Masa Chips is a packaged snack brand that offers tortilla chips made with animal-based fat and a minimalist ingredient list comprising sea salt and organic corn. The brand also claims to avoid the use of seed oils and harmful preservatives.
These offerings are described as supporting feelings of fullness, suppressing cravings, and supporting energy levels. They are available across different flavor options and bundled packs as well.
In this review, we discuss the brand’s ingredient positioning, flavor variety, and range of offerings. The review also assesses how the brand compares with other tortilla chip brands focused on ingredient simplicity and alternative cooking fats.
About Masa Chips
Masa Chips is developed around tortilla chips cooked in grass-fed beef tallow and described as free of seed oils. The manufacturer states that the brand uses corn that is naturally grown and traditionally prepared, along with the removal of inflammatory compounds. A core part of the brand narrative involves nixtamalization, which the makers describe as an ancient process used to improve the effects of eating corn. The process involves boiling corn with naturally occurring minerals like limestone, which could make the corn more digestible, lower mycotoxins that commonly affect corn, and make nutrients like vitamin B3 more bioavailable.
The brand’s product lineup includes Masa Chips in Blue, Original, White, Cobanero, Lime, Churro, and Hatch Chile flavors. Beyond singular options, the brand also provides bundled offerings like Spice, Salt, and Everything Nice. Its official website also includes recipe content that uses the chips in dishes like churro crust desserts, hummus pairings, breakfast meals, and savory dishes.
Offerings
Masa Chips
Masa Chips offers a range of tortilla-style chips made with a short ingredient list that includes organic corn, grass-fed beef tallow, and sea salt. They may help improve satiety, suppress hunger cravings, and boost energy levels. The chips are described as being prepared using traditional methods that avoid common industrial frying oils, preservatives, and synthetic additives. Corn mainly provides starch, which is broken down by amylase into glucose, which is absorbed into your bloodstream and used by cells to make ATP energy molecules in the body. The manufacturer uses grass-fed beef tallow in the chips, which provides saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Such fats are digested into fatty acids and glycerol, then absorbed and used for energy production, hormone synthesis, and cell membrane structure. Sea salt adds sodium along with trace minerals like potassium and calcium, which could support processes like fluid balance and muscle contraction.
Masa Chips Advantage
Founder-Led Brand Vision
Masa Chips was co-founded by Steven Arena and Seth Goldstein. The company states that Arena overhauled his diet after dealing with health issues he associated with processed foods and seed oils. When he searched for chips made with simple ingredients and traditional fats, he found few options that met his standards.
The founders began experimenting with organic corn tortillas fried in grass-fed beef tallow. They built a small-batch operation to manage sourcing, frying methods, and ingredient quality firsthand. As the founders remained closely involved, the brand’s products reflected a clear set of priorities. For example, the ingredient list remained short and recognizable, and the frying process relied on traditional animal fat instead of industrial vegetable oils.
Masa’s founder-led approach shapes both the product and the brand identity. The company grew from personal conviction, not market trends. If you prefer brands built on hands-on involvement and defined food principles, the brand’s origin story may reinforce trust in the product’s consistency and intent.
Masa Chips Limitation
Brand Identity Not Widely Known
National brand recognition with Masa Chips remains limited. The brand does not yet carry the broad familiarity associated with major snack companies and operates within a niche segment rather than the mainstream snack aisle.
Marketing efforts rely heavily on digital channels and influencer exposure. Large national advertising campaigns and consistent mass media presence are not a central part of the brand’s strategy. Retail distribution is selective instead of nationwide, which further reduces everyday shelf visibility and passive discovery.
Without active engagement with wellness-focused brands online, the brand’s products may not appear without a deliberate search. This may slow familiarity and keep the brand positioned as a niche option rather than a recognized grocery staple.
Pros
- Seed oil-free formulation philosophy avoids inflammatory PUFAs, potentially reducing sluggishness and bloating.
- Employs nixtamalization, an ancient process that enhances corn digestibility and nutrient bioavailability.
- Provides free U.S. shipping on purchases worth $99 or more.
- Offers versatile flavors like Original, Blue, Churro, and Cobanero to suit various preferences.
Cons
- Use of beef-tallow across product lines may not appeal to vegans or vegetarians.
- Independent reviews indicate delays in shipment and unresponsive support from the care team.
Masa Chips Alternatives
Siete
When comparing the brands, both Siete and Masa Chips operate in the tortilla chip and Mexican-inspired packaged foods space. However, the brands differ in their range of offerings, cultural positioning, ingredient philosophy, and quality framework standards.
Siete presents itself as a Mexican-American food brand built by a third-generation family of seven, with an origin story tied to creating inclusive meal options through almond flour tortillas that later expanded into a wide grocery portfolio. The brand emphasizes heritage inspiration, community, and shared meals through its Juntos es Mejor philosophy. Meanwhile, Masa Chips positions itself around traditional preparation methods and a seed-oil-free approach, focusing specifically on chips that are made using organic corn and grass-fed tallow.
Product breadth represents a clear difference between the brands. Siete organizes its catalog across various categories, including Maíz Corn Tortilla Chips, Grain Free Tortillas, and Kettle Cooked Potato Chips. Its products are also subdivided across categories like Grain Free Puff Snacks, Grain Free Cookies, Beans, Salsa, and Seasonings. Some core offerings include Cassava Tortillas, Street Corn Tortilla Chips, Spicy Dill Pickle Potato Chips, and Vegan Refried Black Beans. Meanwhile, Masa Chips maintains a tightly focused lineup focused exclusively on tortilla chips and bundles, with flavors like Hatch Chile, Lime, Churro, Original, Cobanero, White, and Blue.
Ingredient philosophy further separates the brands. Siete frames product development around heritage-inspired flavors and thoughtfully selected ingredients intended to maintain familiar taste and texture while accommodating varied dietary preferences. On the other hand, Masa Chips emphasizes minimal ingredients and traditional nixtamalization, a process that boils corn with minerals to improve digestibility, reduce mycotoxins, and increase nutrient bioavailability. Its offerings are described as seed-oil-free, pesticide-free, preservative-free, non-GMO, and dairy-free.
Siete integrates cultural celebration, recipes, events, and the Juntos Fund initiative to support diversity, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. Meanwhile, Masa Chips keeps its messaging on traditional preparation and ingredient simplicity, with recipe content focused on using chips in meals and desserts like chili dip, churro cheesecake, nacho bakes, and soups.
Tortiyas
Tortiyas and Masa Chips both offer tortilla chips with a shared emphasis on traditional preparation methods and avoidance of seed oils. However, the brands have some differences in terms of their origin story, breadth of offerings, quality positioning, and formulation approach.
Founded by Daniel Torres, Tortiyas is a family-owned snack brand that focuses on transitioning tortillas and chips to simpler formulations with recognizable ingredients and cultural authenticity. The brand highlights direct production control and family-operated manufacturing in Los Angeles as its core identity elements. Meanwhile, Masa Chips focuses on chips made with minimal ingredients and traditional fats, emphasizing heritage-inspired preparation methods like nixtamalization.
At the product level, Tortiyas currently maintains a focused lineup with two core offerings, namely Tortiyas Original Beef Tallow Corn Chips and Tortiyas Salsa Macha (6oz jar). Based on the quantity purchased, the chips are typically priced at around $28-$60, while the Salsa Macha Jar is priced at around $10. On the other hand, Masa Chips keeps its offerings around chips made from organic corn, sea salt, and grass-fed beef tallow. It comes across diverse flavor options, including Lime, Churro, Hatch Chile, Original, Blue, White, and Cobanero. Masa Chips come in box sizes of 6, 12, and 20 bags, which are typically priced between $75 and $245.
Production and sourcing approaches also distinguish the brands. Tortiyas emphasizes vertical integration, stating that its products are manufactured in a family-built and operated facility in Los Angeles, allowing oversight from preparation through packaging without third-party outsourcing. Meanwhile, Masa Chips places greater emphasis on ingredient sourcing and preparation techniques, particularly the use of nixtamalization. The brand describes it as an ancient Mesoamerican process that involves cooking corn with mineral solutions like limestone. This process is described as improving digestibility, reducing mycotoxins, and increasing nutrient bioavailability.
At the brand level, Tortiyas is grounded in family ownership, vertical production control, and culturally authentic formulations with minimal ingredients. Meanwhile, Masa Chips is focused on traditional preparation techniques, ingredient simplicity, and expanded flavor variety within a seed oil-free framework.
How Did We Evaluate?
Real User Feedback
While evaluating Masa Chips, we analyzed the real user experiences with the brand’s offerings across Amazon and ThingTesting. On Amazon, Masa Chips carry a 3.9 out of 5 score based on more than 800 reviews across multiple flavors, including Original, Blue, Lime, Churro, and Cobanero. Many consumers highlighted the thick and crunchy texture, freshness, and simple ingredient profile. Several users described the chips as filling, sturdy for dipping, and closer in taste to traditional chips. However, a few users described the chips as much saltier than expected, while some mentioned a noticeable aftertaste from the cooking method.
ThingTesting provided the brand with a 4.6 out of 5 score based on a limited number of reviews. Positive feedback focused on the simple ingredient list, crunch, and flavor diversity, along with packaging appeal and versatility for snacks and dips. However, one user noted that a flavored variety tasted artificial, while others expressed that the premium cost made frequent purchasing difficult.
Available feedback across both platforms indicated consistent appreciation for texture, ingredient simplicity, and taste. However, the positive reviews are balanced by recurring concerns about price, salt levels, and flavor preferences.
Brand Reputation
In evaluating the brand, we analyzed its core positioning, presence across independent review forums, and operational consistency. Masa Chips presents itself as a niche snack brand that focuses on traditional preparation and ingredient sourcing.
On TenereTeam, the brand carries a 5.0 out of 5 score, but the rating is based on a very limited number of reviews. Reviews on the platform highlight product quality, a distinct flavor linked to beef tallow, and positive views of customer service and return policies. However, reviews also noted higher pricing compared to typical chips and shipping timelines of about 5–10 business days during high demand as drawbacks.
The brand shows little to no presence on broader independent review platforms like the Better Business Bureau and ConsumerAffairs, which limits visibility across third-party review forums. As a result, the brand’s reputation appears positive but early-stage, and a lack of third-party coverage makes the long-term reputation difficult to assess.
Frequently Asked Questions
The brand claims to use nixtamalization, where corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline lime solution before grinding. Such a process is described as increasing niacin bioavailability and adding calcium from lime. However, it may reduce some dietary fiber content due to the removal of the pericarp. Nutrient impact depends on lime concentration and processing control.
Not for a strict keto diet. Masa Chips contain about 17g of total carbs and 3g of fiber per 28 g serving (≈14 g net carbs). This can exceed typical ketogenic daily limits of around 20–50g of net carbs. Small portions may fit some low-carb diets, depending on daily intake.
No. The brand highlights the use of organic, non-GMO ingredients and nixtamalization but does not publish details on third-party testing, Certificates of Analysis, or contaminant testing. Its official website does not disclose public lab results or verification processes for product batches.
Conclusion
Masa Chips positions itself as a niche snack brand focused on seed-oil-free chips, using nixtamalization as a traditional preparation method. Its positioning aligns with minimally processed ingredient preferences, yet its snack offerings are fried, whose impact depends on portion size, diet, and individual metabolic factors.
When considering the brand, it is essential to note that the use of beef tallow limits compatibility with vegan and vegetarian preferences, with no plant-based options provided currently. Nixtamalization may improve mineral availability and digestibility, but personal experiences may vary depending on corn tolerance, gut health, and metabolic conditions.
Rare corn sensitivities or digestive discomfort may occur depending on portion size and tolerance. Moderation and alignment with dietary preferences remain important when including the brand’s snacks in regular consumption.
- About the Author
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Alisha Matthew has been a practicing nutritionist since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of IOWA. She is a staunch believer in improving the human health index by educating people about nutrition and the importance of nutrition in leading a healthy and happy life. Her long-term goal is to keep educating people on general health and keep herself updated with the latest trends in the field of health.