Pita Chips

5 from 4 votes
Jump to RecipeJump to VideoRead My Story

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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.

Pita chips on a baking sheet.
Want to save this recipe?
Type your email below and I’ll send it to you! As a bonus, you’ll receive recipes, shop specials, and more.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make pita chips, you should know that making your own is not only easy, homemade chips can be 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 pita chips 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 zaโ€™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 375ยฐF. Line a large 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 inn the preheated oven 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. 

Pita pieces in a glass bowl with a small dish of salt next to it.
Golden brown Pita chips on a sheet pan

Fried:

Step 1. In a large sautรฉ pan, heat the oil to 350ยฐF. 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.

loaves of golden fried pita chips on a paper towel next to the stove

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.

Whatโ€™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 this pita chips recipe, to save time cutting. Just be sure the pita is set on a cutting board rather than the countertop.

How to store them

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

Make-ahead Instructions

You can cut the pita bread up to 2 days ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature

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 arenโ€™t gluten free because they contain flour, which has gluten in it. 

Lebanese Fattoush Salad for the Mediterranean Diet

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, salt and pepper both, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, or sesame seeds. 

Baked pita chips on a sheet pan
Tap the stars to rate this recipe!
5 from 4 votes

Pita Chips Recipe

Here are two methods for making your own pita chips, either baked or fried. Either way you do it, the results are crunchy, salty, toasty, and the perfect accompaniment to any dip you can think of!
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • Pita bread, thick or thin
  • neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
  • fine sea salt, to taste
Save This Recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, and as a bonus, you’ll receive recipes, shop specials, and more.

Instructions 

Baked Pita Chips:

  • Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Open the pitas and pull the halves apart along the seams. Using kitchen shears, cut the pita into 1-inch strips. Cut the strips into 2-inch pieces.
  • Toss the bread 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.ย 
  • Spread the pieces of bread out on the prepared sheet pan and bake them until they are light golden brown, stirring a few times and rotating the pan, about 10 minutes for thin pita and up to 15 minutes for thicker pita.

Fried Pita Chips:

  • In a large sautรฉ pan, heat the oil to 350ยฐF. The oilis ready when a small piece of bread placed in it bubbles up vigorously.
  • For thinner pita, fry the whole pita at once. For thicker pita, split the pita open and separate the pocket into to rounds.
  • 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. Take care as not to burn the pita as you fry; they turn golden quickly.
  • Salt the fried pita immediately. Break the pita into chips before using.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Maureen Abood
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Lebanese
Servings: 8
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Save

(Visited 1,710 times, 3 visits today)

You May Also Like...


5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

7 Comments

  1. Kweilin Nassar says:

    I love this recipe. I use it all the time and my friends ask where I bought my pita chips. LOL!

    1. Maureen Abood says:

      SO delicious and so nice to hear!!! Thank you!

  2. Sarah Abood says:

    Three years after this entry was posted I am making my own pita chips in Canada (alone in self-isolation in the time of COVID19) and I thoroughly enjoyed reading (or re-reading?) your little tribute to “cousin love”. It’s a gorgeous Sunday morning here with flowering trees and birdsong right outside my balcony, but I am transported to a weekend in Chicago where I got to share delicious eats, great conversation, laughter, and memories of our beloved Sitto. Ever grateful for precious moments with sisters and cousins! Be well and keeping writing Maureen.

    1. Maureen Abood says:

      Sarah! So special, thank you. I am so happy to connect with you in your kitchen in Canada over our dear cousin love….

  3. Serenity says:

    Can I make this the day before I plan on serving it with your fattoush ? If so, how do I store it? Thanks!

  4. Mary says:

    Instead of shears try a pizza cutter– I have my girls cut up the pita for chips when ever I make Hummus

  5. Norma Truman says:

    COUSINS! OUR REUNIONS WERE CALLED COUSINS BY THE DOZEN. SUCH FUN! SUCH MEMORIES! AND NOW, SO MANY ARE GONE. BUT CHERISHED MEMORIES REMAIN.