tortilla chips
Also known as: corn chips
Corn tortillas cut into wedges and fried or baked until crisp and sturdy, or the thicker, extruded style sold as corn chips (like Fritos) -- eaten as a snack with dips, or used as the crunchy base for nachos and casseroles.
Buying guidance
Check the bag for broken or crushed pieces if the chips need to hold up under a heavy dip or nacho toppings -- thicker, restaurant-style chips (including the corn-chip style) hold up better than thin ones, which turn soggy fast. The thicker, corn-chip style is also saltier and more intensely corn-flavored, which is good for scooping but changes the flavor of anything baked with them. A stale, oily smell means the chips are past their best even before the printed date. For nachos specifically, use only the whole, unbroken chips as the base and set the broken pieces and crumbs aside for something else (a scoop for dip, a casserole topping) -- a broken chip can't carry toppings and turns a nacho tray soggy underneath. Sorting out the broken ones commonly costs a quarter to a third of a bag, so buy roughly twice as many bags as you'd otherwise need to end up with enough whole ones.
Substitutions
- Pita chips or bagel chips -- sturdier and less corn-forward, a reasonable stand-in for dipping though not for nachos.
- Crushed crackers -- works fine crumbled as a topping, though plainer in flavor.
Tips & common mistakes
Left uncovered next to a wet dip or on a humid day, chips absorb ambient moisture and go soft within an hour -- serve dip on the side, or in a separate bowl, if keeping them crisp longer matters.
Storage
Reseal the bag tightly or move opened chips to an airtight container -- being thin and porous, they go stale faster than sturdier crackers. They don't need refrigeration and don't freeze well, turning limp once thawed.