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Learn How to Make Homemade Tortilla Strips for soup (and tortilla strips for salad) with this easy recipe. We’ll show you how to make them both fried and baked so they turn out perfectly crispy every time!  This homemade tortilla strips recipe is made with corn tortillas, olive oil and salt and it comes together in a pinch! 

Two bowls of soup topped with homemade tortilla strips. A bowl of tortilla strips sits next to the soup bowls.

These homemade tortilla strips will liven up all your favorite Mexican soups and salads!

Homemade tortilla strips scattered on a cookie sheet.

Making tortilla strips is like making tortilla chips. We use the same ingredients and the same method – we just cut the corn tortillas into strips rather than chips.

Tortilla Strips Recipe

This homemade tortilla strips recipe calls for just 3 ingredients.  

  • Corn Tortillas – Use yellow or white corn tortillas for this recipe.
  • Oil – We like to use extra-virgin olive oil, but you can use corn, canola or peanut oil if you like.
  • Salt – Use sea salt, Himalayan salt or even flaky salt.
  • Seasoning Variation – After the strips have been fried, sprinkle with salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder for a little spice.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How to Fry Tortilla Strips

These crispy tortilla strips for soup (or salad) come together in about 10 minutes start-to-finish, depending on the size of the batch you’re making.

  • Line a large plate or cookie sheet with 2-3 layers of paper towels.
  • Cut tortillas into strips.  Stack 3-4 tortillas and cut through the stack in half. Then stack the halves and slice into thin strips.
  • Heat olive oil in large pan.  Oil should be about 1/2 inch thick in pan.  You can add more if needed. 
  • Add one cut tortilla strip to the oil to make sure its bubbly. Then add cut tortilla strips to the oil  in a single layer (about 20 cut strips depending on the size of your pan).  Don’t over-crowd the pan. Cook in batches.
  • Fry in oil until the tortillas start to turn golden and bubble a bit in the oil.
  • Using a pair of  tongs or a stainless steel spatula, turn them over on the other side.  
  • Continue to fry them on opposite side for another 30-60 seconds or until they look golden and crispy.
  • Either using tongs or a spatula, transfer them from the pan to the lined cookie sheet.
  • Season immediately with salt.
  • Repeat process until all tortilla strips have been fried.

Corn tortillas on a cutting board, some are cut into thin strips. A small bowl of olive oil and a bowl with salt sit next to the tortillas.

Crispy chips frying in a pan with oil. The oil is bubbling. Tortilla strips cooking in hot bubbling oil

How to Bake Tortilla Strips

If you’re not a fan of fried chips or strips and would prefer them baked,  here’s an easy recipe for you!  They come together in about 15 minutes start-to-finish, depending on your oven temperature.

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Brush the tortillas with olive oil on both sides.
  • Cut tortillas into strips.  Stack 3-4 tortillas and cut through the stack in half. Then stack the halves and slice into thin strips.
  • Line a cookie sheet with foil or lightly brush the cookie sheet with oil.
  • Bake for about 5-7 minutes. Rotate cookie sheet and using tongs turn any pieces that are cooking too quickly.  Cook another 3-5 minutes until chips turn lightly golden brown and crispy.
  • Season with salt.

corn tortillas on a cutting board. A small bowl filled with olive oil sits next to a brush for brushing the tortillas with.

A cookie sheet filled with tortilla slices

A cookie sheet filled with baked tortilla strips for salad

Tortilla Strips for Soup

These are perfect to garnish your favorite Mexican soups with!

Tortilla Strips for Salad

And they add a lot of crunch and flavor to festive Mexican salads.

A bowl of tortilla soup garnished with tortilla strips. A bowl of tortilla strips and a bowl of lime wedges sits next to the soup bowl.

More Resources

Two bowls of tortilla soup garnished with homemade tortilla strips. A bowl of tortilla strips and a bowl of lime wedges sits next to the soup bowls.
Yield: 4 servings

How to Make Tortilla Strips

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 6" corn tortillas (yellow or white)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or more if you like)

Instructions

How to Fry Tortilla Strips

  1. Line a large plate or cookie sheet with 2-3 layers of paper towels.
  2. Cut tortillas into strips.  Stack 3-4 tortillas and cut through the stack in half. Then stack the halves and slice into thin strips.
  3. Heat olive oil in large pan.  Oil should be about 1/2 inch thick in pan.  You can add more if needed. 
  4. Add one cut tortilla strip to the oil to make sure its bubbly. Then add cut tortilla strips to the oil  in a single layer (about 20 cut strips depending on the size of your pan).  Don’t over-crowd the pan. Cook in batches.
  5. Fry in oil until the tortillas start to turn golden and bubble a bit in the oil.
    Using a pair of  tongs or a stainless steel spatula, turn them over on the other side.  Continue to fry them on opposite side for another 30-60 seconds or until they look golden and crispy.
  6. Either using tongs or a spatula, transfer them from the pan to the lined cookie sheet.
  7. Season immediately with salt.
  8. Repeat process until all tortilla strips have been fried.

How to Bake Tortilla Strips

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Using a pastry brush, brush the tortillas with olive oil on both sides.
  3. Cut tortillas into strips.  Stack tortillas and cut through the stack in half. Then stack the halves and slice into thin strips.
  4. Line a cookie sheet with foil or lightly brush the cookie sheet with oil.
  5. Bake for about 5-7 minutes. Rotate cookie sheet and using tongs turn any pieces that are cooking too quickly.  Cook another 3-5 minutes until chips turn lightly golden brown and crispy.
  6. Season with salt.

Notes

Seasoning Variation - After the strips have been fried, sprinkle with salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder for a little spice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 99Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 74mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.

© The Harvest kitchen
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Cooking Basics