The Best Tortilla Chips | Cook's Country
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- Опубликовано: 19 май 2024
- Crunchy, salty, and corn-forward, tortilla chips are beloved. But which brand is best? Jack Bishop breaks down our top picks.
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My faith in the ATK testers has never been so shaken! Tostitos over Juanita’s?! Not a chance!
Gross, Americans eat everything from a bag or a can and then fight bout their gross competition. lmfao every Mexican knows the best tortilla chip is TORTILLAS cut up and fried or air fried and sprinkled with salt. #Dobetter America that’s like saying the best burger is a frozen patty. 🤡🤡🤮🤮
I have never seen this brand for sale near me. I am on the east coast. Is it regional? Or do I need to look more diligently? :)
Yes Juanita's are the best. they are from Oregon, Even hard to find in So ca
Agreed! We spray them lightly with pam then sprinkle on some chili powder and toast the in the oven for a hot second. If you haven't tried it i recommend it. Oddly better with Juanita's than doing the same thing to other brands🤔They must have a higher fat content or something.
@@CommanderBalok Any luck finding them? I noticed they're on Amazon but you can always call the company to see if they have distributors in the east.
Juanita's / Juantonio's is the GOAT
I usually go for the Jaunita’s because they have more of a fresh made taste like what you get in a Mexican restaurant. Plus they’re not as expensive as Tostitos. The only minor thing against them is that they are a bit oilier than other chips.
Just tried them. The best I've tasted!
But in my area they are the most expensive chips on the shelf. Go figure.
Juanita's are displayed on the table but weren't tasted! They are THE BEST!!! I'll fight anyone who doesn't agree! 😂😂
Indeed! I was disappointed that they weren't even mentioned. In our stores, they are not only delicious but a great value, and sold in an extra large bag.
Juanita's tortilla chips are hands down the best
Juanita’s are the best!
agreed also dirt cheap. top shelf quality at bottom shelf prices
Yes, but has anyone noticed a name change?
@@brewatchYes, it's the exact same recipe, but a company that sells canned beans threatened an injunction if they didn't change their name So now they are Juantonio's instead of Juanita's when operating outside of Oregon.
Not even close. Juantonios/ Juanita’s.
These are the chips closest to restaurant quality, the only ones we buy!
Juanitas and it is because of the taste
I saw On The Border Chips but not on the tasting samples. Those are our favs. 😋
Those are great but I think they might not do so well dipping guac.
Our go-to too.
We've done taste tests at home. On The Border is our fave, too.
Tostitos were low on the list. I can trust ATK taste buds any longer 😂
@@_o_-I-_o_ - you are all about symmetry...
@@z-z-z-z Oh yeah. But the @ sign ruins it as I couldn't add it to the end, the character just wasn't permitted.
I don't see a problem with scooping Guac with your hand 😁
maximum efficiency, cut out the middleman
Barbarian, were you raised by racoons?
Use a utensil at least 😂
Your gonna lick it clean so as to not waste any. So why not?
If you go to a party and make sure enough people see you with your hand in the guacamole, you'll probably not have to share the bowl with as many people. I call that a "plus".
Juanita’s!!!
Santitas for so many years now!
That's the standard in our house. I'll need to try Juanita's. Always open to new and/or better foods!
They're the best of the mass-produced options. They have a reasonable amount of salt. Everything else is waaaay too salty.
JUANITA'S 🌟
The Juanitas tortilla chips are by far the best.
Yeah I’m with a lot of people here. Juanita’s are the best I’ve ever had. I’m lucky, they are local for me. With I could find their tortillas.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!??? Juanita‘s are one of the best chips out there. Tostitos taste 100% manufactured to me. But then again, middle America doesn’t really know real Mexican food. I will say Juanita‘s change the recipe about a year ago. Juanita’s are not the same nor as amazing as they used to be but still a solid chip. They could go for better packaging but I’m pretty sure they are still a small company in Oregon. Of course, the very best is homemade.💖💖💖
Absolutely missed out on the Juanita’s. This review is absolutely nuts.
ATK recommended all the brands they tested except Late July.
@@sandrah7512 They still sort of dissed it by saying the bag needed to be made out of multiple material layers. If people didn't read the comments, they wouldn't have looked twice at Juanita's despite it being seemingly the runaway favorite.
@@DocTheMedic3 "Runaway favorite" - based on what? The number of times random people praised the brand in comments on a RUclips video? That's not exactly scientific - none of those people participated in a blind tasting or dip test with the other brands. Some of those people may have only mentioned Juanita's in their comment as an objection because it wasn't mentioned in the video even if they liked the brand as well as others that were mentioned. Some who did mention Juanita's did so while saying other brands tested were "too salty" despite Juanita's being the saltiest in the lineup. Others still said that while they liked Juanita's, they thought they were a bit oily which is precisely the conclusion ATK came to. And despite people saying Juanita's "lost" - they were recommended - because they were too delicate for guac dipping, they actually passed ATK's dip test. And how would ATK "diss" a chip brand it didn't even highlight in a video because of its bag construction? You're correct in that the Juanita's bag is plastic with some opaque colouring along with half the other bags in the lineup. People familiar with the bags' construction would know that, but not anyone watching the video because they only highlighted the one bag as better, not any other bag as bad or worse.
Juanita's are our favorite! They had the bag there on the counter but they didn't test them? 😕
If I don't see El Matador on the table I send it back!
Surprised about the tostitos, the various kinds we've tried in the last few years are so salty we find them close to inedible. We like mission in our household
I find the low sodium Tostitos are perfect - same texture and shape but with less of the overwhelming saltiness
def agree, they taste good by themselves when im craving a super salty chip, but generally too salty and overpowering for a lot of dips/salsas. and way too much emphasis on "chip integrity", there's ways to dip delicate chips, lot of fresh restaurant styles are delicate, and absolutely destroy a Tostitos chip
Xochil. Missed out on that one.
t
They weren’t in the top 20 best-sellers in the nation. National top-sellers is typically what ATK uses in their taste tests.
My family likes the blue corn ones!!
I feel like they are a bit too thin if i recall correctly. you really need a salsa that is on the more thin side for them, but they are perfect for that, better than anything else. Personally my favorites are Mi Ninas, if I see them in the store when im buying i always go for them!
@@SteveTheDog115they came out with a new thicker chip (haven’t tried them yet)
Tostitos Cantina style are my family’s favorite. No guac fans so them being thin and crispy works with our homemade salsa
I like those too, but if you ever come across El-Milagro's "Thin-Style Totopos w/ Sea Salt" or Julio's "Original Seasoned" hope you can give them a try. It's been a while since trying El-Milagro, but remember them being slightly better than the thin Tostitos Cantina variety. Still, you may have trouble sourcing them. I (luckily) found Julio's today and could easily eat these delicate, lightly seasoned chips plain -- and would gladly buy them again. Now I have to find Juanita's (Juantonio's), given all of the positive comments.
I like Calidad. They are similar to Santitas but lower priced.
You may want to try Clancy’s Big Dippers from Aldi. Single layer plastic bag, but definitely crisp and stand up to dips. Nice and salty and lots of flaky bubbles. Replaced Tostitos in our house.
EL MILAGRO
Omg they picked Tostitos?! Gross! And they only tested several huge brand names. Gigantic disappointment.
El Milagro is also twice as thick as those flimsy Tostitos. I was about to share this with my friends. But they, especially my Mexican friends, would only down vote you. So I won't.
@@DoctorMandible They can’t test every brand under the Sun. ATK typically chooses national best-selling brands so that wherever their subscribers live in the US, they should be able to walk into their local store and buy those brands. But what does it matter if you like something different? It’s what *you* like.
If you've never tried Chica's tortilla chips, you are missing out. They are truly *next level.* 🤤
Up in arms over this review
Mi Niña brand tortilla chips are our favorite!
Aldi has a multi-grain one with flax seeds that we’ve been enjoying as of late. Different strokes for different folks.
I noticed that the first chip was held on the large rounded side with the little pointed corner used to scoop.
But - the second chip was help just the opposite. Stacking the deck here, Jack?
😂
Cazo de Oro is the best. Closest to homemade that I've found.
Try El Milagro if you can find them. They are perfect for making stand alone nachos.
We find them at Aldi's believe it or not
The Totopos variety specifically! Legendary chips!
And their shells are the best
@@HappySmiles2Day Their tostada shells + Ducal refried black beans make some damn good tostadas!
In my area, Donkey brand chips are sold and taste so much better with a bit of additional dry toasting. The only way to find a favorite is to try several brands at minimum, because a chip preference is very individual despite it being such a simple food item.
Seconded!!!
Never considered the possibility of re-toasting chips but this is brilliant.
and trying multiple bags is a great excuse for a get together. Sometimes it's hard to tell which is best until that scarcity vibe sinks in when the bag you like best starts to run low.
Donkey chips good flavor and very sturdy 💯
@@astrocoastalprocessor . .. it was a happy surprise outcome when trying to replicate some casual restaurant's loaded nachos appetizer. I noticed the chips not only deepened in color but also went from out-of-the-bag crunchy to a snappy crispness. The heat also eliminated that old oil taste some chips have.
Donkey chips are good! El Milagro and Nuevo Leon are also good.
I see Santitas Chips there. They are good and inexpensive if you can find them.
Too bad it didn't make the cut - best in terms of price and quality
My King Soopers carries Santitas, and I really like them. Can't beat the price. Calidads are good, too.
@@scotttan6377 ?? The only brand ATK did not recommend was Late July. Not mentioned ≠ Not making any "cut". There's a link to the full review in the video description.
I would not call Santitas my favorite but you can't beat the value for a pretty good chip.
Not great, not terrible.
Thank you!
Homemade tortilla chips get my vote!!
Thank you ❤
I really like the Tostitos Cantina chips. They're thinner, so they will break on you if you're not careful, but overall they're my favorite.
El-Milagro's "Thin-Style Totopos w/ Sea Salt" are similar and (from what I remember) slightly better, but might be hard to find.
They have a Traditional type, same great flavor but robust for dipping.
@@gobaersyes, those are so good!
Today I found Julio's "Original Seasoned" which is a delicate, lightly seasoned chip you might like even more, should you ever see them. I could easily eat them plain and would buy them again. It would be nice if there were a follow up video comparing the tastiest 'sturdy' and 'delicate' tortilla chips -- even if they're hard to source. Still, hoping to find Juanita's (Juantonio's), given all of the positive comments.
Thanks guys
No accounting for taste, or preference as my choice is Calidad. They're always fresh/crispy, and cost way less than the name brands! Calidad has 3 different chips, the yellow being the regular corn tortilla corn chips, red being restaurant style, and white being made from white corn, whatever that is? I prefer the red, or yellow bag as the white corn chips are milder, and don't have enough corn flavor which may be preferable to some. I will try the Tostitos, but I don't hold out much hope as I find brand names are usually stale, or not as crispy, and cost twice as much!
If you live in perhaps LA or Chicago you probably have many excellent local brands that kick butt!. Best are still the ones you fry yourself.
Now we gotta see which chip shape is ideal! :D
Scoops! 😄
Wow, is this the first time in your reviews that you have detailed consideration of the packaging (nitrogen, double layer) in addition to the food itself?
They have recommended dark or green bottles for olive oil but this appears to be the first time they went into this level of detail on packaging.
Probably because ingreidents were identical yet crispness and freshness was not, due to those factors
Didn't even give the great and mighty Julio's a shot? Just as well - Julio's wins every challenge.
If possible, the best tortilla chips are the ones made locally. In Atlanta it's Ole brand. When I lived in Denver it was La Favorita.
On The Border chips forever
I haven’t watched the video and I know this is the answer
Came to the comments to say the same.
Yeah what the heck, legit the best
Not even being mentioned makes me question every review
Correct if you can only shop at Walmart, Juanitas/Juantonios are superior, but if I don't have access to those depending on the state, then South of the border for sure.
El charros La poblinitas chips are the absolute best ever. Seasonings. Crunchy. Delicious corn salty goodness. From NM. With hatch green Chile dip. Nothing beats it period. When I go home I eat a couple of bags with that dip. Sooooooooooo good
Mission Rounds are the perfect dip chip.
I've had Tostitos at countless parties and they break way too easy, and their saltiness over powers the flavor of whatever you're dipping them in.
Look for the Siete brand corn chips made with avocado oil and free of toxic corn and seed oils. More expensive but worth it
Their sauces are so freaking good!
These are all widely-available commodity brands. And I get that. It’s unrealistic to try to test all of the regional varieties and smaller companies. But, boy oh boy, these aren’t the bags I would grab. We have an abundance of local producers who use traditional nixtamal for masa and are producing killer tortilla chips with high-quality corn. There’s a preponderance of smaller producers these days I have to imagine there’s something similar in almost every market. Seek out better producers than Frito Lay. You deserve it.
Agreed. Lucky to live in SoCal where we have tons of Mexican markets with soooo much better chips. They hold up to dip way better.
Amen!
@@vinstinctThe super old school SoCal chips are Have’A, which I’ve been eating since the early 90’s. That hit of soy sauce is the best, and that old-school bag will always live in my heart. El Toro Bravo are great if you want that hyper-crunch style in a thick chip.
I like making my own with corn Tortillas cut into triangles and deep fried.
I am a big fan of the Mission Rounds, though I do prefer thinner chips when I am in a restaurant.
Needed this video a month ago. I settled on mission thin and crispy. They're fine. Will be trying their recommendations soon!
Don’t, you should get the Juanita’s instead.
wish you'd either talked about the salt levels or reviewed unsalted ones. I find most supermarket chips way too salty.
That said, Xochitl chips are my fave.
Salt levels are indicated in the full review which is linked in the video description.
I really like xochitl but they break too easy.
@@ScottFidler fair. Goes well with their salsa which is also my fave
Mine also!
Calidad White Corn Tortilla Chips
So many chips…our favorite are Trader Joe’s “unsalted” because theyre “unsalted”….get plenty of sodium from salsa or whatever you dip in. Excellent if you’re trying to lower sodium/blood pressure 😁
Wow. We love the on the border chips! They are great
I go to my local Mexican restaurant and order a side of chips and salsa to go. I've not found a store bought one even close. They're so salty and chemical tasting
Need to try Aldi - Simply Nature Tortilla Chips
They make great nachos.
I love the calidad brand
Great to know
I like Santitas chip don't have problem breaking. Totitos break every time. Also like missions chips I like also.
Why did you not include the Juanitas? I see the bag, but they weren't tasted/tested. They're amazing.
Late July!!
I can eat an entire bag of Calidas chips without any salsa. My fave
Mission is my favorite, not even a question !!
Just so they’re crisp and fresh! 😋🩷
Aldi has a Blue Corn tortilla chip that is my go to
I love Julio's, but haven't seen them since I left Texas
Thanks for your recommendation. I found some locally in Ohio and really enjoy the delicate, mildly seasoned chip. They probably wouldn't survive a dip into guacamole, but I would happily eat these plain. I also tried Donkey's salted variety, which were sturdier, but not as tasty. Still, a good chip for guacamole. I really hope to find Juanita's (Juantonio's) due to the various positive comments.
Love my Trader Joe's blue corn chips.
Here in Michigan, Better Made into a tortilla chip in our area that me can’t get enough of!
The Late July are fine. They just don’t have as much salt and are less oily than most. They have a hint of lime flavor that doesn’t have a ton of salt, as well.
Based on the comments for this video, I bought a bag of Juantonio's tortilla chips. Omg they are addictive! So much better than Tostitos, which used to be my favorite.
Came here to say the same thing!
They were hard to find in my area. Plus, they are the most expensive brand locally. However, they are the best tasting store bought chips I have tasted.
Mission is a winner for me because their tortilla chips have more of a slightly toasted corn flavor that I don't get from any of the other brands I tasted (including your winner). They also hold up in generous dip passes.
I've learned so much from this channel.
When I get fragile chips, I simply use a spoon to scoop up the guac (or salsa) and put it on the chip. You often don't have a choice when you're at a restaurant.
H‑E‑B fresh chips sold in the deli. I get the unsalted, heat in the oven and add a little salt. It’s good. They’ll fail the dipping test though.
Zack’s Mighty Tortilla Chips are my new favorites
Aldi"s corn chips are suprisingly good
My local Ingles grocery store makes the most amazing UNSALTED tortilla chips. A 12oz bag is $3. I would highly suggest seeking them out or any unsalted option made in house by a grocery bakery.
If you want a sturdy, fresh chip - and usually cheaper than buying a bag of pre-made chips - then buy the cheapest package of corn tortillas you can find. Take a stack of the tortillas and cut them into a plus "+" sign, so there are 4 chips per tortilla, then put them on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes and voila! You've made FRESH tortilla chips - they are not oily yet fresh and ready to eat with your homemade guacamole!
Late July nacho cheese flavor!!
It's a labor of love... but I fry or bake my own and store them in a lined repurposed cookie tin. 🤣 Theyre eaten too quickly to turn stale.
We love Juanita's if store bought though.
Tostitos Multi-Grain Scoops are my favorite
Totally disagree with your results... Makes me wonder if your survey was biased towards New Englanders... In Texas, we have much better salsas and they tend to be less "chunky" when fresh so don't need as sturdy a chip while in your test I saw only chunky salsa... My favorite major brand is Siete's but the Late July works for me too while the ones you like are thick chips... Again, I sense a bias...
ATK typically chooses brands for their taste tests that are nationally available best sellers so that their subscribers should be able to go to their local store and buy them. According to the comments with the full taste test results (link in video description), members of the tasting panel quite like Mi Niña. But it’s a brand only available in the New England area so it was not included in this taste test. However, they did include Oregan-based Juanita's/Juanantonio's.
Did the guy from TX A&M recommend HEB chips, made in store.
Tortilla chips that break under that heavy avocado dip are a GOOD thing. That means they are delicate and tender. So many brands of chips are simply too hard. Same with taco shells, Anything Old El Paso is hard as a rock.
Having lived in New Mexico for 20 years, guess I learned something. If I don't make my own chips, than I only buy the Tostitos tortilla chips.
Homemade RULE. 🎯
My personal favorite is Santita's. Haven't tried Juanita's yet.
You're missing out. Juanita's are the best and it's not even close.
I agree on not listing Juanitas, way to oily imo so they get soggy quick. On the Boarder is my pick, every time I get Tostitos half way through the bag I’m eating nothing but half and quarter chips.
Pop them in the air fryer or oven to get out the moisture
I like Mission.
Tostitos were my chip of choice for many years until I discovered Juanita's and they blew me away. Juanita's is the best tortilla chip and it is not even close. Perhaps they didn't hold up as well in the ATK's guac dip test, but my wife makes guac often and it is our chip of choice. Being an Oregonian (where they are made) we've been eating them for over a decade.
Xochitl is the best!
The best tasting corn chips are from Xochitl, a but thin but so delicious (they even make a great chipotle jarred salsa) I also enjoy the late july lime chips and the zach's mighty chips which are extra thick
late july generally does not have extra junk in the mix. canola oil (gmo) and additives to preserve freshness ( too many of them to list here). they were designed to be light (fragile) and crispy....not to dip!
All the brands' basic ingredient list was as Jack said: corn, oil and salt. Most of the brands used a blend of vegetable oils or a “may contain” descriptor to allow the manufacturers to source based on price/availability if need be. A couple of brands indicated corn masa and water instead of corn, stoneground corn or whole ground corn. One brand had “trace of lime (calcium hydroxide)”. That's the extent of the ingredient lists.
However, Jack did say some manufacturers were flushing oxygen out of the packaging with nitrogen to retain freshness. But that's more an additive to the bag space than to the chips themselves.
So what are these “too many of them to list” additives? 🤷🏼♀
I’m still going to go with the H-E-B tortilla chips - fresh and always sturdy for salsas or guacs
The best option if available is to buy a local brand. I can get _El Milagro_ a brand from Chicago that is sold as far as Peoria, IL. If I can’t fine them my local Schnucks makes them at the store. The mass market stuff is second tier from what I’ve seen.
The best chips ever are from El Milagro - the Totopos variety. They actually age the tortillas before turning them into chips. Heaven.
Love a thick cut chip.
I love the winning chips, but usually buy Santitas because they're less expensive and they're pretty close in quality to Tostitos.
El millagro makes our favorite.