I have been trying to get better at avoiding pantry redundancy. I rarely buy two of the same exact product, but I will buy multiple items that are in the same category, for the sake of variety. I’ll buy Duke’s mayo when I already have Hellman’s, or bucatini even though I already have spaghetti, or tortilla chips when I have a bag of corn tortillas begging to be used.
Tortilla chips, as you probably know, are just tortillas that have been cut up and fried. I don’t think of frying as a convenient cooking method, but air frying is a different story. Air frying tortilla chips takes mere minutes, uses far less oil, and lets you whip up a batch of hot, crispy chips on whim.
Usually, I’m not a big proponent of using “far less oil.” I’m not a calorie counter or a weight watcher, but some fats (like duck fat) are expensive, and using less is a helpful cost-saving measure. Plus, I’m still using more fat than most of the air fried tortilla chip recipes out there. The vast majority have you spray the tortillas with cooking spray, but duck fat doesn’t come in aerosol cans. Instead, we’re going to brush the tortillas with the golden, smoky fat, then slice them into triangles, season them, and air fry until crispy.
Top-Rated Air Fryers:
The size of your chip will depend on the size of your tortilla. I had “street taco” sized corn tortillas, so my chips were on the smallish side (and cute). The first time I made these, I sliced the tortillas, then placed the triangles in a bowl and tossed them with a drizzle of melted duck fat. I air fried them for five minutes at 350℉, then seasoned them with salt once they were lightly browned. They were OK.
The drizzle-and-toss method had unevenly coated the chips, which translated to uneven browning. To fix this, I decided to brush the fat on, but brushing duck fat on tiny, individual tortilla triangles was too tedious for my liking. Instead, I brushed the fat on whole tortillas, seasoned them, then stacked them on top of each other and sliced them into four equal pieces. I air fried those, and was happy. Brushing the fat on ensured the chips air fried evenly, and seasoning them before they went into the air fryer helped the salt stick. The chips were crispy, salty, a little smokey, and ready to eat in under 10 minutes.
Air Fried Duck Fat Tortilla Chips
Ingredients:
Corn tortillas, as many as you likeMelted duck fat, about 2 tablespoons for every 8 tortillas (You can also use bacon fat, or any other fat you like the taste of.)SaltLay out the tortillas and brush both sides with melted duck fat. Season one side with salt, then stack the tortillas on top of each other. Using a pizza cutter or large knife, slice the tortillas into four equal pieces, like a pie.
Air fry the chips at 350℉ for 4-6 minutes, until the chips are browned and crispy. Let cool for a few minutes on paper towels before serving.
