inch strips.
2. Drizzle oil. Place tortilla strips into a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of oil and gently toss tortilla strips until they’re evenly coated with oil.
3. Bake tortilla strips lay tortilla strips out on foil-lined baking sheet about one inch apart each. Bake for three minutes. Take out of the oven immediately and flip each strip over. Return to oven from another three minutes then remove immediately from oven.
4. Sprinkle each pan of tortilla strips with a pinch of salt (or to taste). and allow them to cool completely before placing in an airtight container (about 7-10 minutes) and store on the countertop.
Hint: Although it’s not necessary, lining the sheet pan with foil helps keep the sheet pans clear for easier cleanup!
Variations
Consider spicing these tortilla strips up (literally) with any of the below spice mixes depending on your dish.
- Old Bay seasoning – this can be used in place of salt (because it’s already got salt in it) and could be great if you’re using the tortilla strips for soups with seafood in them, like a lobster bisque or a clam chowder.
- Taco seasoning – you. can also use this in place of salt. These are great if you’re using the strips on tex-mex themed dishes, like a taco salad
Equipment For Baked Tortilla Strips
Equipment is pretty basic (in the best way) for this recipe. You’ll need:
- 1-3 large sheet pans – if you’re working with one, you’ll just need to bake the tortilla strips in multiple batches
- Aluminum foil – Not essential, but does make for very easy cleanup
- A cutting board – for cutting the tortillas, of course
- A sharp knife – ditto but a sharp knife allows for straight strips with clean edges
Storage
Store these tortilla strips in an airtight container and use within 8 to 10 days.
Top tip
Don’t overcook the tortilla strips! Because of how thin they are, even one minute too long in the oven can leave you with charcoal strips.
FAQ
If your tortilla strips are still soft after flipping them and baking them on the second side, it is likely that the tortilla strips were placed too closely together and/or there are too many on the sheet. Remove any fully crispy tortilla strips (to avoid any burning) and replace the remaining tortilla strips back into the oven for 1-2 minutes. Check their crispiness by testing to see if one or two in the middle snap when bent. If they do not, repeat this process (only baking for 1 additional minute each time) until tortilla strips are fully crispy.
Baked Tortilla Strips
These baked tortilla strips only require three ingredients and make a perfectly crunchy soup or salad topper in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 8 4 ½ inch corn tortillas or 4 6 ½ inch corn tortillas
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (or canola oil or vegetable oil)
- ½ teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line three baking sheets with foil (or if you have one or two, you can bake in multiple batches).
- Slice tortillas into ½ inch strips. If you're working with 6 ½ inch corn tortillas, cut them in half first. Place tortilla strips into a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle with all of the oil and gently toss tortilla strips until they're evenly coated with oil.
- Bake tortilla strips. Lay tortilla strips down on foil-lined baking sheet about one inch apart each. Bake for three minutes. Take out of the oven immediately and flip each strip over. Return to oven from another three minutes then remove immediately from oven.
- Season and cool. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt per pan (or to taste). Allow strips to cool completely before placing in an airtight container (about 7-10 minutes) and store on the countertop.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 191mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is a rough estimate
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