We Tested And Ranked 16 Tortilla Chips For Scooping Dip And Found The Sturdiest Ones
Whether it's Super Bowl Sunday, taco Tuesday, or just a random weekday afternoon, tortilla chips and dip is always a winning combination. There's something satisfying about the crisp crunch of a perfectly salted tortilla chip paired with a scoop of creamy dip that just hits the spot. But the quickest way to sour the celebratory mood might just be with a structurally unsound chip.
When searching out the best chip to pair with salsa, guacamole, or any other mouthwatering accoutrement, structural integrity is paramount for delivering the most satisfying dip-filled bite. Some of the top-ranked tortilla chip brands prioritize texture over structure with delightfully thin and crispy varieties that easily shatter when put to the scoop test. One way to mitigate this issue is to make your own homemade tortilla chips, lightly seasoned and deliciously deep-fried in elevated ingredients like duck fat. But with so many quality storebought options lining grocery store shelves, we figured that there had to be a ready-made solution to the dip problem.
We decided to put some of the nation's top tortilla chip brands to the scoop test to discover which chip holds up best. While there are dozens of options from which to choose, we selected a broad range of widely available tortilla chips and tested their ability to scoop up dip without cracking under pressure.
Read more: The 15 Healthiest Chip Brands, Ranked From Worst To Best
16. Garden Of Eatin' Yellow Corn Chips
Beloved organic snack brand Garden of Eatin' makes some tasty treats, but its tortilla chips didn't measure up when it came to scooping up dip. When sampled on their own, these chips came across as stale and lacked the signature crunch we were craving from a classic tortilla chip.
When dunked into chunky guacamole, the first chip snapped at the corner under the weight of the veggies and had to be fished out — a party faux pas if there ever was one. The second scoop yielded a measly 36 grams of guacamole. Even with this petite portion, the yellow corn chip couldn't retain its crispness under all of that avocado. While the initial bite was pleasant, the chip lost texture almost immediately — not exactly the textural contrast we were after. And at $6.99 for a 16-ounce bag (roughly $0.43 per ounce), these organic chips aren't worth the splurge.
15. Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips
Made with cassava flour and avocado oil, Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips are a slightly more nutritious alternative to the classic corn-based variety. Developed by a Mexican-American family adjusting to life on a low-inflammation diet, these grain-free bites are a breath of fresh air for those struggling to find snacks that fit within restrictive dietary limitations. The result is a crispy snack with an airy and almost fluffy texture that's delightful on its own but doesn't exactly hold up in the dip-scooping department.
A softer texture means that Siete's chips can't quite scoop up the hefty portion of guacamole you might be craving. Two chips in a row broke before we were able to liberate a sizeable bite of dip from its container, and the final bite was fairly monotone in texture. While these chips would go perfectly well with a simple salsa, heavy veggie-based dips are better reserved for a sturdier tortilla chip.
14. Trader Joe's Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips
Among the best value on this list, Trader Joe's Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips come in a massive 1-pound bag for roughly $4 a pop. Not only do you get quite a bit of bang for your buck out of this party-sized bag, but the chips tend to hold up against chunky dips, as well. These white corn morsels held firm when scooping out a whopping 75 grams of guacamole -- not that we'd recommend attempting such a feat at a group gathering.
While Trader Joe's tortilla chips certainly go big, that's where the positive praises end. The chip may have held a huge amount of guacamole, but the final bite was less than satisfying. There was very little crunch, and whatever texture we could discern dissipated pretty quickly, leaving behind a mushy mouthfeel. The culprit for all of these issues seemed to be stale chips. The chips tasted like they had been in the bag for a while and lacked the signature crispness of a tortilla chip. Luckily, there is a trick to revive stale tortilla chips: Simply pop them in the oven or microwave until warm and crispy.
13. Xochitl White Corn Chips
Thin and crispy Xochitl tortilla chips are about as close to the chain Mexican restaurant staple as you can get out of a bag. Exactly as advertised, these white corn delights are uber thin and crispy to a fault which, while delicious and texturally satisfying, doesn't quite add up to a structurally sound base for scooping dip.
It took us several tries to scoop out a decent serving of chunky guacamole without breaking a chip, which left us frustrated rather than fulfilled. The Xochitl chips yielded the smallest serving of dip of any of the chips on this list at just 32 grams. Once chewed, the crispy texture we so enjoyed straight out of the bag disappeared almost immediately beneath the weight of the moisture-heavy guacamole. While not ideal for dipping, these thin, crisp, and easily breakable store-bought tortilla chips make a mean migas, a Tex-Mex breakfast classic that benefits from a bit of added crunch.
12. Greenwise Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips
Southern-based grocery store chain Publix is beloved for its subs, its bakery, and its store-brand products, including the organic line Greenwise. While some Greenwise products go above and beyond, its tortilla chips land somewhere in the middle. Not overwhelmingly memorable, Greenwise Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips were fairly solid in the structure department, scooping up 45 grams of chunky guacamole after only breaking once — a strong showing for a store-brand tortilla chip.
There were no overwhelming negatives to these yellow corn morsels, but there weren't a ton of highlights either. When sampled straight out of the bag, the chip gave a satisfying crunch that dissipated pretty quickly, and the addition of guacamole did little to help matters. While the tortilla chips were well-priced at $2.40 per bag, the 9-ounce offering won't go far on Super Bowl Sunday. You're better off searching out a larger bag of sturdier chips for your next gathering.
11. Mission Restaurant Style Thin & Crispy
When it comes to scooping out hefty portions of dip, thin and crispy tortilla chips generally just can't stand up to the task — though Mission's Restaurant Style Thin & Crispy variety certainly gave its all. Served from a signature brown bag adorned with a bright red mission bell, the delightfully crunchy chips managed to stay crisp through chewing, even when loaded up with more than 50 grams of chunky guacamole.
However, the road to acquiring that much dip on a single thin and crispy chip was a bumpy one. Several chips snapped off at the corner when going in for a scoop, leaving sharp broken bits behind for another unfortunate soul to find later when attempting to load up their own perfect bite. All things considered, Mission's restaurant-style chips are a deliciously crisp and salty vehicle for scooping out thinner dips, just maybe not super-chunky guacamole.
10. Late July Organic Sea Salt Dippers
Literally designed to maximize dip scoopage, Late July's Organic Sea Salt Dippers initially gave us high hopes with their unique shape. Boasting a more oblong, shovel-like physique than other scoop-type chips, these organic snacks got the job done with ease. The spade-shaped tortilla chip scooped up a generous 52 grams of chunky guacamole without so much as a crack in its surprisingly light and airy structure.
Where Late July's well-formed tortilla chips fall short is in their crispness. Straight out of the bag, these chips deliver a satisfying crunch that disappears pretty quickly. The same goes for a guac-packed bite: A quick crunch that quickly loses texture as you chew. All things considered, these chips were good; however, at around $6 for a 7.4-ounce bag (a whopping $0.81 per ounce), Late July's Organic Sea Salt Dippers just weren't worth the splurge in our opinion.
9. On The Border Café Style Tortilla Chips
With nearly three decades of chip-making expertise under its belt, On the Border knows a thing or two about crafting a sturdy tortilla chip. The brand's signature café-style tortilla chip toes the line between thin, crispy, and sturdy, resulting in a dip-ready chip that doesn't feel like biting into a chunk of tortilla. According to On the Border's website, a proprietary blend of white and yellow corn flour creates a unique flakiness that holds up against chunky salsas and even homemade guacamole.
When it came time to test these tried-and-true tortilla chips, we did notice one design flaw that seems to plague all triangle-shaped snacks: The chip snapped at the corner during our first overzealous scoop attempt. Upon the second scoop, On the Border's Café Style chip held firm and delivered a very generous 60-gram serving of chunky guacamole. The tortilla chip stayed surprisingly crispy, even up against the veggie-packed dip. The final bite delivered that satisfying blend of crunch, salt, and savory goodness that made us want to reach for a skinny margarita.
8. 365 Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips
With its pricy "whole paycheck" reputation, Whole Foods may not be the first place you'd go in search of cheap eats for a crowd. But thanks to the brand's surprisingly affordable 365 branded staples, better-for-you options like organic chips and guac are within arm's (and paycheck's) reach.
At just over $3 for a 12-ounce bag (around $0.26 per ounce), 365's Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips are a competitively priced party food option, with a better-for-you ingredient list, to boot. Enjoyed straight out of the bag, these tortilla chips are wonderfully crisp and addicting. Even a hefty serving of chunky guacamole didn't dampen this chip's crunch, though scooping out the dip took an extra try or two. We chalked the crackage up to the chip's triangle shape, which has proven time and again to be a faulty design choice. With so much crunch to enjoy, we let the initial breakage slide.
7. Santitas White Corn Tortilla Chips
Typically seen boasting a bright red label with a sub $2 price point, Santitas White Corn Tortilla Chips are among the most reliably affordable chip offerings on the grocery store shelf. Not only are these tortilla chips consistently priced, but they are also among the sturdiest specimens we've found.
The white corn tortilla chip showed its strength when scooping out an impressive 52-gram serving of chunky guacamole in one fell swoop. And when paired with the dip, the chip maintained its structural integrity, delivering a crunchy complement to the rich avocado and chunky veggies.
The only downside to Santitas is the thickness of its chips. Those who prefer the light and crisp variety may find the brand's thicker tortilla chips a bit of a deterrent, and those with sensitive gums are bound to agree with the former. But we found the toothsome texture an enjoyable contrast to creamy guacamole.
6. Great Value Restaurant Style White Corn Tortilla Chips
One of the biggest surprises in our test of tortilla chip scoopability was the structural integrity of Walmart's Great Value-branded tortilla chips. Thin, crisp, and downright tasty, these white corn delights were craveable straight out of the bag. When pitted against our dense chunky guacamole, these chips stood up to the challenge without so much as a grain out of place, delivering a whopping 62 grams of dip in a single scoop.
If we had one complaint, it would be that the Great Value tortilla chips couldn't quite stand up to the guacamole once we popped the dip-laden bite in our mouths. The chip lost its crispness fairly quickly under the weight of all of that avocado, onion, and tomato, which was a real shame after such a strong initial showing. However, at just $0.17 per ounce, Walmart's Great Value tortilla chips are a steal, especially when hosting a multi-dip affair.
5. Tostitos Original Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
America's second-most popular tortilla chip, per Statista, holds up well under pressure. Tostitos sold more than 376 million bags of tortilla chips in 2023 alone, coming in as runner-up only to Doritos, whose nacho cheese and cool ranch-flavored offerings satisfy a different kind of game-day craving.
Serving up a staggering 65 grams of chunky guacamole without so much as chipping a corner, Tostitos Original Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips are delightfully crispy right out of the bag and make a nicely seasoned accompaniment to your dip of choice. While the chip does scoop up a significant portion of dip, it does lose a bit of its texture under all of that moisture. The loss of crunch was minimal but noticeable enough that, when compared to a few of our other tortilla chip contenders, it fell a bit in the rankings. While Tostitos may not be the MVP, it certainly deserves a first-round pick.
4. Tostitos Scoops!
Aptly named, Tostitos Scoops! were the envy of many a birthday party in the early aughts thanks to their novelty and dip scoop-ability. The iconic bowl-shaped tortilla chips are perfectly poised to scoop (get it?) up a rounded teaspoon of any accompaniment your tastebuds may desire without cracking under pressure.
The stability of the tortilla chips was evidenced by the lack of broken shards in the 10-ounce bag. Nearly every bowl-shaped bite nabbed out of the bag was found to be fully intact with a palate-pleasing crunch. Each chip remained whole throughout the dipping process and maintained its crisp texture even under a generous portion of avocado. Where the Scoops fell short was simply in their size. The petite scoop could only hold about 30 grams of guacamole, which while minimal, was at least consistent — not a bad thing when portion control is top of mind.
3. Publix Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips
Marking the store brand's second appearance on this list, Publix is proving its worth in the chip-and-dip game. Where the Publix yellow corn tortilla chip beat out its white corn Greenwise cousin is in the shape department. Round tortilla chips proved to be the vastly superior shape for scooping dip due to the lack of weak corners and breakable edges. Even better? The circular chips were less likely to break in-bag prior to consumption.
These curvy chips kept their crispness intact while scooping up 44 grams of chunky guacamole with ease. A pleasant crunch accompanied the final bite that maintained its textural integrity even under the weight of all those veggies. In addition to their extra crispness, the yellow corn chips had a stronger flavor that lingered even through the guacamole's stronger flavors of onion, jalape?o, and lime juice — not relevant to structural integrity but noteworthy, nonetheless.
2. On The Border Fiesta Dippin' Chips
If you've got your heart set on finding the sturdiest scoop-shaped chip, look no further than On the Border's Fiesta Dippin' Chips. Slightly larger than the Tostitos version, On the Border's shovel-shaped tortilla chips delivered on texture and structural integrity with a nice roasted corn flavor for an added bonus.
The most noticeable difference between the two brands' cup-shaped chips was the number of ridges. Where Tostitos Scoops! had several sharp ridges that formed a more well-defined bowl, On the Border's Fiesta Dippin' Chips boasted a more open star shape that allowed for more dip with less breakage. The latter was able to scoop up a respectable 45 grams of chunky guacamole within its scoop-shaped borders without chipping or losing its crispy crunch. And at less than $4 for a 12-ounce bag (about $0.32 per ounce), these sturdy scoop-shaped tortilla chips are a pretty good value, too.
1. Mission Rounds Tortilla Chips
Of all of the tortilla chips we tried, Mission Rounds Tortilla Chips were the best and sturdiest chips on the grocery store shelf. The brand's circular yellow corn tortilla chips were as craveably crispy on their own as they were buried under a 63-gram mound of chunky guacamole. The final bite was a textural symphony that had us reaching for more, even after trying over a dozen other types of tortilla chips. The structural integrity of the Mission Rounds was so sound that we can confidently recommend their use as a base for the best homemade nachos.
But the best part about Mission Rounds Tortilla Chips is that you don't have to break the bank to get the best. Retailing around $3 for an 11-ounce bag, these crispy morsels come out to about $0.27 per ounce of sturdy, whole chips — no mess of broken bits here.
Methodology
Most grocery stores feature an entire aisle dedicated to chips alone, making our goal of ranking the best tortilla chips for scooping dip seem a super-human task. To narrow down the contenders, we selected chips of various textures and shapes from widely available brands to discern the most structurally sound candidates.
To avoid favoritism, we limited each brand to two types of tortilla chips. For example, Tostitos has several varieties of chips, including a lime-flavored option. However, the flavor of the chip shouldn't affect its structural integrity, so we stuck with the original and scoop-shaped versions to best judge the strength of the chip.
To judge durability, we used chunky guacamole as our control — arguably the most difficult dip to scoop. Chips were first judged on their crispness right out of the bag before being used to scoop out hefty portions of the veggie-packed guac. Each chip was then judged on sturdiness (did the chip break? If so, how many chips did it take to deliver a sizeable portion?), amount of dip delivered (weighed in grams on a digital scale), and overall texture (was the chip still crispy after being loaded with dip?). The scores were averaged and tallied with the amount of dip delivered used as a tiebreaker.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
