14 Store-Bought Tortilla Chips, Ranked Worst To Best

Life is short, which is all the more reason to eat great tortilla chips! With countless options on grocery store shelves, choosing a stellar chip can seem like a chore. Lucky you, I happily took one for the team to uncover the most a-maiz-ing store-bought tortilla chip brands.

Tortilla chips were introduced as an afterthought at SoCal restaurants in the early 1900s — send snaps to Mexican-American Rebecca Webb Carranza, who popularized frying discarded tortilla scraps, creating the holy grail of munchies in the '40s. Now, they do 5.3 billion in annual sales as America's No. 2 choice for salty snacks. (No. 1 potato chips, your days are numbered.)

To rank these store-bought tortilla chips so that the competition wouldn't be swept by taste bud scorching "fuego" hot Takis, I went for plain, salted corn (or corn-ish) tortilla chips and then put them to the test. I evaluated chips on salt level, overall structure, and the guacamole test — y'know, to see if they can stand up to a little resistance without breaking. Ranked from worst to best, these supermarket brands guarantee prime chippage for game day, ultimate nachos day, and any day in between.

Started at the bottom, now we're ... still at the bottom, watching O Organics White Corn Tortilla Chips hang on by a thread to be part of this list. While the brand claims it went organic before it was cool, O didn't seem to get the memo about how people typically prefer chips that have flavor.

Organic white corn flour and vegetable oil from USDA certified organic producers somehow didn't quite manage to align with whoever was charged with sprinkling the sea salt on the chips. While some chips seemed to have fallen into a salt brine along their journey, others appeared positively untouched by the flavor fairy. I spent some time wondering how many people have actually cashed in on the "Love it or it's on us!" promise on the back of the bag. Overall, this brand felt like a phoned-in effort on checking the tortilla chip box for a billion-dollar brand. If you see these at a party, we can only hope for a nearby bowl of salsa golf in which to dip them.

Barely squeaking past the bottom spot, Late July Organic Thin & Crispy Tortilla Chips do what O Organics could not: somehow get salt onto every chip. Touted as "restaurant style," which is an actual production standard that usually employs fine masa and results in thinner chips, this brand satisfies the minimum requirements.

If a chip bag can have any more organic certs and verifications stamped all over it, Late July will probably be first in line. Founded in 2003 by Nicole Bernard Dawes, who just wanted an organic salty snack, the brand is Non-GMO Project verified, USDA Organic, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, processed in a peanut-free facility, and recyclable through Terracycle after you finish the bag. If that stuff is your jam, dig in. If decent flavor is a consideration, keep reading. Like a porcelain doll missing a nose, these chips maintained much of their original shape, even if most of the once-jaunty triangle corners were busted. The unassuming, muted seasoning (or lack thereof) might instead create a good base for fork-friendly broth-simmered chilaquiles, but isn't exciting enough to snack on by itself.

For reasons that may or may not have to do with the shameless use of salt, the No. 2 most-popular brand in the industry lands in 12th place. Tostitos Original Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips (this particular bag goes out to Los Angeles Rams fans from the official chip and dip of the NFL) come as giant-cut chips in a great big bag, with so much salt my tongue shriveled up just thinking about it.

A walloping salt profile bursts forth on the first bite, but quickly dissolves into a bland, papery corn flavor with zero personality that seems to lurk by the snack table waiting for you to spice up the small talk. It's the energy vampire of tortilla chips. If it weren't for the salt — and the ice cream nachos recipe on the bag which somehow alludes to the brand possessing somewhat of an imagination — this one would have landed even further down the list.

Whole Foods cooks up another one of its house brand offerings with 365 Organic Restaurant Style Salted Tortilla Chips. It's unclear whether the factory or the West Hollywood store is to blame, but half of the bag was occupied by broken chips. (Survivors pictured above.) Plus, to be honest, the vibe was pretty much Whole Foods Tostitos.

USDA Organic, gluten-free, and kosher certified, these tortilla chips serve up "restaurant style" while still being thick enough to stand up to salsa with a little more viscosity. Still, with the architecture of this brand now established, the ephemeral, one-note flavor has left the building. While there's enough seasoning to bring out the toastiness of organic stone ground white corn, what followed shortly after was the slightest hint of "saltines." I love a saltine cracker (usually when I'm nursing myself back to health), but I was mystified by this flavor profile. (Are saltines made of corn? Are tortilla chips made of saltines?) You will likely notice none of this if you dip these chips in the gooey melted cheese they clearly want and deserve.

Taking a cue from the Mexican folk dancing duo on the packaging, Calidad Corn Tortilla Chips are all about celebration. Certified gluten-free and made with zero preservatives, the bright yellow bag makes you want to bust it open and devour its yellow corn contents.

These chips are sal-tee to the max (like, can I insert a flashing party light and air horn in here somehow?), but also handily follow up the opening act with a pleasant corn flavor and seasoning that sticks around while you eat. I noticed a hint of what I initially thought might be staleness, which quickly led to an almost imperceivable chewiness even though the chips are also crispy. (The bag was still fresh well on the friendly side of its sell-by date.) Intentional or not, the silver lining is that this play on textures gives this chip a flexibility that help it withstand a chunky dip without crumbling into a million pieces.

Mission Fiesta Size Tortilla Rounds understood the assignment showing out with disc-shaped chips that even have little "char" marks (like the ones on real tortillas) from the time they allegedly hit the piping hot comal during production. (Except they didn't. They were fried, not griddled, but moving on ...)

No matter what anyone says, a brown bag somehow feels right for tortilla chips. (For the record, so does a mostly-transparent plastic one.) What Mission accomplished in establishing an origin story for these chips — even a fake one — it dropped the ball on when it came to flavor. I could taste the corn, along with a hefty dose of salt, but they seemed almost like completely separate ingredients that hadn't decided if they were gonna make it official on a single chip. Still, these sturdy rounds make a perfect, bite-sized canvas for any and all of your snacking. Not to play favorites, but they'd probably find their forever home in a loaded beef taco casserole.

Confession: Originally, I didn't want to include any blue corn chips because of the taste difference compared to white and yellow corn, but there weren't enough brand options, so here we are. But you guys, these chips are "now even tastier," if you remember at all how they previously tasted. (I couldn't!)

Garden of Eatin' has been doing the organic blue corn thing since 1971, complete with Non-GMO Project verification, international organic certification, and gluten-free, kosher status. (Blue corn also packs a 30% higher protein content than the yellow kind.) If you're familiar with that blue corn energy, you'd go into this expecting a heartier texture than you might find with white corn, and a nutty, almost earthy flavor. While I definitely picked up the signature flavor, along with a sensible amount of salty seasoning, the structure was surprisingly light. There's a graininess to the texture, but I've previously sampled much more muscular blue corn chips. This brand is a solid choice if you're feeling blue, but there are other options out there if you're still down for the ol' white and yellow.

On The Border Cafe Style Tortilla Chips just might be the sturdiest brand on the list. And they definitely pack the salt to stand up to that sassy 'tude. (I feel like I should say that I once worked as a server at an On The Border restaurant. Apologies to the customer who graciously donned the side of beans I accidentally poured onto her lap.)

I tried to uncover "cafe style" chip standards, but it appears that only On The Border is doing cafe style while also defining its merits. As far as I can tell, this chip is meant to scoop chunky guacamole, frozen ice cream, and possibly cement. (Nobody try that.) It's such solid construction, nearly all of the chips appeared fully in tact when I opened the bag — even after accidentally dropping it on the counter. But since we've arrived at the beauty pageant portion of this ranking, I noticed an odd flakiness on one side of every chip. Maybe it's just this batch, but the texture seemed to have been curiously roughed up during processing. It's a minor detail, but Chowhound tortilla chip rankings show no mercy.

Bold, gold, bubbly, and toasty, Que Pasa Organic Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips elevate stone ground corn into a fine art to land this brand in the top half of this list. If you want a solid snack option with a little extra flair, Que Pasa's your brand. (I promise I'm not totally blinded by my love of brown paper packaging.)

Que Pasa nails triangle chip aesthetic (aka looking like a Dorito) with crisps that feature whole kernel corn ground by volcanic stones from Queretaro, Mexico. (This process might even sneak in a bit more fiber than more finely-processed tortilla chips.) These chips also look legitimately rustic, with their visible specks of pericarp (it's the dark part of the corn hull where the kernel connects to the rest of the cob). They're pleasantly salted, with a flavor that seems to have more depth and dimension than some other brands around these parts. They look cute in the bag, but even better in a chip-n-dip bowl with a little pico de gallo.

Rocking the featherweight division in the chip bowl, Casa Sanchez Thin & Light Tortilla Chips serve up a recipe that's so satisfyingly crunchy and airy, they practically float from the bean dip to your mouth. (Maybe that was just me doing "here comes the airplane" with my Casa Sanchez.)

With a true tortilla feel, the flavor is warm and toasty with a seasoning that appears to have been accomplished with a single grain of magical salt. Further adding to the fried and air-dried acrobatics of the Casa Sanchez factory that began in San Francisco's Mission District is the fact that the chips are impossibly light, while also being extraordinarily strong for such slim "delgados." Room temp queso with chunky jalapenos? Bring it on. This brand would also make for some killer nachos if you like chips that maintain a crunch factor under the weight of black beans, guacamole, and sour cream. I was loving the roasted corn flavor so much, I didn't want anything to distract from this elegant recipe.

I've been a loyal fan of Siete ever since someone introduced me to the brand, saying something like, "What! You don't know about Siete?" (I immediately jettisoned myself to the store.) Siete Grain Free Tortilla Dip Chips just may be my favorite of the line — not counting the Cinnamon Churro Strips, mkay? Launched by a seven-member Mexican-American family (that's where they got the name Siete!) aiming to achieve better health in their south Texas community, the brand handily delivers on flavor and totally-worth-it crunch.

What the heck are these chips made from if there aren't any grains in the recipe? That was my first question, too ... y'know, once I polished off the bag. Here, cassava — a high-fiber, starch-packed, gluten-free root — tags in where the corn would typically be found. But, despite using other ingredients not typically found in corn tortilla chips (avocado oil, pumpkin powder, coconut flour, and psyllium husk powder), these chips satisfy the corn chip cravings without missing a beat. Toasty flavor accompanies a light crunch with the occasional blistered surface, making this brand feel as authentic as it gets.

I hesitate to stick this brand in third place only because these chips are, in fact, blessed, and I would prefer to avoid tortilla chip prison. Nevertheless, Gracias a Dios Multi-Corn Tortilla Chips land a knockout punch with light, crispy texture and warm, roasted corn flavor.

I love the crunch and the sturdiness of each chip, which taste fried without seeming even oily. The flavor goes all-in on the corn with the lightest touch of salt. But, even so, they're fully primed for whatever dip, salsa, or recipe you're in the mood for tonight. About that blessing, though — the brand name Gracias a Dios translates to "Thank God" or "Thanks be to God." And just under that, the multi-corn "consagrado" reveals a consecrated variety of corn. Since the brand's home site livingtortillas.com isn't currently live, we must assume that this sacred corn chip is just as divine as it tastes.

It was a legitimate throwdown for the top two spots, but after much consideration (chip eating), the runner-up goes to La Cocina de Josefina Mexican Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips. She fought a good fight, that "Josefina," while secretly moonlighting for Frito-Lay.

This brand wins the award for the bag with the most in-tact chips, which are then loaded with flavor all on their own. Near-immaculate triangular crisps bubble with blisters and corn hull specks while mopping the floor with savory flavor. The reason I mention parent company Frito-Lay, however, is because these tortilla chips taste oddly similar to another famous chip: Fritos. While corn-based Fritos aren't technically tortilla chips, it's like Josefina has become the tortilla version of her curly little friend. Whether or not there's some mixing-in going on behind the scenes at the Frito-Lay factory, this is one flavor profile I can't un-taste. And yet, has anyone ever met a Frito they didn't like?

As the best of the bunch, Juantonio's Gluten-Free Tortilla Chips knock it out of the park with a stone ground yellow corn tortilla chip brand named after the Dominguez family matriarch and patriarch, Juanita and Antonio. Everything about these chips answers the tortilla-based desires of any chip lover's heart. They're light, crunchy, perfectly salted, and taste almost like sweet corn with a toasty touch. They're also about half the size of Tostitos chips, which allows for a pleasing crunch on a chip that fits in your mouth, leaving no crumbs on your shirt. 

If the brand seems familiar to anyone living in the Pacific Northwest, that's because Juantonio's is actually the official reworked Juanita's chip brand name (same tortilla heritage, different legal name) for sales in the rest of the U.S. Regardless of whether it's Juanita's or Juantonio's, this is "Juan" helluva tortilla chip.

Well, it's a yummy job, but somebody's gotta do it. As a lifelong snack fiend, I consider myself highly-qualified for the task of choosing the best store-bought tortilla chips.  

First, I hit up local supermarkets in Los Angeles for salted tortilla chips. (Jalapeno Ranch or any other blatant flavoring was not allowed, purely to set a level playing field.) Then, overwhelmed by air-puffed chip bags, I got to work, testing crunch, contemplating structure, and evaluating seasoning, while trying not to rip open the bags and rain chips all over the floor. A chunky guacamole provided the perfect road test to gauge tortilla chip utility. (Tragically, we lost a few good soldiers.) But, all in, I would seriously bring the top five brands to any party — with an awesome cotija-topped elote chip dip on the side.