Sometimes you just want a simple, pita-style cracker for hummus or cheesy spreads. But today even supermarket crackers go for cheese-shop prices. So look no further than the humble store-bought flour tortilla for a quick and inexpensive way to a delicious crunch. With a touch of olive oil, paprika and salt, you can bake up crispy flour tortilla crackers for happy dipping and snacking.
They cost way, way less than boxed crackers. And what better use for stale or leftover tortillas?
Go crazy and sprinkle on chili powder, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, or whatever you like to flavorize these little cuties. But they taste great plain.
And you can bake corn tortillas into crisp tortilla chips, too, with just a little oil and salt. For a faux “hint of lime,” sprinkle on sour salt (citric acid). Popular in Eastern European and Jewish foods like Great-Grandmother’s Prokas (Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Cabbage), sour salt is a secret ingredient in hummus and other dishes where we want pucker but don’t need lemon flavor or juice.
Of course, if you want nutty, whole-grain artisan crackers just like those in the specialty shops, try our yummy Homemade Rye Crackers. You may never buy a cracker again.
Baked Tortilla Crackers and Chips
- Four 8″ flour tortillas (enchilada sized) or smaller corn tortillas
- Olive oil
- Kosher or sea salt
- Paprika
- Optional topping of your choice, such as chili powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, etc. For corn tortillas, sprinkle on sour salt (citric acid).
- Preheat oven to 300° F.
- Drizzle olive oil onto each tortilla. Then stack them up and rub around so the olive oil spreads to both sides of each tortilla. Unstack and sprinkle each with salt and a little paprika on one or both sides. If you want, add a spice or seasoning of your choice on top.
- Cut each tortilla in half twice (into 8 wedges) using a sharp knife or pizza wheel. Place triangles in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake for about 10-15 minutes (watch after 10 minutes) until lightly browned and crisp. Time will vary depending upon the thickness of the tortilla. Let cool, then serve with your favorite dip or spread. Or just snack on them. Store in a sealed container or zipper bag.
