Make Your Own Low-Carb Tortilla Chips!

I’ve hosted hundreds of parties over the years, and I always enjoy preparing food for them.

I Like Low-Carb Recipes. Do You?

I like low-carb diets, and I make a lot of my own recipes. I really enjoy tortilla chips, but the regular kind are super high in carbs, so I try to avoid them. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find tasty low-carb tortilla chips made commercially, so I decided I’d just have to make my own! I use tortillas that are low in carbs and high in fiber.

What tortilla brand should I use?

I’ve used several different brands of low carb tortillas in my low carb recipes, but be careful when you’re purchasing tortillas that are labeled as “low carb.” Some of the products aren’t very low carb at all!

• Xtreme Wellness Low-Carb Tortillas (from Walmart): These have five net carbs each.
• La Tortilla Factory Low-Carb Tortillas (from Amazon): These have three net carbs each.

Both brands can usually be found in different flavors. I’ve never tried the Tumaro tortillas from Amazon, but I’ve heard good things about them as well. You can easily get eight nice-sized chips from one of the La Tortilla Factory tortillas, which is a good serving size. That means you’ll get a serving of low-carb tortilla chips for just three grams of carbohydrates.

What You'll Need

• Low-carb tortillas
• Vegetable oil
• Seasonings, to taste

Instructions

1. Use your kitchen scissors to cut the tortillas into triangle shapes—this will help them look more like chips.
2. Fill a Dutch oven with about two inches of vegetable oil and heat the oil over medium-high heat until it’s good and hot.
3. When the oil is ready, place a handful of the cut tortillas in the hot oil. I’ve found that the chips will get crisper if I don’t crowd them during the frying process. They take only a few minutes to cook.
4. When they’re golden brown and crunchy, remove them from the oil and drain them on several layers of paper towels.
5. While the tortilla chips are still hot, sprinkle them with seasonings. I like to use Lawry’s garlic salt, but you might also like to use spices such as black pepper, red pepper, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, or chipotle powder.

These homemade tortilla chips are great! Believe it or not, when we visit our favorite Mexican restaurant, I take my own low-carb tortilla chips with me!

Comments

Dave on August 08, 2020:

We fry ours in olive oil -- healthier than vegetable oil and it works great. We use it for all our deep frying.

Vinnie on October 21, 2019:

Made these today using Mission Low Carb Tortillas. Delicious.

GrasshopperCraig on September 26, 2017:

Any brand of LC tortillas that comes close to corn. Wheat ones just don’t cut it for hard shell tacos.

Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on July 29, 2017:

Angie, I'm sure coconut oil would be fine. Thanks for reading!

Angie on July 29, 2017:

Do you know if you can use coconut oil instead of vegetable? Ive rewd recently that vegetable oil is bad for a low carb diet? Thanks

Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on April 17, 2017:

The fried low carb chips are definitely tastier than the baked ones!

Vickie on April 17, 2017:

mine turned out tough, I used the la tortilla factory brand

laladabagladyonfb on July 25, 2013:

Sorry I have to be honest, the bake low carb tortillas taste HORRIBLE, I found that frying them is more tolerable, I seasoned with garlic powder, cumin and accent, used with the wholly guacamole 100 calorie snack packs and it satisfied the craving...good luck guys

Robin Edmondson from San Francisco on September 28, 2011:

I've made tortilla chips before but not low carb ones. I recently tried baking the tortillas instead of frying them. I know, they aren't even close to as good as the fried ones, but I thought they were pretty good with homemade salsa. Thanks for the low-carb idea!

slaffery from Kansas, USA on September 28, 2011:

I am just starting a low carb diet due to insulin resistance. They wanted me to try the Duke university one or just limit to 20 carbs a day. That is INSANE!! I am willing to do the low carb one and I LOVE tortilla chips and my homemade salsa SO... I will have to definitely try these. Thank YOU :) Voted up

breakfastpop on September 28, 2011:

Love the idea of making my own chips that are low carb. Thanks so much.

Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on September 28, 2011:

You're very welcome, random. Glad you stopped by!

Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on September 28, 2011:

Thanks, Pink. They're prolly higher in fat, but most people on low carb diets aren't so worried about fat grams.

Rose Clearfield from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on September 27, 2011:

I have seen tortilla chips made in restaurants before, but have never attempted it myself. Thanks for the information!

Sarah Carlsley from Minnesota on September 27, 2011:

I've heard of it, but I've never made my own. It seems like a good idea if they're so low in carbs but I wonder if the vegetable oil cancels out the semi-healthiness of it? lol either way, they look delicious. Great hub!

Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on September 26, 2011:

Hi, Dusty. I think the tortillas must contain some soy flour, which is naturally lower in carbs. Guess I need to check the label! lol

We have some pals from Mexico who use some great pulled pork in some of their dishes, too.

50 Caliber from Arizona on September 26, 2011:

Holle, interesting article. I make my own tortillas and have an oak press I made for the purpose of making either corn or flour tortillas from 6 to 12 inch. After a while you get used to the right sized ball of dough to get the size your after. Now I have to look and see about a flour that is considered low carb. I'm diabetic so this could help on how big the shot I take after a bowl of salsa or leche con queso with different spices, I don't care for mushrooms so I go with Mexican white cheese with a bit of milk to make it fluid enough for a dip. Much of my cooking was taught to me by a "Sonoran" woman and I eat like a Mexican most of the time and crossing southern smoked pork into many recipes. Grinding shelled corn for flour to make these chips, I wonder if "low carb corn" is a man made mutation? I use white corn in my grinder.

I find that cooking these chips or corn tortillas to bend taco shells pretty amazing how they seem to separate into two layers as you fry them kind of cool, I just don't get how it works LOL the great tortilla mystery.

Peace, dust