Pita chips are simple to make and a great way to use up the last couple of loaves of pita that seem to hang on! Baked or fried, homemade pita chips are light, crispy, and at-the-ready for dips and fattoush salad.

Making your own pita chips is not only easy, it gives you chips that are so much better than store bought. Homemade chips can be made in a couple of different ways, baked or fried. They are light, crispy, and a must-have for your fattoush salad, mezze platters, and simple chip-and-dip moments!

Ingredients

Pita bread. Any type of pita will work. Thicker pita pockets yield thicker chips, which are great for scooping up dips. Thinner pita yields thinner chips, which are ideal for crushing into fattoush salad. 

Oil. I love using a neutral oil like canola or safflower, but olive oil works fine for baked chips. You can make this with sunflower oil, coconut oil, or whatever you have on hand!

Fine sea salt. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can use any salt or seasoning to flavor your chips. My simple go-to is fine sea salt (fine salt distributes better than coarse salt), but garlic powder, onion powder, and of course, my Lebanese za’atar seasoning are all a great way to flavor this addictive, crunchy snack.  

How to make Pita Chips

Baked:

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Step 2. Cut the pita. For thinner chips, open the pita and pull the halves apart along the seams. Cut the bread into 2-inch pieces.

Step 3. Toss in a large bowl with the oil and about a teaspoon of fine sea salt. Use your hands to coat the bread evenly with the oil and salt. Taste and add more salt if you like. 

Step 4. Spread the pieces of bread out on the prepared sheet pan in a single layer and bake until golden brown, stirring a few times and rotating the pan, about 10 minutes for thin pita and up to 15 minutes for thicker pita. Baking time will vary, so keep an eye on them. If doubling the recipe, be sure not to crowd the pan, so each chip can get crispy. 

Fried:

Step 1. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil to 350°F. The oil is ready when a small piece of bread placed in it bubbles up vigorously.

Step 2. For thinner pita, fry the whole pita at once. For thicker pita, split the pita open and separate the pocket in two.

Step 3. Place the pita carefully in the hot oil. It will bubble vigorously. Use long tongs to turn the pita over when it starts to turn golden brown. Fry briefly until golden, then remove to drain on a paper towel-lined sheet pan.

Step 4. Salt the fried pita immediately. Break into chips before using.

To use the air fryer, cut the bread into pieces and use a pastry brush to coat the strips to ensure you get crunchy pita chips. Cooking time will vary depending on if you cut thinner chips or thicker chips.

What’s the best way to cut the bread? 

My preferred method is kitchen shears, but a pizza cutter will also do the job, especially if doubling or tripling the recipe, to save time cutting. Just be sure the pita is set on a cutting board rather than the countertop.

Are pita chips healthy?

They sure are a great snack and much better than store-bought or other chips that typically contain preservatives. Health food pita chips are not! But in the world of chips, homemade have a leg up on other snack chips saturated with unwanted ingredients. Most grocery stores carry whole wheat pita made from whole wheat flour, which can be used to make pita chips that are higher in fiber. 

Are pita chips gluten free?

Pita chips made with regular bread aren’t gluten free because they contain flour, which has gluten in it. 

How to store them

You can store pita chips at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure they’re in an airtight container, or any convenient resealable container, to keep crispy chips. 

What do you eat with pita chips?

Pita chips are an essential ingredient in Lebanese Fattoush Salad, a crunchy salad topped with crisp pita chips. They are right at home on a mezze platter, and also perfect as pita triangles with spinach artichoke dip, sprinkled with parmesan cheese, homemade hummus, labneh or sour cream seasoned with spices (try mint salt!), muhammara or tzatziki. Really anything goes! Thicker dips call for a thick chip. You can also enjoy them on their own with different seasonings: just drizzle with an oil mixture of extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, or sesame seeds. 

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