The Ultimate Air Fryer Nachos

Air fryer nachos are loaded with cheese and vegetables and cooked to absolute perfection. This quick and easy appetizer is perfect for game day, any family get-together, or simply as an afternoon snack!

Appetizers are some of my favorite recipes because they are easy and cooked perfectly every time. Try out these other air-fryer recipes like air-fryer egg rolls , French fries , and these amazing parmesan zucchini chips !

An air fryer loaded with nachos topped with cheese, vegetables, sour cream and cilantro. - 1

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple : These nachos are ready to eat in minutes, and most of the ingredients are ready-made!
Customizable : You can easily change up your toppings to suit your tastes. Any time my kids make these, they are all different and delicious in their own way!
Comfort Food : Nachos are one of my favorite comfort foods! They are good any time, and I usually have the items to make them. My kids can quickly make these for after school or dinner on busy weeknights.

Ingredients To Make Air Fryer Nachos

Air-fryer nachos are so versatile, and you can put whatever you want on them! I like this combo, but feel free to add or subtract ingredients to make it perfect for you! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Tortilla chips: You can use store-bought tortilla chips, or if you don’t have any on hand, make these super easy homemade tortilla chips instead!
Black Beans: Drain and rinse these before adding them to the nachos.
Black Olives: Slice these up and place them on top.
Jalapeno: If you don’t want much heat from the jalapenos, remove all of the seeds and leave them off of your nachos.
Shredded Cheese: I like to use Colby jack cheese, but feel free t o use cheddar cheese or whatever you have on hand!
Roma Tomato: I like to cut this into larger chunks.
Avocado: Slice this right before serving so it doesn’t go brown.
Sour Cream : A little dollop of cool sour cream on top of hot nachos is the best combo!
Fresh Cilantro: Sprinkle this as a garnish on top of your nachos once they’re done cooking.

Air Fryer Nacho Recipe

These air fryer nachos are quick, easy, mess-free, and delicious! They have the perfect amount of crunch with ooey-gooey cheesy perfection! I like cooking these in the air fryer instead of the oven because they cook more evenly.

Add ingredients to the air fryer : Add the tortilla chips to the bottom of the air fryer basket. Then, top with beans, olives, jalapeños, and shredded cheese.
Cook: Cook at 350 degrees in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Garnish: Top your nacho layers with tomato, avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro, or any of your favorite toppings.

4 pictures showing how to add chips to an air fryer and top them with beans, jalapeños and cheese. - 2

Variations and Ideas

I have a few ideas for you to make your air fryer nachos turn out perfectly!

How to Load the Air Fryer: You never want to pack the air fryer too much because then the food will not cook evenly. You want to cover the bottom completely with tortilla chips so that the cheese doesn’t fall through the grate! If your chips won’t all fit on the bottom of your air fryer, then wait and do another batch after the first. It’s better to do smaller batches than one large one!
Add Some Protein: Adding some meat is a great way to make these nachos a little bit heartier! I suggest ground beef, leftover taco meat, bacon bits, shredded chicken or pork, steak bites , refried beans, pinto beans, or even chili !
Chips: If you don’t make your own homemade tortilla chips, make sure you pick out the right kind at the grocery store! You don’t want any that are too thin, as they will break in the air fryer. Get thicker, restaurant-quality chips that will hold up to all of the added toppings!
Topping Ideas : Other options for toppings include guacamole , green onions, salsa , pico de Gallo , nacho cheese , and more.

A hand scooping a nacho out of an air fryer. - 3

How to Reheat Nachos in the Air Fryer

If you have leftover nachos that you want to reheat the next day, the air fryer will be your best friend! Air fryers are the BEST for reheating leftovers and making them taste completely fresh!
Reheat : Set your air fryer to 320 degrees Farenheit, and cook your nachos for 2-3 minutes. They should come out as fresh as when you first made them!

More Air Fryer Appetizers

Once you have figured out how amazing cooking with an air fryer is, you will want to cook everything in it! I’ve rounded up some of my very favorite air fryer appetizers for you to try!

Appetizers

Air Fryer Fried Pickles

15 minutes

Appetizers

Air Fryer Potato Skins

22 minutes

Side Dishes

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings

20 minutes

Appetizers

Air Fryer Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

10 minutes

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Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ 3 cups tortilla chips
▢ 1/3 cup black beans
▢ 1/4 cup olives
▢ 1 jalapeno sliced
▢ 1 cup shredded cheese I used Colby jack
▢ 1 roma tomato sliced
▢ 1 avocado sliced
▢ sour cream
▢ chopped cilantro

Instructions

Add the tortilla chips to the bottom of the air fryer basket. Top with beans, olives, jalapeños, and shredded cheese.
Cook at 350 degrees in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Top with tomato, avocado, sour cream, and chopped cilantro.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info