The Best Store-Bought Tortilla Chips To Pick Up For Taco Night

Unlike salsa or guacamole, you may not think that there's much variation across tortilla chip brands. Apart from slight differences in shape, how different can fried (or baked) pieces of lightly salted corn tortilla really be? In reality, not very. In fact, when Chowhound food writer Lauren Bair taste tested and ranked 14 store-bought tortilla chip brands, she discovered that the top five options were all absolutely worthy of taco night. Still, the gap lengthened considerably between the top contenders and those that dropped toward the bottom.

Whether she's telling you which brand of Buffalo sauce should coat your wild wings or which bottle of wine to order at Olive Garden, Bair is no stranger to addressing all your party-having needs. She applied her same exacting standards in her tortilla chip rankings, evaluating each brand based on its structure and seasoning. She opted for plain, salted corn (or mostly corn) tortilla chips, and ate each chip on its own and with a dab of guacamole.

At the end of the day, although many chips were winners, one brand stood at the top of the podium: Juantonio's Gluten-Free Tortilla Chips. Although it may sound like a health food, this product took the top spot thanks to its hearty crunch, light seasoning, and impressive resistance to a heavy dip.

You've probably seen this brand stocked on the shelves of your local grocery store, but you probably don't know the story behind its quirky name. These stone-ground yellow corn tortilla chips are named after Juana and Antonio Dominguez, the matriarch and patriarch of the Dominguez family.

Juantonio's chips possess all the key qualities of the ideal tortilla chip, imitating the size and thickness you're looking for when a basket of fresh chips is placed in front of you at a restaurant. Lauren Bair notes that the chips are slightly smaller than other common varieties, like Tostitos, so they won't break in half as you dip them or slice into the sides of your mouth if you try to eat them whole. Thin and airy, Juantonio chips have the right amount of crunch without shattering too easily. Plus, they have a lightly salted, not overly seasoned taste that's reminiscent of the toasted corn they're made from. So, the next time you're dishing up some ridiculously good guacamole, reach for Juantonio's Gluten-Free Tortilla Chips to ensure the best bite.