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Air Fryer Nachos | Snacktime in Minutes

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Did you know that you can make nachos in the air fryer?

Well, you can!

Air Fryer Nachos are an easy snack that can be made in MINUTES and topped with all your favorite fixins!

Easy Air Fryer Nachos, ready in minutes

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Perfect for a party or a late night snack attack, this crazy easy recipe comes together in a flash and is a total crowd pleaser.

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How to Make Nachos in the Air Fryer:

Ingredients you'll need for nachos

Makes 1 Serving

Ingredients For Your Nachos:

  • 10-12 Tortilla chips*
  • 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, Mexican blend or your favorite shredded cheese
  • 2 tablespoons each of your favorite toppings: fully cooked ground beef, drained black beans, sliced olives, bell peppers, jalapenos, or refried beans
  • Your favorite condiments for serving: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, fresh cilantro.

Instructions:

Line your air fryer basket or tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil. If you have an air fryer with a basket, fit the foil so that you make a sling for easy removal.

Lay your tortilla chips in a single layer on the bottom of the fryer basket. Allow the edges of the chips to overlap slightly.

Arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer in the air fryer basket

Sprinkle the chips with the shredded cheese and add your desired toppings.

Air fry the nachos at 390° for 4-5 minutes. Check the chips after 3 minutes to prevent burning.

Use your foil or parchment paper sling to easily lift the nachos out of the basket and onto a serving vessel. Top with your favorite nacho condiments like salsa, avocado, and fresh cilantro.

Enjoy immediately.

*Depending on the model of your air fryer and the size of the basket or tray, you may have the capacity to add more chips. So go right ahead! You can easily adjust the ratio of cheese to accommodate the extra tortilla chips.

WHAT IS AIR FRYING?

Air frying is not really “frying”, but rather it’s a fast and efficient way of baking using convection cooking.

Basically, the air fryer uses hot air to mimic the way hot oil would cook food if you were deep-frying. The air fryer uses a fan to circulate the heat from the heating element, which cooks the food on all sides, top to bottom.

If you want even more info about air fryers, I found a great article from Good Housekeeping that goes into a little more depth about air frying. The article provides some really helpful tips too!

What Temperature Should nachos be cooked at?

I find that 390° is a good temperature for this nacho recipe. That’s the highest temp on my air fryer, but your model may not have a 390°, so 375° or 400° is perfectly fine too.

Check the nachos at the 3-minute mark to see how things are going and continue cooking until the cheese is melted brown and crispy.

Why Make Nachos In the Air Fryer?

Top your chips with cheese and toppings before frying

Making nachos in the air fryer definitely has its advantages.

One being that the chips come out perfectly crispy and not soggy (as long as the fryer basket isn’t overcrowded)

Depending on the air fryer you have, you can make a perfect personal sized portion. I have a smaller Philips Air Fryer and the number of nachos it fits is just perfect for me.

The air fryer also makes clean-up a breeze. All you need to do is line the bottom of the fryer basket or tray with foil/ parchment paper and you can fry mess-free. No pans to scrub!

Lastly–and quite honestly my favorite advantage–you can have nachos in MINUTES when you air fry them. These babies only take a maximum of 5 minutes to cook. Perfect for a late night nacho craving, movie night snack, or even a nacho party!

Adding Ground Beef or Meat to your nachos

These nachos love a protein on top. Leftover taco meat, shredded chicken, ground beef, turkey, or your favorite plant-based crumbles are all great additions to these nachos.

The important thing to keep in mind is that any meat you put on top of these nachos needs to be fully cooked before frying. The nachos don’t bake long enough for raw meat to cook through, so make sure you have meat cooked ahead of time!

Topping Suggestions for Your Air Fried Nachos

Topping suggestions for your nachos

The sky is the limit when it comes to making your own nachos. And because the air fryer keeps the portion size small, you’re able to make a personal sized portion your very own favorite way–without having to share.

Here are some extra toppings to add to your chips and cheese before frying:

  • Cooked ground beef, ground turkey, or your favorite taco meat
  • Shredded taco chicken
  • Meatless Crumbles
  • Jalapenos
  • Beans, refried or whole from the can (rinsed and drained before using)
  • Bell Peppers
  • Black Olives
  • Leftover chili
  • Sweet Potato
  • A sprinkle of taco seasoning

When you’re ready to serve, top your plate of nachos with all your favorite fixins like salsa, sour cream, my 4-ingredient guacamole, and fresh pico de gallo.

Tips For Making The Best Nachos

How to make the best air fryer nachos
  • These nachos cook quickly, so check halfway through frying for burning!
  • Line the fry basket or tray with foil for maximum cheese coverage and easy clean up
  • Don’t over crowd the basket. Keep nachos in a thin single layer, with a little overlap of the edges.
  • My air fryer basket holds about 10-12 chips in one layer. If you have a larger model or a toaster oven styel fryer, add enough chips to lay in a single layer. Increase the amount of cheese based on the amount of chips you can fit–and the level of enthusiasm you have for cheese.
  • I find that two tablespoons per diced topping is a good amount for 12 chips. But add as much as you want!

Get More Air Fryer Recipes Here:

Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

The Best Air Fryer Nachos

Air Fryer Nachos

Yield: 1 Portion
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Make nachos in minutes by air frying them! Perfect for a late night snack or a fun nacho party with friends!

Ingredients

  • 10-12 Tortilla chips*
  • 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, Mexican blend or your favorite shredded cheese
  • 2 tablespoons each of your favorite toppings: fully cooked ground beef, drained black beans, sliced olives, bell peppers, jalapenos, or refried beans
  • Your favorite condiments for serving: salsa, sour cream, avocado/guacamole, fresh cilantro.

Instructions

  1. Line your air fryer basket or tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil. If you have an air fryer with a basket, fit the foil so that you make a sling for easy removal. 
  2. Lay your tortilla chips in a single layer on the bottom of the fryer basket. Allow the edges of the chips to overlap slightly.
  3. Sprinkle the chips with the shredded cheese and add your desired toppings.
  4. Air fry the nachos at 390° for 4-5 minutes. Check the chips after 3 minutes to prevent burning.
  5. Use your foil or parchment paper sling to easily lift the nachos out of the basket and onto a serving vessel.
  6. Top with your favorite nacho condiments like salsa, avocado, and fresh cilantro.
  7. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

*Depending on the model of your air fryer and the size of the basket or tray, you may have the capacity to add more chips. So go right ahead! You can easily adjust the ratio of cheese to accommodate the extra tortilla chips. 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 485Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 492mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 22g

This will change depending on your toppings

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