21 Best Tortilla Chips for Nachos, Dipping and More in 2025
A party can hardly do without a bowl of the best tortilla chips. Maybe you need an easy appetizer — throw out a bowl of the best corn tortilla chips and some salsa or guac, and you’re set. Maybe you’re making nachos on movie night. Or maybe you just need something to snack on after a long day when you want to unwind in front of the TV.
Whatever the occasion, a bag of tortilla chips does the trick. They’re a snack-aisle heavyweight with a huge variety of options.
But which of the hundreds of tortilla chip brands out there offer the best corn tortilla chips? That’ll depend on what you want them for. As a rule of thumb, the best nacho chips won’t come from the same brand as the best dipping chips or the best plain-old-snacking chips.
However, this guide to the 21 best tortilla chips covers a pretty wide range of flavors and preferences, so something here is bound to be just what you were after.
If you feel like you’ve spent years searching for the best store-bought tortilla chips and coming up empty, look no further. At least for now, these are the best tortilla chips money can buy.
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The 21 Best Tortilla Chips Brands To Try
1. Santitas
This brand claims that its tortilla chips are “restaurant-style,” but let us let you in on a secret: they actually avoid a lot of the mistakes that Mexican restaurant tortilla chips often make.
Many restaurants make chips with a smooth texture and a blander flavor profile so they can better stand up to the weight of salsa or guacamole. But Santitas is all about flavor, and no one would accuse these chips of being bland. They’re some of the best tortilla chips for dipping, but their bolder flavor and saltiness also make them one of our favorite stand-alone snacking chips.
We can see where the restaurant comparison comes from, since restaurant chips, much like Santitas, tend to be thicker and better for dipping than conventional store-bought brands. But while restaurant chips will usually have you reaching for the salt shaker, you won’t have that problem with these flavorful chips. Think Dorito seasoning, but corn-and-salt-flavored. Trust us: it works.
2. Calidad
Similar in taste and texture to Santita’s, but a little bit less sturdy, Calidad makes flavorful, versatile tortilla chips that have a variety of uses. If you prefer eating your chips straight out of the bag, that makes this one of the best tortilla chip choices for you.
But it’s also a great one to leave out for your guests with a bowl of guacamole at a party when you don’t have time to put together a complicated appetizer.
3. Mission
Those looking for the best tortilla chips for nachos will find a great candidate in Mission’s tortilla chips. Whether you go for the round or triangular variety, Mission chips have that balance of sturdiness and tasty but mild flavor that’s a perfect base for nachos.
But these aren’t only some of the best nacho chips: they’re pretty solid across the board. There are two kinds of tortilla chips: the layered, flaky, smooth-surfaced kind that you’re likeliest to find in Mexican restaurants, and coarser, ground-corn chips like these.
If you’re looking for some of the best tortilla chips in the latter category, Mission is definitely an option to consider. Great for dipping, munching or for when you need snacks to leave out for guests who graze.
4. Juantonio’s
Some think the best tortilla chips are the kind that don’t hold on to a single trace of oil. To others, the greasiness is an integral part of the chip experience, perfect for neutralizing a little of that salsa spice. If you fall into the latter category, Juanantonio’s might be your new favorite brand of tortilla chips.
Known as Juanita’s in the Pacific Northwest and Juantonio’s everywhere else, these chips are best known for their oily-but-never-overbearing texture and immaculate crunch. They’re fried, after all, so why not just go with it and embrace the grease? It’s what has made Juantonio’s chips a beloved brand among tortilla chip connoisseurs.
5. El Milagro
El Milagro isn’t one of the better-known tortilla chip brands, and that’s a shame. El Milagro is an ideal partner for your favorite dip, large and sturdy. And unlike some similar brands, these chips are never bland or stodgy.
The secret? El Milagro uses the traditional Mexican technique of frying with stale tortillas, which is how they achieve that sturdy but crunchy texture. If you think texture is what makes or breaks the best tortilla chips, you might find that El Milagro is your new favorite brand.
Although the company began in Chicago and initially wasn’t commonly found anywhere else, it’s now sold at Aldi stores nationwide. Celebrate this great addition to the list of best tortilla chips by finding a bag at your nearest location.
6. Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s makes a variety of tortilla chips using both white and blue corn, but they all have a few commonalities. Short ingredient lists are one standby, which is refreshing to see in a bag of grocery store chips. (Not exactly healthy chips, but they’re certainly better than average.)
So is a thicker, sturdier chip. These are elite dipping chips, but if you don’t mind a more pronounced corn taste, they’d also be some of the best tortilla chips for nachos.
Yes, Trader Joe’s does sell some thinner and crispier chips, but the majority are more sturdy. So if you’re looking for a quality chip that can hold toppings at a reasonable price, Trader Joe’s has some of the best tortilla chips in the business.
Plus, with a decent variety of options in the Trader Joe’s snack aisle, you can easily find the best fit for you with a little bit of sampling.
7. Tostitos
Tostitos have a bit of a reputation in the chip world. They’re often treated as if they belong to a separate category from most of the best tortilla chips, not quite there in terms of quality or authenticity. And sure, you could as reasonably classify them among the best gas station snacks as the best tortilla chips. But all of that overlooks a key point about Tostitos: they’re delicious.
No, they’re not the chips for anyone who wants their tortilla chips made of artisanal corn using only the most traditional methods. But they’re salty, crunchy and impossible to stop eating, perfect for pairing with a huge variety of dips and salsas.
8. Mi Niña
Almost everyone who tries this lesser-known brand of tortilla chips agrees that there are few better brands out there. Sure, they’re harder to find and more expensive than most of the best tortilla chips. But Mi Niña chips strike one of the best balances of sturdiness and crunch, salty flavor and the mildness that makes a chip versatile.
As far as all-arounders go, Mi Niña is undeniably among the best tortilla chips in the business. Making nachos? They’re sturdy enough to hold all those toppings, no problem. Dipping? You’ll find nary a dip that these chips don’t suit. And you can probably guess that they’re just as good on their own. These ones have earned their reputation as one of the best tortilla chips out there.
9. Garden of Eatin’
Garden of Eatin’ makes grain-forward chips with a little more heft than your average supermarket bag. Offering both blue and yellow corn flavors, they have a pronounced texture that makes them feel more substantial than many of the best tortilla chips. But they’re surprisingly thin, making them better-suited for snacking on their own than for dip.
Garden of Eatin’ is one of the best tortilla chips to choose if you like the texture of a grainier tortilla chip but not necessarily the thickness. If you’re hoping to make nachos or scoop your guacamole, though, it might not be able to withstand the weight of those toppings.
10. 365 by Whole Foods
Look, you can’t always get small-batch artisan chips. Sometimes what you have at your disposal is the supermarket aisle, and on those occasions, Whole Foods sells some of the best store-bought tortilla chips in the business.
That said, 365 by Whole Foods tortilla chips are probably ideal for shoppers who prefer to eat their chips plain. This is a thinner and more delicate chip than many of its competitors, and we can easily see it breaking off in your guac if you tried to dip it.
Nacho sauce, we imagine, would have a similar effect. Although if you’re one of the few people who know and perceive the truth that melted cheese is a million times better on nachos, they’ll work out just fine.
But they taste great, and that’s what matters. You won’t need any heavy dips or sauces to make these flaky, salty chips taste worthwhile. That’s what makes them some of the best tortilla chips to eat straight out of the bag.
11. Chicas
Chicas is a brand that prides itself on careful preparation, first making tortillas with traditional methods before cutting and frying them. The effect is much like that of the Mexican-restaurant-freebie kind of tortilla chip, with a smooth, flaky texture and a good crunch. If you’re looking for the best tortilla chips to dip, these are a great option.
That said, Chicas is an up-and-coming brand, so you may not be able to find these as widely as some of the other best tortilla chips. Among the major grocery chains, Vons, Albertsons and Sprouts are the likeliest places to find a bag of Chicas.
12. Xochitl
Xochitl is another newer brand making some of the best tortilla chips, but it can be a bit polarizing. Some people can’t get enough of these thin tortilla chips’ salty finish and crunch, while others feel that their thinness is a knock against them.
And it’s true that Xochitl chips aren’t the best tortilla chips for your favorite guacamole or queso dip. But if you just want a good-quality, flavorful chip to snack on, Xochitl’s tortilla chips are some of the best in the business.
Sometimes, that paper-thin crunch makes the snacking experience all the better. So, whether or not you’d rank these chips among the best tortilla chips really just depends on what you want to do with them.
13. Siete
If you’re looking for a bag of authentic, well-crafted tortilla chips with no filler ingredients, Siete makes some of the best tortilla chips on sale anywhere. Not only that, but they’re one of the few brands of truly high-quality tortilla chips that come in a variety of flavors.
In addition to the standard corn flavor, you can also get Lime, Mexican Street Corn, Blue Corn and Taco Seasoning chips — all following the same formula of simple ingredients without fillers.
Plus, if you’re worried about gluten or other additives, Siete offers a line of grain-free tortilla chips. These use ingredients like cassava flour and avocado oil to make sure that shoppers with common allergies and food sensitivities can still enjoy Siete tortilla chips.
All of that makes Siete one of the best tortilla chips if you’re looking for quality chips free of the ingredients you’d rather skip out on.
14. Que Pasa
Plenty of tortilla chip brands claim to use quality ingredients and traditional Mexican preparation methods, but those claims often seem a little dubious when you open the bag. Not so with Que Pasa, a brand whose commitment to whole ingredients and small-batch preparation is unquestionable.
Since 1983, Que Pasa has been selling some of the best-quality and most dippable chips on the market. They're also an ideal chip choice when you're putting out chips and guacamole as a party snack, but you still want to impress.
15. Late July
We have to give Late July credit: its chips are about as close to a truly healthy snack as it’s possible for tortilla chips to come. If you’re trying to minimize the processed ingredients in even your indulgent snacks, Late July makes some of the best tortilla chips for you.
Their simple, organic ingredients do away with a lot of the additives and food dyes that plague conventional tortilla chips. While they are by no means a low-calorie snack, Late July makes some of the best tortilla chips for health-conscious snackers.
They also come in a variety of flavors, something you won’t typically find in a solid tortilla chip brand. Try both classics like Lime and more creative flavors like Mexican Street Corn, which imitate beloved Mexican street foods, for a more varied tortilla chip experience. Flavored chips get a bit of a bad rap, but Late July is one of the few brands where the best tortilla chips aren’t only salted.
16. Good & Gather
Maybe you don’t think of Brand X-esque supermarket brands when you think about the best tortilla chips, but you’d be surprised how many solid options you can find in the supermarket aisle. After all, huge supermarkets can’t afford to keep making products that don’t sell. Target is one such supermarket.
Good & Gather tortilla chips are some of the best tortilla chips at striking a middle ground between the grittier texture of more natural chips and the flakiness of a restaurant-style tortilla chip.
They’re also salty and flavorful, a perfect chip for idle snacking. While their bright flavor is great with spicier salsas, they’re just as good all by themselves.
17. La Banderita
La Banderita by Olé Mexican Foods is known first and foremost as a brand of tortillas, so it makes sense that they’d have some of the best tortilla chips in the business, too. They’re also baked before frying, which makes for a crunchier chip than most competitors. That unique method, plus the simple, natural ingredients, make for a great partner with your favorite guacamole or salsa.
18. On the Border
If your favorite tortilla chips are the ones you get for free in a bottomless basket at Mexican restaurants, this might be the best tortilla chip for you.
On the Border’s “Café-Style” tortilla chips are designed to be paired with smooth salsa, a la the complimentary chip basket at your local cantina, and they’re a pretty convincing imitation.
For everyday snacking, there are probably better choices than these rather insubstantial tortilla chips. But that’s not what they’re designed for. Above all else, these are chips designed for salsa, and you’ll want to eat them that way. It’s the dipping possibilities that make them some of the best tortilla chips out there.
19. Vista Hermosa
A lot of tortilla chips seem to forget that they’re made of corn. Usually, it’s ground so finely that you can’t even taste it anymore, and the texture of the chip lacks all of the characteristic lumpiness of a real corn product. If that bothers you, Vista Hermosa is likely the best tortilla chip for you.
Because it never tries to disguise its natural flavors, this chip is great for pairing with equally natural, whole-food dips. Guacamole is an obvious choice, and Vista Hermosa chips are more than sturdy enough to handle it. But it’s great for chunky salsas, too.
20. La Cocina de Josefina
In the vein of Juantonio's, La Cocina de Josefina offers a thinner, crunchier and oilier chip than some of the other options on this list. If a chip isn't a chip to you without that shiny coating of frying oil, look for the red Josefina's bag in the snack aisle and get ready to meet your tortilla chip soulmate.
Is it that thick, mealy chip that's perfect for guacamole or a chunky salsa? No. But it is one of the best tortilla chips for general snacking, with just enough flavor and heft to hold up under your favorite salsa.
21. Kirkland Signature
Costco fans may visit looking to stock up on such bulk-sized essentials as butter, eggs and rotisserie chicken at best-in-class prices, but don’t overlook the snack aisle at this cheap grocery store.
It’s hiding two of the best tortilla chips in the business: house brand Kirkland Signature’s Organic Tortilla Chips (the triangular ones that come in a colorful plastic bag) and Tortilla Strips (rectangles, in a purple paper one).
Both of these Costco snacks are great for essentially the same reason. Even ignoring the quantity and price (obvious advantages in their own right), Kirkland Signature chips stand out as one of the best tortilla chips for dipping. They’re sturdy, flavorful and not too thick. Their agreeable saltiness also makes them suitable for standalone snacking.
That said, if you prefer your tortilla chips a bit more layered and flaky, Costco’s chips are pretty one-dimensionally crunchy and might not be the best tortilla chips for you.
What Are the Best Tortilla Chips?
As we’ve hinted at all along, this isn’t a straightforward question to answer. Perhaps we ought to amend the question: you really have to ask, “the best tortilla chips for what?”
That answer is going to vary a lot depending on the intended use of the chips. Are you looking for a nacho base, a dipping chip or a standalone snack? You’ll rarely find that even the best tortilla chips satisfy multiple of those criteria.
The Best Tortilla Chips for Snacking
For the best standalone chips, we recommend Mission if you like a salty chip. Or if you prefer a sturdier chip, the higher-quality chips from Trader Joe’s or Late July are a top pick.
The Best Tortilla Chips for Nachos
On the other hand, if you want to make nachos, some of the best tortilla chips for you might be Santita’s and Kirkland Signature. A wider chip and a balance between sturdy and delicate are ideal for holding cheese, guacamole and all the other nacho trappings. Whether you’re following a classic recipe, trying pulled pork nachos or making easy sheet pan nachos, these tortilla chip brands are up to the task.
The Best Tortilla Chips for Dipping
Finally, salsa-dippers will want to look to Tostitos (the classic), Tacupeto or On the Border. As we’ve mentioned, the best tortilla chips among those options will depend on what kind of salsa (or other dip) you plan to use.
Tortilla chips don’t get nearly enough credit. With few ardent detractors, they’re one of the most widely loved snacks, and their versatility is almost unmatched. But that makes it all the more difficult to determine the best tortilla chips.
If your favorite’s not on this list, it likely just got lost in the endless shuffle of brands trying to capitalize on the popularity of this truly elite snack. But as for those that are, know that being counted among the best tortilla chips means that these chips will truly never do you wrong.
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