13 Creative Ways To Upgrade Basic Tortilla Chips Right In The Bag

There are a ton of tortilla chip brands that taste amazing all on their own. But as much as we love the combination of sweet corn and the saltiness that often accompanies these chips, most tortilla chips can be upgraded with additional ingredients to help break up their blandness. Of course, you can always make a mean plate of nachos, but when you're feeling lazy and want to eat your chips straight out of the bag, that can feel like a lot of work. Therefore, we're taking a look at some of the most creative ways you can upgrade your basic tortilla chips to make them taste amazing ... without having to use any dishes. These additions can be made to the bag itself, for fuss-free flavors that are sure to bring your chips to a new level.

Love your chips acidic and a little bit spicy? We have a solution for that. In fact, we even have an idea to turn your tortilla chips from a standard savory snack into a fully fledged dessert. Once you give these chip upgrades a try, you may never want to go back to plain tortilla chips again, even in your laziest snacking moments.

There are some flavors that seem to pair with tortilla chips perfectly, and chile and lime happen to be two of them. Think about it: You've probably seen lime-flavored tortilla chips before, offering an acidic twist on the classic. And if you like spicy flavors, then some chile can make for an especially well-rounded snack. If you throw straight lime juice and whole chiles into your bag of tortilla chips, though, you'll end up with poorly distributed spice and a soggy mess once the juice starts to soak into the chips.

Luckily, there's an easy way to incorporate these flavors into your tortilla chips: Sprinkle on some chile lime seasoning. To help those seasonings adhere to the chips better, you might want to toss in a small amount of oil as well. Once you give these chips a taste, you'll be overwhelmed by how much flavor you can add to the equation with such a minor addition.

There are few dips as delicious and beloved as homemade guacamole (although the store-bought stuff works in a pinch as well). But if you just add a glob of avocado to the bag, you're almost bound to be disappointed. Not only does that make for an incredibly messy snacking experience, but it can also make your chips soggy if you don't eat quickly enough, especially considering how watery some guacamole recipes can be when they include moist ingredients like tomatoes. However, you may still be able to capture some of that creamy flavor you love right in the bag with this quick upgrade.

Instead of incorporating actual guacamole into the recipe, try cubing up some avocado and throwing it into the bag instead. This will give you the combination of creamy avocado and salty crunch of the chips without all that mess. If you want to take things to the next level, include other ingredients that would normally appear in a guacamole recipe, like jalapeños and onions. Does it taste exactly the same as guacamole? Maybe not, but it's close enough for those lazy snacking moments.

For a lot of people, tortilla chips are regarded as a side dish for tacos. After all, when you go to your favorite Mexican chain restaurant, you probably start off with some chips and salsa before you order your tacos. Therefore, it only makes sense that taco seasoning would pair well with otherwise plain tortilla chips. This spice blend can be added to the bag for a flavor-packed snack that probably tastes even better than your favorite flavored chips. Store-bought taco seasoning is the way to go if you want to keep things simple, but we also have a recipe for homemade taco seasoning that calls for ingredients like cumin, black and red peppers, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and more. If you already have these spices on hand, you can use them instead of buying a separate packet of taco seasoning.

Because taco seasoning is dry, it's also a good idea to add a tiny bit of oil to the bag to help those spices stick a bit better. Using a neutral oil, like canola oil or avocado oil, will keep the flavor focused on the spices instead of the oil itself.

Now, of all of the suggestions on this list, this one may be the most unexpected. But if you're adventurous and want to try something new, it might be one of the most exciting upgrades. When you want to give your savory snack a sweet spin, try adding some cinnamon and sugar to the mix. We know what you're thinking: Aren't those sweet flavors and salty flavors going to clash in a weird way? But swalty food is super popular these days for a reason, because sweet and salty elements often amplify each other when paired together, making the whole snack even more delicious. Plus, beyond the salt, tortilla chips actually have a pretty neutral flavor.

Because we're working with dry spices here, you already know what we're going to say: Include a small amount of oil to help the cinnamon and sugar stick better to the chips. Your snacky dessert is about to get a lot more interesting.

If you're on the snack side of social media, then chances are you've seen the Basque nacho trend. This unique take on nachos generally ditches the classic tortilla chips for potato chips and skips the traditional nacho toppings, instead opting for ingredients like Spanish ham, pickled peppers, olives, and manchego. Basically, if you like super-salty snacks, then it's probably right up your alley.

It's not a rule, though, that you absolutely have to use potato chips. If you want to give this snack a twist, use tortilla chips instead, creating sort of a hybrid between classic and Basque nachos. And because chips in general have a neutral flavor, they can be interchanged quite easily. We love this addition to a bag of tortilla chips because it tends to be a little less wet and messy than classic nachos, which makes it perfect for making the dish directly in the bag. Are things still likely to get a little bit messy? Sure. But that's all part of the fun.

You know those days when you're way too busy to even contemplate making a real meal after work? We've been there too many times to count, and that's exactly when the bag of tortilla chips in the back of the pantry starts looking pretty good. If you're like us, though, you find yourself getting hungry again an hour after eating those chips, since they don't offer much sustenance all on their own. That's the perfect time to open a can of beans and add them to your bag of tortilla chips. This might be one of the laziest dinner hacks out there, but it's one that can come in handy when you don't have a lot in the pantry and just can't bring yourself to cook. We particularly like black beans for this purpose, but other varieties, like pinto beans, can also work well.

You'll want to make sure you drain your beans really, really well before adding them to your chips, though. If there's a lot of excess moisture, it can quickly turn your chips soggy before you get the chance to finish them. And to amp up the flavor even more, consider sprinkling in some of the other seasonings we've suggested here, like chile lime.

Just because you want to eat chips directly out of the bag doesn't mean that you can't go for some more substantial toppings. Although things might get a little messy, we love the idea of topping our tortilla chips with pulled pork. It's basically the same idea as pulled pork nachos, just without laying everything out on a tray. The combination of warm, tender pork with the crunch of tortilla chips takes both elements to the next level. And because tortilla chips tend to be so salty, they help amplify the flavor of the pork. This kind of meat isn't chewy or tough, which makes for a clean, easy bite — no gnawing away at a fatty piece of steak or chicken.

You could add other pulled pork nacho toppings to your bag of chips. It's easy for things to get quite messy this way, which is why we recommend keeping things as simple as possible. You don't need to add anything else to make this combination work well together. Try this tortilla chip hack the next time you make homemade pulled pork or if you have some leftover. Either way, you're in for a treat.

Have you ever stood in the chip aisle, surveying your options, unsure of which variety to choose? We've been there before, and it's a tough predicament. Maybe you want the plain, salty crunch of good tortilla chips, but you also want the bold, tangy flavor you get from Doritos. Choosing one or the other, though, feels like a disappointment. This is when you may want to buy both bags and mix them together for a hybrid crunch that satisfies all of your snacky cravings.

We like this combination because it cuts the flavor intensity that Doritos provide. Although we love how Doritos taste, they can be overwhelming if you eat too many. Cutting them with plain tortilla chips helps tone down that super bold flavor. At the same time, you might find yourself bored with plain tortilla chips, so the added interest and flavor from the Doritos come in clutch. It's also a great solution when you have two half-empty bags of chips but still want to get some serious snacking done. Choose your favorite Doritos flavor, and get ready for a snack you'll want to eat on repeat.

One of our all-time favorite appetizers is Buffalo chicken dip. It's nice and tangy, with a richness that's decadent but not overpowering. There's also a lovely creaminess to balance some of the tang. While Buffalo chicken dip is good on its own, it's much better when you have some sort of carb-y vehicle to eat it with. Crackers are a solid option, but so are tortilla chips. And if you want a simpler snacking experience sans dipping, you should add a dollop of the dip to your bag of tortilla chips.

It may be messy, but we love that the creaminess of Buffalo chicken dip won't make your chips soggy right away. Instead, you can count on them staying intact, even after they're adorned with plenty of the dip. Feel free to add some chives or chopped scallions to the mix, since that brightness will give the whole snack a lift. Plus, it's a great way to use up any leftover dip you have on hand after a party.

Why settle for one of your favorite foods when you could enjoy two at the same time? That's the idea behind pizza nachos. As the name implies, this is a dish where pizza toppings take the place of traditional nacho toppings, giving you that pizza flavor profile in the format of nachos. It's a little chaotic, but it can be really delicious if you already like these flavors. The chips' neutral taste lets them shine in a variety of contexts, like when they're covered in pepperoni, herbs, and more.

You don't have to spread these nachos out on a pan and go through the whole process of meticulously topping them. Instead, if you're looking for a quick snack, add some of your favorite pizza toppings directly into the tortilla chip bag. We especially like pepperoni, since it makes for a savory, meaty topping that won't make your chips soggy. Herbs are also a great addition — a good Italian seasoning can be a nice addition here. Even grated parmesan cheese can shine in this context. Of course, you can experiment to your heart's content, but make sure not to include any ingredients that are too wet — this means that pasta sauce is probably out of the question, unfortunately.

Sometimes, the simplest upgrades can make a snack shine. Because tortilla chips don't have that strong of a flavor all on their own, they don't need much to bolster the flavor. One of the easiest upgrades on this list involves tossing the tortilla chips with some fresh herbs along with olive oil to help distribute those flavors. You can use basically any herbs you have on hand: Cilantro is obviously a good choice here, considering the fact that it's often used in Mexican and Mexican-inspired recipes. However, you can also use parsley for a touch of freshness, chives for a pop of savoriness, and even rosemary if you want your chips to taste warm and comforting.

While we suggest using neutral oil for some types of seasoning blends, olive oil can actually work here quite well because it imparts a flavor that works with most types of herbs. And if you don't happen to have any fresh herbs on hand, you can also use dried varieties in their place, although their flavor won't be quite as strong.

Have you ever had curry fries before? It's one of our favorite ways to eat potatoes, since the curry provides so much flavor. But you don't have to stick with fries to get a taste of this delicious snack when you can use tortilla chips as a base instead. It might not be super conventional, but once you give it a try, chances are you'll see what the hype is about. Basically, you just have to sprinkle some curry powder on the chips and add a bit of oil to get them to stick. You can even use spray oil here to ensure that you're not using too much.

You can either keep things simple, or you can add other, complementary flavors to the mix. Paprika is a great choice, as is a sprinkle of garlic or onion powder. And, of course, don't be afraid to add some chili if you want to give the snack a bit of spice. When you get that first taste, you'll be blown away by the level of complexity of your tortilla chips.

Perhaps the most iconic way to enjoy a tortilla chip-based snack directly in the bag is with a walking taco. This involves adding your favorite taco toppings to a bag of chips, then enjoying the combo with a fork. Because you're actually using a utensil here, you don't have to worry as much about the chips getting too wet or soggy. This means you can pile on the salsa, the guac, the hot sauce, and any other wet toppings you might normally avoid if you were eating the chips straight from the bag with your hands.

Often, walking tacos are made with Doritos or Fritos, which certainly offer the dish a bold base. However, you could make walking tacos with normal tortilla chips. In fact, it might even be a better option if you really want to focus on the flavors of the toppings instead of letting the chips themselves take the spotlight. Whether you're making walking tacos for a party or event, or you're looking for a fun way to switch up your dinner routine, they might change the way you think about tortilla chips from here on out.