Air Fryer Nachos are going to become your favorite party appetizer! If you are still cooking nachos in the oven it’s time to switch to a no-fuss method that only takes you 5 minutes to make.
From our classic Fries, cheesy Jalapeno Poppers, and spicy Cauliflower bites to classic Brussels Sprouts there’s something for everyone and these loaded air fryer nachos are one of my most requested party appetizers so far.
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Ingredients
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Tortilla chips - whether you are using store-bought or making your own homemade tortilla chips, a good rule is to keep the seasonings to a minimum. Choose plain, with no or less spices, corn tortilla chips (flour tortillas are fine too but corn tortillas make the best nachos).
- Any heavily flavored chips will be more prone to browning and burning during baking. You can choose from various brands and find your best chips for nachos.
- Cheese - any Mexican blend cheese, Monterey Jack, or Tex-Mex blend is a great choice. You can grate it yourself for better melting but pre-shredded will work in this recipe just fine.
- Fresh toppings and Vegetables - use this recipe as a guide to basic nachos where you can customize them to your liking even further. Your basic starter pack ideally would include tomatoes, red onions, olives, and jalapenos and cheese.
How To Make Homemade Tortilla Chips?
As we are using an air fryer here I will explain how to make easy crunchy tortilla chips in the air fryer. You’ll need plain 6-inch corn tortillas. Slice each tortilla into 6 slices (6 triangles).
Transfer these to an air fryer basket in one single layer, spray with neutral cooking oil (Peanut, soybean, canola, or vegetable oil would all work), and air fry for 6-9 minutes at 350 F. No need to flip.
Once ‘’baked’’ quickly season with salt and let dry.
Instructions
How to make the best Air Fryer Nachos
Tortilla chips are loaded with veggies, and lots of cheese and ‘’baked’’ in the air fryer. It only takes a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes to make. Reheats beautifully in the same air fryer, and will taste just like new.
I used my Cosori Air Fryer, which is big enough to fit a large batch of nachos and is easy to clean too. You can use both an air fryer and ninja foodi. in this recipe.
My simple method uses a metal round pan that can be used for serving later too. No more reheating the oven, baking for a long time, and then cleaning the big mess!
Now let's make the best air fryer nachos:
Add one layer of tortilla chips (half of the chips) onto an oven-safe metal pan (I used the bottom part of the cake pan, around 7-8 inches in diameter).
Before transferring it to the bottom of the air fryer basket, I like to add two pieces of aluminum foil crisis cross underneath the metal pan.
Make sure these are longer strips, enough to pull the pan out of the air fryer later. You can also use just parchment paper instead.
On top of the tortillas add half of the olives, half the green onions, and half of the tomatoes.
Add mozzarella and cheddar cheese - ½ cup of each. Repeat again with all layers.
Air fry for 3-4 minutes (it’s quick!) at 320 F until cheese is melted.
Remove from the air fryer basket and top with cilantro and jalapenos.
Serve with sour cream and lots of salsa.
Tips
- I used a metal cake pan to layer my nachos, a genius tip that I found at Kitchen At Hoskins. If you don’t have it, parchment paper or aluminum foil works very well too.
- Feel free to use any type of chip, but I found that round one works better in terms of aesthetics.
- Load em up - you can add multiple layers, even more than I‘ve shown in this recipe. 3-4 layers should be fine. Keep the topping layers not very thick. Also if you’re going for more layers. The air frying time may need to be adjusted until all the cheese is melted nicely.
I prefer corn tortilla chips as they hold up their shape well and you can load them up more than flour tortilla chips. The thicker the chips the more they can hold and will not become soggy quickly.
Variations
- Add lots of protein - cooked ground beef or leftover taco meat, ground turkey, pulled beef, leftover pork ribs, shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken, beans, and refried beans all work well here.
- In addition for more flavor, I like to season the meat with some taco seasoning (be careful as store-bought often contains gluten) and salsa while cooking it. If you’ve recently made my Chili, use any leftovers to top up these nachos.
- Pork carnitas nachos - we like to use my leftover BBQ Pork ribs shredded on top.
- For vegetarian protein, you can use kidney beans, black beans, or pinto beans straight out of the can (rinsed and drained). Cooked quinoa or leftover chili will work great too.
- As a tasty vegetarian meat topping alternative, try my vegan taco meat or vegetarian chili instead.
- Sauces - drizzle the cooked nachos with some homemade buffalo sauce, or simple hot sauce (Tabasco, Valentina, Frank’s Red Hot).
- Black bean nachos - you can use the bean, lentil chili, or simply top the nachos with canned black beans.
- BBQ Chicken - just like Barbecue Pork, slow cooker pulled BBQ chicken tastes incredible with chips.
Serving Suggestions
What to serve with cheesy air fryer nachos
We like to keep the Mexican theme and serve the nachos with plenty of side dishes and condiments.
Start your evening with Skinny Margarita, enjoy the good food and for a tasty dessert try my Nutella Banana Chimichangas or simply Frozen Watermelon Basil Margarita (tastes like a great frozen dessert!).
Our favorite sides and dinners to serve nachos with are:
- Chili
- Enchiladas
- Quesadillas and Taquitos
- Tacos
- Fajitas
- Tostadas
- Tortilla Wraps
- Crunchwraps
- Burritos
- Taco Soup
- Chimichangas
What Are Some Other Nacho Toppings Ideas?
Nachos need plenty of toppings! Whether you are going for vegetarian nachos or more loaded nachos with meat protein, I recommend adding 1-2, or more of your favorite toppings.
- Avocado Crema
- Refried Beans from my Tostadas recipe
- Pico De Gallo
- Guacamole
- Salsas
- Cotija cheese
- Feta Cheese
- Hot peppers
- Bell peppers
- Nacho cheese sauce
- Hot Sauces
- Sour cream or creme fraiche
Freezing And Storing Instructions
This recipe has 3-4 servings, and generally, we never have any leftovers. In case you do, you can easily store the nachos covered with plastic wrap or airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
The best part is that these reheat beautifully in the air fryer. Reheat in the air fryer at the same temperature until warmed through. Add more cheese on top.
Do not reheat these in the microwave, nachos will lose their crunchy and crisp exterior and become soggy.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes
ALL AIR FRYER recipes.
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Recipe
The Best Loaded Air Fryer Nachos
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups tortilla chips, I used plain and round
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
- 2 stalks of green onions, sliced
- ¼ cup black olives, sliced
- 6 cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, diced, or use jarred
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped or parsley
More for serving
- Sour cream
- Salsa
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add one layer of tortilla chips (half of the chips) onto an oven-safe metal pan (I used the bottom part of the cake pan, around 7-8 inches in diameter). Before transferring it to the bottom of the air fryer basket, I like to add two pieces of aluminum foil crisis cross underneath the metal pan. Make sure these are longer strips, enough to pull the pan out of the air fryer later. You can also use just parchment paper instead.
- On top of the tortillas add half of olives, half of green onions, and half of the tomatoes. Add mozzarella and cheddar cheese - ½ cup of each. Repeat with all layers.
- Air fry for 3-4 minutes (it’s quick!) at 320 F until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the air fryer basket and top with cilantro and jalapenos.
- Serve with sour cream and lots of salsa.
NOTES
- Tortilla chips - whether you are using store-bought or making your own homemade tortilla chips, a good rule is to keep the seasonings to a minimum. Choose plain, with no or less spices, corn tortilla chips (flour tortillas are fine too but corn tortillas make the best nachos, their taste is simply more authentic and of real flavor). Any heavily flavored chips will be more prone to browning and burning during baking. You can choose from various brands and find your best chips for nachos.
- This recipe has 3-4 servings, and generally, we never have any leftovers. In case you do, you can easily store the nachos covered with plastic wrap or airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- The best part is that these reheat beautifully in the air fryer. Reheat in the air fryer at the same temperature until warmed through. Add more cheese on top.
- How do you keep nachos crispy?
- Cook in smaller batches and don’t load the layers of chips with too many toppings and cheese. You can always make another batch as it only takes 5 minutes for air fryer nachos.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Perfect for Super Bowl and other party appetizers!
Nathan
Love this recipe! I like to add lots of vegetarian bean chili on top
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
This sounds delicious, thanks for commenting Nathan!
Lima
The best cozy meal for a movie night