There’s nothing in the world like the taste of a fresh tortilla chip. Whether they were made in the oven or fried on the stove, nothing beats the thickness, freshness, and undeniable crunch of a freshly homemade tortilla chip. Also, it is one of the perks of going to an authentic Mexican restaurant.
Do tortilla chips go bad? Chips do go bad, but if you store them right and re-seal the bag whenever you open it, they can maintain freshness for at least 2-4 weeks. A sealed bag of tortilla chips will last about 2-3 months. A batch of homemade tortilla chips will last 1-2 weeks.
The less that tortilla chips are exposed to air, the longer they will last. Also, stale tortilla chips are still perfectly safe to eat as long as their bag is sealed, but they may have diminished flavor.
How Long Do Tortilla Chips Last?
Tortilla chips are so popular in the United States that many grocery stores carry them. Unlike other types of chips, which usually have some kind of flavorings like barbecue sauce, ranch, salt, and vinegar, or pizza flavor, the only “flavoring or spice” tortilla chips have on them is a little bit of salt.
But how long do grocery store tortilla chips last? As long as the bag has no punctures or rips, the chips inside the bag will last two or three months.
But once the bag is opened, they will only last 2-4 weeks.
But if you’re like me, you can easily eat a bag of tortilla chips in two or three days. So, there may not be a need to worry about the expiration date!
How Long Do Fresh Tortilla Chips Last?
People like to make tortilla chips at home. But if you make a big batch, how long will they last, and will you need to eat them all in one sitting?
So, when it comes to the expiration date of fresh homemade tortilla chips, you’ll be happy to know that they will last 1-2 weeks as long as they are not exposed to air for a long time and no moisture gets in their container.
How Long Do Tortilla Chips Last? Shelf Life [Chart]
| Item | Shelf Life |
| Tortilla Chips, sealed | 2-3 months |
| Tortilla Chips, opened | 2-4 weeks |
| Tortilla Chips, homemade | 1-2 weeks |
How to Know if Tortilla Chips Have Gone Bad?
It is easy to find out if a tortilla chip has gone bad. The first thing you notice when you take a bite out of a chip is how stale it is. Its classic delicious flavor will have faded away, and it will taste like salty cardboard. The corn flour that tortilla chips are made from has its distinct flavor, but it won’t taste after it goes bad.
Mold also grows on tortilla chips if they have been sitting out for too long, and it’s been exposed to a bit of moisture. Mold will happen to both homemade tortilla chips and chips from the grocery store.
When you see mold growing on your tortilla chips, you may want to sit back and evaluate if you want to keep eating them. If there’s only mold growing on one or two of the chips, then I would throw those chips out and eat the other ones within a few days. But if there is mold on at least a third of the tortilla chips, it is best to throw the whole bag away.
Usually, people should throw away any food that has mold on it, but tortilla chips are in pieces. They are not altogether, so you may be able to eat the chips that don’t have mold on them. However to be safe, it is probably best to just discard the entire bag.
Can You Eat Stale Tortilla Chips?
Eating stale chips without getting food poisoning or nausea depends on if the bag of tortilla chips was opened or not. If you find an old bag of tortilla chips that are still sealed and have no bugs or moisture inside the bag, then you are still able to eat the chips. They will be stale and have no flavor, but they should be fine to eat.
But if you find an open bag of tortilla chips that look okay, but it has been more than 6 months past the expiration date, do not attempt to eat them. You never know what type of bacteria is lurking in the bag and what has been growing that your eyes cannot see.
How to Store Tortilla Chips
Every time you remove the chip clip and unfold the tortilla chip bag, make sure to reroll it back down and replace the clip. The air inside the package is the number one reason why chips get old before the expiration date. To protect the chips from the air even further, you can put the bag of tortilla chips in a heavy-duty large Ziploc bag and seal it closed. As long as chips are not in direct sunlight, you can leave them on the counter.
Fresh tortilla chips must be placed in a ziplock bag or even a plastic or glass jar. Do not let tortilla chips sit out on the counter or table for a long time. After you finish cooking the tortilla chips, allow them to cool off and store them in a container.
Conclusion
- Tortilla chips are one of the most adored snack foods in America.
- Although you can buy chips at the grocery store, people also like to make their own.
- Fresh homemade tortilla chips last 1-2 weeks as long as they are kept away from air and moisture.
- Tortilla chips from the grocery store will last as long as the bag is sealed.
- Once the bag of tortilla chips is open, it will last 2-4 weeks.
- Every time you open a bag of tortilla chips, make sure to roll the excess plastic down and keep the bag closed with a clip.
- Tortilla chips are safe to eat as long as they are in a sealed bag.