Keto friendly tortilla chips that actually stand up to all your favorite low carb dips and salsas. These homemade tortilla chips are easy to make and have less than 1g carbs per serving. They truly satisfy that need for crunchy snacks! Watch my video to see just how easy they are to make.
Looking for crunchy keto snacks? Look no further than these keto nacho chips, a recipe that I created for my first cookbook, The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen.
What a hit these truly crunchy low carb tortilla chips are. When I was first writing my book, I played and experimented a lot to get this keto chips recipe just right. And when I hit upon the magic formula, they were so good, my family devoured them all in one sitting.
Good thing that they have almost no carbs per serving! And they are the perfect accompaniment for my Sugar-Free Margaritas, too.
I didn’t want to just do the old toasted cheese crisps. Those can be delicious but they are just cheese and they just don’t taste like real tortilla chips. Plus the amount of dairy can be a bit hard on the tummy.
What’s a good tortilla chip lover to do?
Enter the ever beloved keto snack: pork rinds
Are Pork Rinds Healthy?
After the bad rap pork rinds got during the low fat era, many people are still pretty freaked out by the liberal use of them in on the keto diet.
I am not one to advocate for eating pork rinds all day every day, but they can indeed be part of your healthy keto diet. I think it really depends on a few factors. The kind of pork rinds you choose to purchase plays a significant role here.
I truly love the pork rinds from 4505 Meats, because they clearly care where their pig skin comes from and source only from small family ranches that embrace humane animal welfare practices. No factory farms for them!
If it’s the pig skin angle that worries you, consider the fact that you are reducing waste by eating the whole animal. Our ancestors ate so much more of the animals than we do and it’s good practice to follow in those ancient footsteps. And people have been eating chicharrones (aka pork rinds) for centuries.
Want to try making your own homemade chicharrones? It’s laborious but fun!
The healthiest pork rinds are actually those that are fried in their own fat and not in other extraneous oils. Shocked? Well you might be, with the emphasis on unsaturated fats for a healthy diet. But the fat from pork rinds cooked in their own lard is actually 43% unsaturated and most of that is oleic acid.
Not to mention that lard doesn’t become unstable at high temperatures as some fats and oils do. So it’s the ideal fat for deep frying.
Have I convinced you of the relative health benefits of pork rinds? Again, they are a snack food and not meant to be your only source of nutrition. But they are a good choice for keto snacking and they are the secret ingredient in my super crunchy low carb tortilla chips.
Tips for Making Low Carb Tortilla Chips
I’ve made these chips numerous times and I’ve nailed down my process here. Here are my best tips for success
- If you grind your own pork rinds, be sure to measure them out after you grind them. They are so light and fluffy in their whole from that it takes quite a bit of them to make 1 1/2 cup of crumbs. You’re looking at 3 to 4 ounces, at least.
- If you purchase them already ground, I like the ones from Pork King Good. The chicharonnes they use are fried in their own animal fats so that’s good news.
- Grinding your own pork rinds does mean the chips may be a bit chunkier looking, since it’s hard to get them as fine as the commercial ones. But it still works really well, you just may not be able to get them quite as thin.
- Roll out your dough on parchment or a silicone mat. They will cook a little faster on the parchment, since it’s less protective, so watch them closely.
- How thin you roll them also matters. I love the thin ones because then I get more chips out of the dough but they do crisp up faster. I actually burned one batch while making this video!
- The taco seasoning can be storebought but be careful of the brand. I like the ones from Primal Palate as I know they have no junkie fillers.
How to Serve Keto Tortilla Chips
Okay, seriously, do I really have to answer this? The real question is… what won’t you serve with them? They truly are sturdy enough for salsa and guacamole.
But here are some other delicious keto dip ideas:
Keto friendly tortilla chips that actually stand up to all your favorite low carb dips and salsas. These homemade tortilla chips are easy to make and have less than 1g carbs per serving.
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups crushed pork rinds
- 1 cup shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
-
Preheat the oven to 300F
-
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt until frothy. Stir in the pork rinds, cheese, and taco seasoning until well combined.
-
Turn the mixture out onto a large piece of parchment paper and pat into a rough triangle. Top with another piece of parchment and roll out very thinly, to at least 12 inches by 12 inches. Remove the top piece of parchment and slice the bottom piece onto a large baking sheet.
-
Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to score into 2 inch squares, then score each square diagonally into 2 triangles. Bake 20 minutes, until the chips are starting to turn golden, then turn off the oven and let them sit inside until firm to the touch. This can be anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes, so watch them carefully.
-
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before breaking apart along the score lines.
Roy says
Sounds a little porky to me
Carolyn says
Doesn’t taste it.
Roze says
You’re obviously never eaten pork rinds so why bother commenting?
Courtney O'Dell says
These low carb chips were perfect for us – we miss salsa and chips since going low carb!
Beth Pierce says
Wow! Who knew making your own chips was this easy! These turned out great and are way better than the store bought brands!
Amy says
How thick are the chips in this recipe? Just wondering for nutritional info. Thanks
Carolyn says
Very thin.
Kellie Hemmerly says
These are FABULOUS! I could eat buckets of them….good thing they’re easy to make. 🙂
Anna says
Love these chips! So delicious!
Jocelyn says
Oh, mind blown! I have used pork rinds for chicken tenders, but never thought about using them to make tortillas. Now I won’t feel like I’m missing out when everyone else is munching on a bag of regular chips!
Patty says
I made these today and they are excellent. I didn’t cook them long enough initially since I’d never made them before. I didn’t want them to burn. They were a little soft after cooling, so I put them in my air fryer for a few minutes and they crisped right up! My non-Keto husband loves them, too.
Other than using powdered egg for the egg white, I followed the rest of the recipe exactly. They aren’t “porky” to me. They came out crispy and flavorful. I will definitely be making more soon.
Carolyn says
Oh perfect! Yes, it’s a fine dance between overcooking them and undercooking them. But any keto cracker will crisp up again with a bit more dry heat.
Joanna Boxill says
I have eaten pork rinds before but the serving size was a small amount and I’m not sure whether I am preparing this recipe correctly.
Sounds like everyone has gotten it right. I’ll go back to the drawing board.
Mike says
Hey Carolyn,
I am certainly going to munch on them while watching the Cricket World Cup.
Keep sharing such amazing “Crunchy” recipes.
Debbie says
These are great! Thanks for all your recipes? How should they be stored?
Carolyn says
On the counter in a covered container is best.
Lynn says
How long do they stay crunchy if you store them in a ziplock bag?
Carolyn says
I would not store them that way. A covered container is better.
Lydia says
How long would they last in a covered container please? Looking forward to making them this weekend!
Carolyn says
I find they are okay for up to 4 days. They do soften a bit if you have a lot of humidity.
sandra says
Taste like pork rinds. Might as well eat the pork rinds. I was very disappointed
Brooke says
I agree! Very disappointed. Taste just like pork rinds.
Barb says
I’m happy to see something without almond flour. Thank you!
Meghan Tenhoff says
I love your inspiration. This recipe is time-consuming for the end result. I think I’ll stick to my “burnt” cheese crisps made on the stovetop in a cast iron. 1/4 the time. 1 ingredient. Crispy chips that mostly stand up to dips.
Erin says
I definitely tired of pork rinds, so these are a great way to use them up and change the taste. I was impatient and tried them before they were crispy. At that stage, they would make great taco shells as well. Hmmm…
Nancy says
I just noticed a typo:
In the last sentence of direction #3, it says to “slice” instead of to “sliDe” the parchment onto a large baking sheet…😘❤️
Bitten, Denmark says
Absolutely crunchy and tastefully delicious.. One thing missing in the LCHF world is the crunchy feeling and “sound”.
This is fulfilled with these guys..
Easy and straight-forward recipe.
Ruth Ward says
I had a little problem with this recipe. I used a gourmet chile lime chicharron bag. It was 2.5 ounces. After I ground it and make my food processor angry on the last tidbits which would not grind, it was only 3/4 of a cup. Which was fine, because I wanted to make a half recipe. I tried to use half of the ingredients. My dough never looked moist like the dough Carolyn had, even though I kept adding egg white. So perhaps, next time I will not go by the measured 1.5 cups as she insists in the video, but by the size of the original bag. Weight is usually the most reliable measure when it comes to baking. My chips turned out very chewy and not very crispy. I still ate alot of them before putting rest away! I used a tortilla press and squished it into six balls and squished them and that part was great, very easy to score each one into six. The taste was good, but I’d just as soon find a chicharron and use it in my dip. It’s hard to improve on a chicharron!
Carolyn says
I am guessing it was your brand of pork rinds that was the issue. Probably had some additives that made them gummy.
Joycr says
I love these and have made them several times. I do have a problem when scoring them with a sharp knife. Would melting the cheese and pork rinds and then adding the egg white work and maybe make it easier?
How about more pork rind recipes. I have a couple of your cookbooks and they are my favorites! Love the cheesy pork rind breadsticks. Make them often. Thanks for your awesome recipes!’
Carolyn says
I don’t have any issues with scoring these so I guess I am not really sure your solution will work any better. I think you risk cooking your egg white that way.
Beth says
How long do they keep and how should I store them
Carolyn says
On the counter, out in the open, unless you live in a humid environment. Should be good for several days.
Lee Ann says
Do I have to add the taco seasoning?
Carolyn says
Not if you don’t want to!
Teresa Hickey says
I made these last night. I ground up my own pork rinds in my vitamix and the results were beautiful and smooth (2 4oz bags ground down to 1 3/4th cup). I had a bag of original and a bag of bbq, so ground them together, which I couldn’t really taste bbq in the end product, that I know of anyway. Will have to try again with just original and see if its different lol. I did have to bake about 10 min longer, maybe due to our high Colorado altitude, but they turned out great. They really do satisfy that crunch we are all missing with chips. Thank you! I really enjoy your videos and recipes.
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Matthew says
My wife and I want to try eliminating as much cheese as we can. Is there a substitute we can use for the cheese? Thanks
Carolyn says
Honestly I don’t know. You would try more pork rinds.
Lisa says
Thank you Caroline for a wonderful recipe as well as so many others! Honestly, I don’t know how you handle the snarky comments, people just slay me! Please know that many of us appreciate and utilize your delicious recipes and are dismayed by the lack of respect in some of the comments.
Carolyn says
Just like anyone, I have my good days and bad days…sometimes I handle them more gracefully than others!
Renita says
These are sook good. How do you store them though? In the fridge or can you leave them out?
Carolyn says
Do NOT put them in the fridge, they will become chewy and awful. Just on the counter, not even covered, unless you live in a humid climate.
Candice says
My bf and I tried these with sour cream dip for movie night and we’re hooked! Any chance you could develop a recipe like Doritos cool ranch??
Carolyn says
Well, I think I’d just do these and then some ranch seasoning! Bet you could make it up. 🙂
Diana says
I love your recipes and look forward to trying this one!
What flavor pork rind do you use in this recipe?
Thanks
Carolyn says
Usually just salted.
Lynn says
Last night I had so much trouble making these!! My “dough” would not hold together, so it was difficult to roll and score – it kept falling apart. I used the ingredients exactly as written in the recipes. I went back and looked at the video again and can honestly say that the 2 large egg whites in your bowl looked about double the amount of my 2 large egg whites. I guess this is why my “dough” would not hold together. Maybe in Canada our large eggs are smaller than yours. I will try making them again with more egg whites but would love to know how much whites you get from your 2 large eggs. Like how many tbs or oz? Nobody has mentioned if these can stand up to using in beef nachos, but I am going to try.
Carolyn says
They can stand up to nachos, if you can get them to hold together. My egg whites are usually about 3 tbsp, but it varies egg to egg, of course.
Being Canadian, I can assure you that “large eggs” in both the US and Canada are about the same. Not sure what’s going on for you. Is the dough crumbly or is it wet?
Lynn says
My dough was crumbly.
Carolyn says
Good to know. So yes, not enough egg white. If you just want to buy carton egg whites and add enough until it resembles my dough, that should work.
Domino Truitt says
Thanks Carolyn for all your hard work. I’ve been following you for a while and am never disappointed!
Much appreciated
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Lexi says
Hi Carolyn,
Will any type of cheese work i.e. Mozzarella or Jack? Does it have to be finely shredded? Thanks!
Kelly says
Are they supposed to be on the greasy side? In mine got really dark your video seemed a tad darker but I think mine was darker than that how do we know when to pull them out of the oven
Carolyn says
If they’re dark, take them out. The grease will re-absorb as they cool.