1-ingredient recipe for fat-free baked tortilla chips with no oil. Ready in 20 minutes! Baked corn chips are super crunchy, low calorie, oil-free and great for game day, super bowl parties, chips and dip, queso, guacamole or just snacking.
These healthy chips are perfect for scooping up pico de gallo, vegan chile con queso, salsa fresca, spinach artichoke dip or bean dip. They are also a great plant-based, vegan snack to pack in a school lunch box or take with you when you're running errands.
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🧄 Ingredient notes
This recipe has just 1 ingredient:
- corn tortillas
That's it. That's all you need.
When I say corn tortillas, I mean the store-bought corn tortillas that come in a package and are widely available in any grocery store that has a Mexican or Hispanic foods section.
For chips that aren't too small or too large, you'll want to use the standard size corn tortillas, which are about 5-6 inches across in diameter.
You can use the small, street taco size corn tortillas, as well. They will make tiny chips, unless you cut them into fourths.
🔪 Instructions
These chips can be made in the oven or air fryer.
Bake in oven
To make your own homemade fat free tortilla chips, you'll first need to cut each tortilla into six pieces. You can do this faster by stacking all of the tortillas on top of each other, then using a long knife to cut through them all at once.
Think of it like you're cutting a pizza into six slices. That's the shape we're looking for. Put them on a baking tray in one layer.
BEFORE AFTER
Then, you bake it in a 400 degree F oven (that's 205 degrees C) for 15 minutes, then check on them. If they are still bendable or soft, they need to bake another 3-5 minutes.
You're looking for a pale golden brown. They'll continue to crisp up a little more when they cool, but they should be firm before you remove them from the oven.
That's it! Your oil-free tortilla chips are ready to enjoy!
Air fryer
Homemade tortilla chips can be made in the air fryer, too!
How many chips you can cook at once and how long it will take depends on the type and size of your air fryer.
Add chips to air fryer in a single layer, if possible. Don't overcrowd the tray or basket. Then, air fry at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes, checking on them and shaking the basket every 2 minutes. They should be crispy and not bend.
Looking for a homemade fat-free baked pita chips recipe? I've got one! Give it a try, they're just as easy and crunchy as these oil-free tortilla chips.
❓ FAQ
It's quick and easy to make your own baked tortilla chips at home.
It's healthier and low-calorie. Most standard, fried tortilla chips get about half of their total calories from the oil alone. So, if you skip the oil (which has very little, if any nutrition), you're cutting the calories in half. You can have your chips and eat them too!
Baking your own homemade tortilla chips also means you can control the salt content and seasonings. You can enjoy these as salt-free tortilla chips, or add your own preferred level of salt to them. You can also experiment with different flavors!
Yes! They will get crispy and crunchy without oil. See below for instructions.
Yes!
I don't know about you, but my favorite chips are the ones that curl up or fold over on themselves because they're so crispy and munchable. Well, these chips kinda separate and create layers sometimes, depending on the corn tortillas you use. That makes them extra crunchy and munchable!
Don't overcrowd the sheet pan or air fryer basket!
The cut tortillas should not overlap each other. They can be close to each other as they will shrink and curl up a bit while they bake, but shouldn't overlap. Keep them in a single layer.
Six corn tortillas that have been cut into six triangles each just fit a large baking tray. That will give you 36 chips.
No. While I normally advise using a silicone baking mat to keep things from sticking, that is not necessary here.
These oil-free tortilla chips do not stick, as they have very little water content to them. In fact, if you use one, it will slow down the baking process and make it take much longer to get these crunchy baked corn chips done and ready for some dip!
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Love this recipe? Please rate it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below in the recipe card. And, if you make it, please tag me on Instagram or Facebook in your posted photos! I would love to see your creations. 😄
📖 Recipe
Homemade Fat Free Baked Tortilla Chips
Equipment
- Air Fryer or oven to bake them
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F / 205 degrees C. If using air fryer, skip this step.
- Stack all of the tortillas on top of each other and, using a long knife, cut them into sixths to make little triangles (cut them like you would cut a pizza).
- Spread slices on a large baking sheet in one layer. For air fryer, add half the slices to your air fryer basket. Do not overlap the slices. Don't crowd the sheet pan or air fryer basket.
- Oven:Bake for 7-12 minutes and then check them. If they are still bendable or soft in the middle, bake another 2-5 minutes. They will continue to crisp up a little after they’re done baking, but they should be firm straight out of the oven.
- Air Fryer:Air fry at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes, checking on them and shaking the basket every 2 minutes. They are done when they are golden brown, crispy and not bendable.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: this recipe was updated on March 9, 2020 to make it a 1-ingredient fat free baked tortilla chips recipe. The optional addition of lime juice and salt was moved to the notes section.
Mardena Weitz says
Love this recipe. I could not find baked tortilla chips with low or no salt no matter where I looked. I got so discouraged, but now I am happy to have your recipe for baked tortillas so that I can make them myself. Thank you so much! 💕
Abi Cowell says
Mardena, I'm so happy to hear this! 🤩 They really are super easy to make at home and you have total control over the salt level. Thank you so much for writing me! 😁
Alyssa Danielle says
Love the concept but they are sadly not fat free because there is fat in the corn tortillas ☹
Abi Cowell says
Hi Alyssa, thank you so much for the feedback.
Most corn tortillas have very few ingredients and no added oil (unlike most wheat/flour tortillas). So any fat (which is negligible) is naturally occurring in the corn masa itself. Plant-based doctors who encourage whole foods plant based no oil diets recommend corn tortillas as a good option for tacos for this very reason. I hope that helps explain why I am comfortable calling these fat free tortilla chips.
Have a great day!
Abi
Karen LaVine says
Thanks for posting this simple recipe. I can't believe how easy it was. These will be perfect to go with hummus and tabouleh. (FYI: 18 small corn tortillas cut into 6ths and baked fills one quart zip lock bag.)
Abi Cowell says
You're welcome! Thank you for that helpful measurement, too. Happy cooking!
Aleyna says
Hello there Abi thank you so much for sharing this great recipe with us . I am a living in a country that those maxican markets is really not a thing so there is no place that ı could buy that corn tortillas so I wanted to make my own but the flour that is used for making the tortillas is also not sold in here what ı am saying do you have a idea what ı could alternatively use for making that tortillas also sorry for the grammar mistakes if I made any I am not a native speaker .
Abi Cowell says
Hi Aleyna,
So sorry for the delay in getting back to you! Thank you for writing me. Hmmmmmmmm.... If you cannot find corn tortillas where you live, then I would suggest trying to find flatbread and then you can turn those into pita chips. I have a recipe for those here: Healthy Homemade Pita Chips (fat-free, no oil)
For corn tortilla chips, you really need corn tortillas. Another idea is to ask your grocery manager if he can stock them? Hope that helps!
- Abi
Steph says
Hello! I recently have been making changes in my diet to be more Whole Foods and plant based without using oils. What type of tortillas do you use to make your chips? Any advice on how to make the seasonings stick. Thank you in advance for your help!!
Abi Cowell says
Hi there! Good for you! I use corn tortillas from the grocery store. Here in Texas they are easy to find but I’m not sure if that’s the case where you live. White corn and yellow corn tortillas both work.
As for making the seasonings stick, I recommend brushing them with water first before cutting them. Then you can sprinkle the seasonings on, cut them and bake them! That helps them to stick for me. I hope that helps!
Elizabeth says
I love the way you make everything so easy to do by fully explaining step by step what to do. I'm newly vegan, and so far, it does feel a little overwhelming, but your site has some really good food ideas. I was looking for a good oil-free chip and dip recipe! Thanks.
Abi Cowell says
Thank you so much, Elizabeth!! 🙂
Barb F. says
Hi! I was looking to make my own oil-free baked corn tortilla chips from my bag of cornmeal. Not from getting store bought corn tortillas. Can you direct me to a recipe on how to do that? Thanks.
Abi Cowell says
I'm sorry, but I don't know of a good recipe I can recommend that uses cornmeal to make homemade tortilla chips. From what I understand, tortilla chips are made with masa harina, which is different than the cornmeal you would use to make cornbread, for example.