Whether you’re looking for a game day snack or jonesing for a plate of nachos, you’re likely buying those packaged tortilla chips. Now, I’m not hating on the convenience here, but the ingredients tend to make me sad. Check out the label on those store-bought tortilla chips. They’re likely fried and full of oil. You deserve better, so put that bag down.
Instead, you can make your own tortilla chips that are oil-free and not full of crappy ingredients. It’s super easy and I’m going to show you exactly how to do it. I’m also going to provide you with 3 seasoning mixes so you can flavour these bad boys up until your heart’s content. Get ready for nacho, cool ranch and chili lime flavours!
Balance Right?
I know some people fear a whole food, plant-based diet because they feel it’s restrictive. That couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s no calorie or macro counting here. It’s about eating foods that promote health and avoiding those that promote disease. I’m not suggesting that you can’t eat tortilla chips. The problem is, the tortilla chips sold on the market today are full of artificial ingredients, high in salt, and full of fats that are damaging to your arteries. To get around this little problem, you can just make them yourself!
This is how I like to approach food. It’s not about what I can’t have, it’s about what I wish to keep out of my body. If I want chips, cookies, or any other treat, I just make my own. In my kitchen, I have full control over what goes into my food, and that is something to feel good about. So go ahead and indulge in your craving, just make it in a way that aligns with your health goals.
That’s where these lovely tortilla chips come in. If you’re craving those crunchy little triangles covered in mystery powder, try these instead! Great crunch, great flavour, and no mystery ingredients. Now that is a serious win-win-win!
The Tortilla
It starts with good quality corn tortillas. You can find these in most grocery stores, often in the refrigerated section. Once you find them, turn the package over and take a peek at the ingredients list. You’re looking to find a brand with minimal ingredients, so ground corn and not much else. Just be sure there’s no added oil so you can keep these yummy tortilla chips oil-free.
Tortilla Chips
Moving on… to make your own tortilla chips, you’re going to stack and cut those tortillas into triangles (6 per tortilla if you cut in half, and then thirds). Like so:
Next, you’re going to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then lay those puppies out on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Now you could sprinkle with a little salt and bake these as is, but we’re going to flavour these bad boys and take it up a notch. Do keep in mind that if you don’t brush them with liquid (as we will below) they are likely to bake faster. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
For these flavoured tortilla chips, we’re going to brush them with a little liquid and then shake on some seasonings. Then they’re going to go into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. At this point, take them out, brush and season the other side and pop them back in for another 8-10 minutes.
The nice thing is you can adjust to your desired level of crispness. Either adding a little time or taking them out sooner if you prefer a little softness.
Seasoning
We could throw some seasoning on theses tortilla chips dry, but it won’t stick very well. I like to brush or mist them with a little liquid to help the seasoning stick. You could use whatever you like for this, but I like to use either lemon or lime juice, as it kicks the flavour up a notch.
We’re going to use some dried herbs and spices to make the seasoning for these. I strongly urge you to grind them down a little with a mortar and pestle. This ensures everything is ground nice and small, so the herbs will mix well with the spices and you get a nice uniform flavour. If you don’t have one of these, a quick pulse in a spice grinder or blender should work too. Anything that will allow you to break down some of the bigger flakes. They’re dried herbs, so you could even just rub them between clean hands, or use the back of a spoon to help break them down.
When it comes to seasoning your chips, I like to add the mix to a shaker after its been ground up finely in the mortar and pestle. This allows for an even application of flavour. If you don’t have a shaker available, you could just take a pinch and sprinkle over your chips (as I did in the picture above, before I found an empty shaker).
Additional Tips
I mentioned it before, but these corn chips can go from crisp to burnt really quickly, so keep an eye on them, especially toward the end. Burnt corn chips don’t taste very good.
Go easy with the liquid when you brush it on. If you add too much, they won’t crisp up as nicely. You’re just brushing a little on to help the seasoning stick. If you have a mister, this will work really well too.
You’ll likely have some leftover seasoning. Keep this is a shaker if you have one. You can use it on all sorts of things, including oven baked fries, popcorn or baked potatoes.
So, next time you’re in the mood for something crunchy and delicious, give these a try. They’re made from healthy ingredients that you can feel good about.
Oven Baked Tortilla Chips
Oil-free tortilla chips make a great alternative to a less-than-healthy snack. Enjoy these guilt-free with salsa or on their own.Â
Ingredients
- 1 pkg corn tortillas, Look for oil-free
Cool Ranch Seasoning
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp chives (freeze dried)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Nacho Seasoning
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Chili Lime Seasoning
- 1-2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Start by cutting your stack of tortillas in half, and then cut each half into thirds. You will end up with 6 chips per tortilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients from your chosen seasoning mix. I'd strongly advise that you grind either the nacho or cool ranch flavours in a mortar and pestle.
- Lay your chips out on a baking sheet lined with either parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Lightly brush or spritz each chip with either lemon or lime juice (noted in the seasonings section).
- Sprinkle on your seasoning mix
- Pop them in the oven for 10 minutes
- Remove from oven and flip your chips over. Then brush and season the other side.
- Put them back in the oven and continue baking for 8-10 minutes, until you've reached desired crispness.
- Best served warm.
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container on the counter.
Notes
If you brush with too much liquid they will need a little extra time in the oven to crisp up.
A spice shaker will give the most even seasoning results.
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