Craving cheesy, loaded nachos that are ready in minutes? Air fryer nachos are definitely worth your time!
Easy to make and topped just how you like them, nachos in the air fryer are a simple way to enjoy this popular appetizer or snack for the big game!
Recipe Tips/Substitutions
Before you make these air fryer cheese nachos, have a read through these recipe tips so that you achieve the best nachos in the end!
- We use large “restaurant-style” tortilla chips for our nachos because they are bigger and make it easier to cover the bottom of the air fryer tray. You can also easily make your own corn tortilla chips at home in the air fryer.
- You can absolutely add or subtract toppings as you see fit. Some people might want to add ground beef or pulled chicken pieces to the nachos. If you want to do that, we’d recommend pre-cooking the meat before adding it to the nachos. The cooking time in the air fryer is so short that the meat might not get fully cooked otherwise.
- The cooking time will vary by air fryer, your preference of cheese meltiness, and how much stuff you loaded on top of your nachos.
- Be careful when removing the nachos from the air fryer since the air fryer basket will be hot! We don’t usually have a problem removing them with a flipper if we stacked the tortilla chips well initially.
We use this air fryer for our recipes and it has been great.
Step by Step Instructions
For the instructions on how to make nachos in the air fryer, you can check out this section with some process photos.
This way you can see just how we made our nachos!
If you are feeling confident about making air fryer loaded nachos and don’t like visuals, you can skip to the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
First, line the bottom of your air fryer basket with tortilla chips, overlapping them a bit so that there are no gaps to the bottom of the tray.
Next, add the black beans (optional). Of course, you can also add them on top of the cheese if preferred.
Then add the grated cheese. Make sure to spread it out evenly so that all the nachos are covered in cheese.
Finally, top the nachos with black olives, green onion, and jalapeño peppers (optional). You can also add any other toppings that you prefer.
Air fry the nachos at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-7 minutes until the cheese has melted and has crisped up slightly (no need to preheat).
The exact cooking time can vary depending on your personal preference of meltiness and your air fryer.
Once the nachos are done, carefully remove the nachos from the air fryer and place them on a large plate or platter.
You can serve them with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and/or chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
If you have air fried loaded nachos leftover, you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge.
We would recommend storing any sour cream, guacamole, or salsa separate from the nachos so that they don’t get too soggy in the fridge.
Make sure to eat the leftovers within 2 days.
To reheat them, we’d recommend the air fryer to bring the nachos back to a bit of a crisp texture!
Related Recipes
For more tasty snacks that can work as appetizers, check out these creations made from scratch:
- Air Fryer Breaded Avocado Fries
- Air Fried Asparagus Fries
- Homemade Air Fryer Pita Chips
- Zucchini Fries in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Pickles [Crispy and Homemade]
Air Fryer Nachos
Ingredients
- 3 ounces tortilla chips, approximately; use enough to line the bottom of your air fryer basket with some overlap
- 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup black olives, rinsed and sliced
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1/2 small jalapeño pepper, sliced (optional)
- sour cream, guacamole, salsa, chopped cilantro to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Line the bottom of your air fryer basket with tortilla chips, overlapping them a bit so that there are no gaps to the bottom of the tray.
- Add the black beans, then add the grated cheese. Finally, top the nachos with black olives, green onion, and jalapeño peppers (optional).
- Air fry the nachos at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-7 minutes until the cheese has melted and has crisped up slightly (no need to preheat). The exact cooking time can vary depending on your personal preference of meltiness and your air fryer.
- Once the nachos are done, carefully remove the nachos from the air fryer and place them on a large plate or platter. You can serve them with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and/or chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
- We recommend using larger restaurant-style tortilla chips for making nachos.
- You can add/change toppings to your liking, e.g. you could add some already cooked chicken pieces. You can also garnish the nachos with freshly chopped tomatoes instead of salsa when they are done.
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.
