You might have had Irish nachos at the pub, but have you ever made them at home in the air fryer? These crispy, loaded potato nachos are actually not an Irish dish at all, so don’t let the name fool you. They were first created in Texas.
Our version is made with waffle fries, red onion, red bell pepper, black olives, jalapeños, shredded cheese, and ground beef for a crispy, filling snack or appetizer that’s easy to make at home.
They won’t last long once they hit the table and are a favorite game day snack or party appetizer in our house.
Ingredients
- Frozen waffle fries – Use your favorite brand of frozen waffle fries.
- Cheese – We often use marble, but Monterey Jack, cheddar, or similar also work well.
- Red onion – For some extra crunch and flavor; feel free to skip if you don’t like onions.
- Bell pepper – Any color. We like to use red bell peppers for a pop of color.
- Black olives – Green olives also work; just be sure to use pitted olives.
- Cooked Ground Beef – We cooked the ground beef and seasoned it with salt and pepper to taste. You can add more seasonings if you prefer.
- Jalapeño pepper – Adds a hint of spice; feel free to skip.
- Additional toppings: We like to add salsa, sour cream, and guacamole for dipping as well as green onions.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer when cooking the waffle fries so they can get crispy.
- The waffle fries should be fully cooked and crispy before adding the toppings. The second air fry is for melting the cheese and heating the toppings, not continuing to crisp the fries.
- Keep the parchment paper low in the air fryer basket and weighed down by food so it doesn’t touch the heating element.
- To switch up the flavors, you can add cooked and chopped bacon or shredded chicken.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
First, preheat the air fryer to 385 degrees Fahrenheit (195 degrees Celcius). Once preheated, add the frozen waffle fries and try to spread them out in one even layer.
Air fry for 12-14 minutes, shaking the basket every 4 minutes or so, until the waffle fries are fully cooked and crispy.
Then remove the waffle fries from the air fryer, line the basket with parchment paper, and add the waffle fries back in. This step is optional but makes it easier to remove the waffle fries later.
Then top the waffle fries with cheese, diced bell peppers, sliced black olives, cooked ground beef, diced red onion, and jalapeño slices (or other toppings of your choice).
Air fry for an additional 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated.
Then remove the nachos from the air fryer and optionally top with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and green onions or other toppings of your choice before serving. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
We rarely have leftovers when making these. If you end up with leftovers, you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Remove any salsa, guac, or sour cream first. Keep in mind that they may gett soggy over time, so try to eat them sooner rather than later.
When reheating the loaded waffle fries, it’s best to keep them on the parchment paper and place them back in the air fryer at a lower temperature, such as 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-5 minutes, until heated through again.
Related Recipes
These air fryer snacks and appetizers are great for watching sports and having friends or family over.
- Homemade Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
- Air Fryer Sweet and Spicy Nuts
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wings (Homemade)
- Air Fryer Nachos
- Homemade Sausage Rolls
- Air Fryer Loaded Tater Tots
- Air Fryer Breaded Pickles (Homemade)
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Air Fryer Loaded Irish Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 pound waffle fries, frozen
- 1 cup shredded cheese, (we used marble)
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup cooked ground beef
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, sliced (optional)
- salsa, sour cream, guacamole, green onion, optional toppings
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 385 degrees Fahrenheit (195 degrees Celcius).
- When hot, add the frozen waffle fries to the air fryer basket in one even layer.1 pound waffle fries
- Cook the frozen waffle fries at 385 degrees Fahrenheit (195 degrees Celcius) for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown on the outside and heated through inside. Shake the air fryer basket every 4 minutes to help with even cooking.
- Remove the cooked waffle fries from the air fryer and line the basket with parchment paper (enough so you can grab the sides but low enough to not touch the internal heating element).
- Add the waffle fries back onto the parchment paper and add the cheese, diced bell pepper, sliced black olives, crumbled cooked beef, diced red onion, and jalapeño slices.1 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 cup diced bell pepper, 1/2 cup sliced black olives, 1/2 cup cooked ground beef, 1/3 cup diced red onion, 1 small jalapeño pepper
- Air fry for an additional 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated.
- When done, carefully grab the parchment paper and remove the Irish nachos from the air fryer.
- Optionally top with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and green onions or other toppings of your choice before serving.salsa, sour cream, guacamole, green onion
Video
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
