Air Fryer Nachos
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My air fryer nachos recipe is easy and cooks up in just 4 minutes! It’s packed with flavor from the crispy tortilla chips, gooey melted cheese, and bountiful toppings!
Nothing satisfies quite like a massive pile of cheesy nachos, and ever since I realized how ridiculously easy they are to make in the air fryer, I’ve been hooked. They come out crisp, melty, and golden every time- no soggy chips, no oven waiting, and definitely no extra pans.
They initially were a recipe idea for my air fryer cookbook, but they’ve quickly turned into one of mine and my partner’s “I can’t be bothered to cook” dinners. So, of course, I thought it best to share it here today. I tested this a few times, testing different chips and layering combos, until I finally nailed this method that keeps everything crunchy while the cheese melts perfectly.
The best part is that you can assemble the nachos on parchment paper or tin foil, so there is zero clean-up required!
Table of Contents
Why I love it
- They’re fast. Because there’s no waiting around for the oven to preheat.
- Easy to customize. Like any good nacho recipe, you can take my base ingredients and customize them with your favorite toppings. I’ll be sure to give you tons of ideas later on.
Key Ingredients
- Tortilla chips. Use regular tortilla chips, corn tortilla chips (to keep them gluten-free), or do what I do and use my air fryer tortilla chips.
- Black beans. For texture and a little fiber boost. You can also substitute the black beans for refried beans or pinto beans.
- Shredded cheese. I used a mix of shredded cheddar and mozzarella, but any combination will do!
- Toppings. I went with grape tomatoes and pickled jalapeños, but feel free to get creative or steal one of my suggestions below.
Ways to change things up
I love changing up the fillings and toppings in Nachos, so here are a few ideas to try:
- Add meat. Try pre-cooked and shredded chicken, ground beef, leftover taco meat, chorizo, ground turkey, or, for something meat-free, try my sofritas.
- Pile on the toppings. Sour cream, salsa, guacamole, diced red onions, and black olives all make perfect toppings.
- Garnish. Top the nachos with fresh cilantro for a pop of color and flavor.
How to make air fryer nachos
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and line the air fryer basket with aluminum foil.
Step 2- Layer. Place a single layer of corn chips in the basket, then top with black beans, cheese, tomatoes, and jalapeno.
Step 3- Air fry for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Layer the ingredients evenly. I find this allows the chips to remain crispy WHILE holding onto tons of toppings.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. While you can pile as many chips as you want in the basket, the more each chip gets equal access to the heat, the crispier they’ll get. If needed, air fry in batches.
- Preheat the air fryer so the nachos get crispy as soon as the heat hits them.
Frequently asked questions
I find a hotter temperature for a shorter time works best, so aim for 400°F. Anything less and you risk the cheese melting before the chips crisp up nicely.
I typically reheat nachos in the air fryer at a lower temperature to compensate for the pre-melted cheese. 2-3 minutes at 350°F is plenty.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Crispy Air Fryer Nachos
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups corn chips or tortilla chips
- 1/2 cup black beans canned
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grape tomatoes chopped
- 1 small jalapeno sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 200C/400F.
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place a layer of corn chips on top. Top with black beans, shredded cheese, grape tomatoes, then the jalapeños.
- Air fry for 4 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Leftovers: Leftover nachos can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
So easy, fun & delicious! Thank you!
There’s never a bad time for air fryer nachos 🙂 Thanks for the kind words Laura!
These air fryer nachos are just too simple and too good. It’s going to be a dangerous addition to my meals now!
Made these for a lazy girl dinner last night and it will become a staple. I added ground beef (pre-cooked) for some protein.
Love these air fryer nachos so much!!! I was skeptical that the corn chips would air fry well, but they were fab.
Thanks, Elise!