Learn how to make your own homemade gluten free pita chips, two different ways – baked or fried! The end result are golden, crunchy chips made with simple ingredients. Enjoy as is with a sprinkle of salt or pair them with a creamy hummus or yoghurt dip on the side.
Gluten Free Pita Chips at A Glance
- Fry them:
- Fried pita chips are extra crispy and cook in minutes. The overall process is actually quite easy (though a bit messy with oil splatter), but may be intimidating if you’re not used to frying things.
- Bake:
- Baked pita chips are a great option if you want a healthier option that uses less oil. Even though you need to flip your chips about halfway through cooking and be mindful of spacing the chips out, it’s a fairly easy process.
- These chips are super crunchy & satisfying:
- Bake or fry – if you love crunchy snacks then you’ll love these gluten free pita chips! Finish with a sprinkling of sea salt, za’atar spice or sesame seeds. These are a perfect snack to enjoy with your favorite hummus dip on the side or tossed into a salad to enjoy like croutons like in Fattoush Salad.
🌟First Things First – Pita Bread🌟
Try my homemade gluten-free pita bread recipe! It’s made with Greek yogurt to make the pita extra soft & tender! Bake until golden & puffy. Check the recipe notes for tips on making Vegan pita!
How to Bake Gluten-Free Pita Chips
Pita Prep
- Divide: Cut the pita pocket in half through to pocket to create two, thin pita rounds.
- Pita is thin with no pocket: If your pita is already quite thin (like a thick tortilla), use 4 pita loaves instead and don’t worry about cutting them in half.
- Pita is thick with no pocket: If your pita doesn’t have a pocket, but isn’t that thin, carefully cut it in half to make two. You might find this easier to do, one at a time after you’ve cut the pita into wedges.
- Oil: Use a pastry brush to brush a bit of oil over both sides of each pita. Sprinkle both sides with salt.
- Cut into wedges: Stack the greased pita halves on top of each other then cut into 8 equal sized wedges.
Bake & Season
- Spread evenly & bake: Spread the oiled wedges evenly across a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake about 7 minutes.
- Flip halfway through baking: Remove the pan from the oven and flip each chip over to ensure even cooking & coloring. Return to the oven and bake another 5-8 minutes or until the chips are golden and crisp.
- FYI – chip thickness & bake time: Keep in mind that the thinner your chips, the faster they will cook and the thicker your chips, the longer they will cook.
- Season while warm: Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional herbs: za’atar, oregano, sumac, thyme, sesame seeds, etc.
How to Fry GF Pita Chips
Frying Prep
- Prep tools: Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet to catch excess oil. To reduce clean up later, line the baking sheet with foil. Gather your frying tools – metal sieve, tongs, slotted spoons etc. When frying, things can burn quickly so it’s best to have everything ready as soon as you need it.
- Divide: Cut the pita in half through to pocket to create two, thin pita rounds.
- Cut into wedges: Cut the divided pita loaves into 8 equal sized wedges – leave them unseasoned & un-oiled.
Fry & Season
- Add to hot oil: Add about 1-2 inches of oil to a large pot or a sauté pan and warm over a medium-high heat. Add the pita to the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp (about 2-4 minutes depending on thickness).
- Flip: After 1-2 minutes of frying, flip the pita chips over using a pair of metal tongs. Finish cooking the other side another 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer to wire rack: Use a metal sieve or slotted spoon to scoop out the pita chips. Let the excess oil drip back into the pot then transfer them to a wire rack to dry/cool. While the chips are still fresh & warm, sprinkle with salt and seasonings.
Helpful Tips & Things to Know
Tips for Frying
- Oil Temperature: The golden range for frying is between 350-375°F (176-190°C). If the oil is too hot the chips will burn quickly. Too cold and the chips will soak up more oil than needed, resulting in soggy chips.
- What type of oil is best for frying? Choose for a neutral oil with a smoke point below 375°F (190°C): canola oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, avocado oil or olive oil.
- I used a combination of vegetable oil (cheaper) and olive oil (tasty) so I could get the olive oil flavor without breaking the bank.
- If you don’t own a cooking thermometer: Drop a single pita wedge into the oil. If it sizzles right away, it’s good. Lower the temp if burns quickly or the oil smokes. If the bread doesn’t sizzle on impact, increase the heat and wait a bit before trying again.
Tips for Baking
- Place thin chips in the middle – thick chips around the perimeter. Chips placed around the outside of the baking sheet are closer to the hot oven walls which means they’ll cook faster. Keep the thinner chips more towards the center of the tray so they don’t cook crisp up & burn faster than the thicker pita pieces.
- Space the chips out in a single layer. Don’t overlap the chips or leave them too close to each other or they won’t get air flow around all the edges and they won’t crisp up.
More Gluten Free Snacks to Try
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try making your own homemade pita chips recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Recipe
Gluten Free Pita Chips Recipe (Bake or Fry)
Yield:
about 32 chips
Cook Time:
20 minutes
Total Time:
20 minutes
Learn how to make your own super crunchy pita chips made with gluten free pita, two different ways - baked or fried!
Ingredients
- 2 gluten free pita breads
- oil for frying and/or baking
- sea salt or kosher salt
- za'atar spice - optional
- sesame seeds - optional
Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.
Instructions
Bake
- Oven prep: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease or line 1-2 large, baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Optional - divide pockets: If your pita loaves have pockets, split them in half so you end up with two, thin pieces of pita bread instead of 1 thick bread. If your pita doesn't not have a pocket or you like thick pita chips - skip this step.
- Add oil & salt: Use a pastry brush to brush a light coating of olive oil over both sides of each pita then sprinkle both sides with salt.
- Cut into triangles: Place the pita on a cutting board and slice like you would a pizza into 8 equal-sized triangles.
- Bake: Transfer the seasoned wedges to the lined baking sheet(s). Make sure to spread the pita out, leaving a bit of room in between each piece. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then remove the pan and flip each chip over. Bake again for 5-7 minutes until crisp & golden brown.
- Season, cool & enjoy: Sprinkle additional herbs like za'atar spice, chili flakes, sesame seeds etc over the chips while still warm. Once cooled, serve & enjoy.
Fry
- Prep cooling station: Place a wire rack over a large baking sheet with a big sheet of foil underneath to catch the oil. Set aside.
- Optional - divide pockets: If your pita loaves have pockets, split them in half so you end up with two, thin pieces of pita bread instead of 1 thick bread. If your pita doesn't not have a pocket or you like thick pita chips - skip this step.
- Brush with oil: Use a pastry brush to brush a light coating of olive oil over both sides of each pita.
- Cut into triangles: Place the pita on a cutting board and slice like you would a pizza into 8 equal-sized triangles.
- Heat oil: Add about 1-2 inches of oil to a large sauce pan or skillet. If using a skillet - choose one with tall sides and use only 1 inch of oil to prevent oil splatter. Warm over a medium-high heat until the oil to be somewhere between 350°F-375°F (175°C 190°C) - I highly recommend using a cooking thermometer to check the oil temp.
- Fry: When the oil is hot enough, gently lower the pita wedges into the pot. Work in batches so the pan doesn't overcrowd. Let fry about TIME minutes until golden and crispy. Use a metal slotted spoon to fish the chips out and transfer to the prepared cooling rack. Sprinkle generously with salt and additional seasonings.
- Optional: After frying all the chips once through, fry once more for 1-2 minutes for extra golden & crispy chips. If you plan on frying twice, wait to add additional seasonings until after frying the second time.
Notes
- Store: Cool fully to room temperature & store in an airtight container. Keep at room temp 1-2 days.
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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