5 Ingredients or Fewer

Homemade Corn Chips

April  8, 2016
4
8 Ratings
Photo by Katherine Hysmith
  • Serves about 4
Author Notes

like the ones that rhyme with "bandito" —KC Hysmith

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 cup masa harina (or very finely ground cornmeal in a pinch)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • oil for frying
  • a lot more salt
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, add the masa harina, oil, salt, and hot water, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine. Towards the end, the mixture will be difficult to stir and you’ll need to finish combining it with your hands.
  2. Turn the mixture out on a piece of parchment paper. Gather into a rough rectangle and top with another piece of parchment paper. Roll out until about 1/8-inch thick. Gently remove the top piece of parchment. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut the rolled dough into little strips (about a half inch wide) and then cut again in the other direction, creating little rectangles about 1-inch long.
  3. Set a deep cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and fill with about an inch or more of oil. When the oil is around 350 degrees, gently drop a few masa rectangles into the pan. They should immediately rise to the top and sizzle wildly. Fry for about 30 to 40 seconds, turning once or twice, then remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined wire rack. Repeat with remaining masa rectangles, frying about a dozen pieces at a time, until all the dough is used. While the fritos are still hot, sprinkle generously with salt. And try not to eat all of them before your chili is done.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • PhillipBrandon
    PhillipBrandon
  • Terry
    Terry

2 Reviews

Terry January 16, 2022
These don't need extra salt, with the whole tsp in the dough. The salt could even be cut and other spices substituted. Also tips on how to transfer the strips to the oil without having them fall apart or stick together would be helpful. I agree that these are more "puffs" than fritos.
 
PhillipBrandon July 1, 2018
What would make my chips puff up into little tubes every time, and how can I avoid it?