Za'atar pita chips are an easy way to jazz up homemade pita chips with some dry za'atar spice mix. These pita chips take only 10 minutes and use four ingredients: za'atar, pita bread, oil, and salt.
It's easy to make your own pita chips and season them the way you like with sea salt, za'atar, parmesan, or truffle oil. I prefer fried pita chips over baked pita chips (personal preference) because they taste better.
My favorite way to eat these pita bread chips is with some homemade labneh or garlic labneh. Also, I like to use za'atar fried pita bread in my fattoush salad recipe. These chips are a delicious snack by themselves too.
Za'atar Pita Chips
If there is a way I can use za'atar to add some flavor, I'm all in! Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that's slightly different depending on which Arab country you are in. Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon all have slight variations in the way their za'atar spice tastes.
I mostly cook with the Lebanese za'atar mixture and use it for manakish za'atar (Lebanese flatbread with za'atar spice and olive oil), za'atar labneh, and za'atar and cheese spring rolls. Za'atar usually pairs well with labneh or some kind of white cheese like mozzarella, akawi, or halloumi.
Ingredient Notes
- Za'atar spice: Lebanese za'atar is a blend of sesame seeds, sumac, and dried thyme. Use any za'atar you have available.
- Pita bread: Pita bread comes in varying thicknesses and diameters. I prefer thin pita bread, like the Lebanese pita bread shown in the photos. However, pita bread will work. Thick pita bread results in thicker chips. Repurpose leftover pita bread or stale pita bread for pita chips.
- Frying oil: I prefer vegetable oil or sunflower oil to fry. Extra virgin olive oil can shallow fry the chips also.
- Salt: Use sea salt, flaked salt, or table salt.
How To Make Za'atar Pita Chips
There's a pita pocket of air. Split the pita bread so the top and bottom are separate. If the bread is hard to split into top and bottom halves, don't split it (this sometimes happens with stale pita).
Using kitchen scissors, cut the pita bread into 2" squares (or pita triangles).
Heat the oil to medium heat. If the oil is too hot, the pita bread will cook faster than you can remove from the oil, leaving you with burned pita chips. The oil is the proper temperature if you dip the bread and some bubble action happens. Fry pita bread in small batches.
Once the pita pieces turn golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil.
Place the homemade pita chips on a paper towel-lined bowl or plate. Salt and season with the za'atar spice mixture immediately after removing the chips from the oil so the spices will stick to the crispy chips.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure the oil isn't too hot. Pita bread fries quickly. One way to tell if the oil is just right is to add a piece of pita bread. The oil should bubble and the color should change gradually, not immediately.
- Fry the pita bread in a high-rimmed pot. Although pita bread is dry and has a low moisture content, it will likely not boil over. However, I don't take any chances and use a high-rimmed pot when frying anything.
- Salt and season with za'atar after removing the chips from the oil. The salt and za'atar will stick to the chips better if they are seasoned directly after removing from the oil.
Variations and Substitutions
- Add more or less of the za'atar spice as preferred.
- Bake the pita chips instead of frying. Heat the oven to 375 ℉ (190 ℃). Using a pastry brush, spread olive oil on pita bread. Top with sea salt and/or za'atar. Lay the pita bread flat on a baking sheet or pizza pan, and place it in the middle of the oven. Keep an eye on the pita bread every couple of minutes. Remove once the pita bread is golden brown (about 5 to 7 minutes).
- Break the pita bread into pita chips using your hands rather than kitchen scissors.
- Use whole wheat pita bread and extra virgin olive oil. Shallow fry in olive oil rather than frying oil. Olive oil is more expensive, so if I fry with it, I use less.
Ways to Serve
Use zaatar pita chips for dips like homemade hummus, baba ganoush, olive tapenade, or labneh. These pita chips are great as a standalone snack. Another way I like to eat these is with fattoush salad. The za'atar jazzes things up a bit.
FAQs
Za'atar seasoning is a blend of dried thyme, sesame seeds, and sumac.
Za'atar is a spice that can be mixed with olive oil and used to make flatbreads. It can also be sprinkled on pita chips, added on top of labneh, and stuffed into spring rolls with cheese.
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📋 Recipe
Za'atar Pita Chips
Ingredients
- 2 large pita bread or 4 small pita bread See note 1
- 1 tablespoon za'atar
- frying oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Split the pita bread. Cut the pita bread into 2" squares using kitchen scissors.
- In a high-rimmed pot, fill with oil. Heat oil on medium heat.
- Add 1 pita worth of pita pieces into the hot oil. Once the pita chips have turned golden brown, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon.
- Place the pita chips on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with sea salt and za'atar spice.
Notes
- Large pita bread is about 10" to 14" in diameter. Small pita bread is about 8" in diameter.
- Storage: Allow the chips to cool. Store them in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to a week.
Cheynna
Was very good and easy to make. Made a lot of pita chips. Liked the za’atar spice and will try making it in the oven too.
Lily
Thanks for the comment! You can definitely bake these as well. I recommend spreading some olive oil on the pita bread, then sprinkling za'atar on top. Bake in a 375 oven until golden brown. The baking temperature will vary depending on the type and thickness of the pita bread.