Nacho Cheese Doritos are my personal Kryptonite—I’ve been known to snack myself to the point of queasiness with a single bag. Thankfully, the homemade kind makes me mindful of how much I crunch, because I’m the one who’ll have to make more when I chomp through the whole batch. Even though this recipe leaves a white coating on your fingertips instead of the telltale orange residue, the pow-boom-bap signature spice is still there, lightly dusted all over the freshly fried tortilla chips.
YIELD: about 20 dozen chips
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
DIFFICULTY: 3
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: electric deep fryer (or a large pot large and a candy/oil thermometer), spice grinder or mini food processor, heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer
canola or vegetable oil for frying
1 package 6-inch corn tortillas
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese powder (see page 12)
1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (see page 12)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon citric acid (see page 13)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat at least 2 inches of oil to 350°F in an electric deep fryer or large, high-sided pot. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and an upside-down wire cooling rack (see Deep Frying 101, page 188).
Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles (cut into quarters, then cut each quarter in half).
Grind all the remaining ingredients together in a spice grinder or mini food processor. Pour the powdered mixture into a gallon-size zip-top bag.
Fry the chips in batches until golden brown. Frying time will vary based on your equipment, but should not take more than 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the lined baking sheet with heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer to cool completely (about 10 minutes).
Once all the chips are cool, place in the zip-top bag and shake to coat lightly with the seasoning powder. Remove the chips from the bag and return to the wire rack, shaking gently to remove excess powder if necessary.
These chips taste best the day they’re made.