Crunchy, easy, and perfect for a small gathering, these loaded air fryer nachos come together in a flash and will disappear just as fast! Layers of tortilla chips, beans, green onions, and melted cheese are delicious enough on their own, but I like to pile mine with guacamole, salsa, and fresh cilantro, too.
It’s so easy to make delicious nachos in the air fryer in under 10 minutes! So, while this recipe serves 4, you can make several batches in a short period of time to serve a large crowd. I like to offer a variety of toppings so everyone can customize their air-fried nachos to suit their tastes. For more appetizer recipes, try my million dollar dip, air fryer jalapeno poppers, and fried pickles.
Ingredients
Tortilla chips — I tested this recipe in my 6-quart air fryer and used 6 ounces of chips. If you have a smaller one (4-quart capacity), start with 4 ounces of chips (about 6 cups) to avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket.
Cheese — I recommend shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend, but you can really use any melty cheese you like.
Black beans — drain and thoroughly rinse a can of black beans for the topping.
Green onions — thinly sliced green onions add flavor and extra crunch to this air fryer nacho recipe.
How To Make Air Fryer Nachos
1. Line the air fryer basket with a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray it with olive oil cooking spray to keep the cheese from sticking.
2. Place half the tortilla chips in the air fryer in a single layer, spreading to cover the entire basket. Overlap them slightly so that no space is left between the chips, or else the cheese will fall through the gaps as it melts.
3. Top with half the cheese, black beans, and green onions. Repeat with a second layer of chips, cheese, beans, and green onions. Air fry at 325°F for 4 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
4. Remove the nachos from the air fryer by lifting the foil packet out of the basket, and slide them from the foil onto a serving plate. Add additional toppings as desired.
The Best Toppings
The opportunities for air fryer nacho toppings are endless! Here are a few ideas:
- Diced tomatoes like beefsteak, Roma, or even cherry tomatoes work well all year long. Use a fresh heirloom tomato in the summer. Or, mix up my fresh pico de gallo!
- Fresh or pickled sliced jalapeño
- Sliced black olives
- Sour cream
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- Classic salsa or pineapple salsa
- Swap the canned beans for Instant Pot black beans or use a different type, like pinto beans or refried beans.
Variations
- Add a protein. The recipe as written makes vegetarian nachos, but you can add 8 ounces of ground beef or ground turkey to this easy snack recipe for a heartier app or to turn into a meal. Season the meat with taco seasoning and brown it in a skillet. Layer it with the beans and cheese before cooking the nachos in the air fryer. You can also use shredded chicken like I use in my Instant Pot chicken tacos, cooked chorizo or soyrizo, any leftover taco meat you might have on hand, or slow cooker carnitas.
- Swap the tortilla chips. Add a twist by swapping plain tortilla chips for flavored chips, like lime or jalapeño. Or lean into the cheesiness of this recipe by using Doritos!
- Use queso. Use half the amount of shredded cheese and drizzle queso over the nachos in the last minute of cooking.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Layer the ingredients. Layering the ingredients is key for nachos with evenly distributed ingredients. Simply adding everything on top of a pile of chips will yield dry, sad tortilla chips on the bottom instead of having flavorful bites that include all the ingredients.
- Don’t pile the nachos too high. Overfilling the air fryer basket will lead to soggy nachos instead of crisp ones. Stick to two even layers.
- Serve them fresh. Air fryer nachos is one of those dishes that is best enjoyed fresh. Making them ahead of time can cause them to become soggy over time. Luckily, they come together so quickly, so you can make them with just a moment’s notice!
- For easy removal from the air fryer, leave two sides of parchment paper or foil a little bit longer so that you can easily lift the packet of nachos from the air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have an air fryer, follow my classic nachos recipe to make your own nachos in the oven!
Leftover air fryer nachos will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To refresh leftover nachos, pop them into the air fryer at 325°F for 3 to 4 minutes.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this air fryer nachos recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Air Fryer Nachos Recipe
Equipment
- 6-quart air fryer
- Olive oil cooking spray
Ingredients
- 6 ounces tortilla chips (170g)
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar or Mexican Blend cheese (170g)
- 1 cup black beans (160g), drained and rinsed
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
Optional Toppings:
- Tomatoes diced
- Jalapeno pepper sliced (fresh or pickled)
- Sour cream
- Fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Line the basket of an air fryer with a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray the liner with olive oil cooking spray. (This keeps the cheese from sticking.)
- Place one half of the tortilla chips in the air fryer, spreading to cover the entire basket. Overlap them slightly so that no space is left between the chips (so that the cheese does not melt through). Top with one half of the cheese, black beans, and green onions.
- Repeat with a second layer of chips, cheese, beans and, green onion.
- Air fry at 325°F for 4 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Slide the nachos from the foil onto a serving plate.
- Top with the tomatoes, jalapenos, sour cream, and chopped cilantro, if you like.
Notes
- Layer the ingredients. Layering the ingredients is key for nachos with evenly distributed ingredients. Simply adding everything on top of a pile of chips will yield dry, sad tortilla chips on the bottom instead of having flavorful bites that include all the ingredients.
- Don’t pile the nachos too high. Overfilling the air fryer basket will lead to soggy nachos instead of crisp ones. Stick to two even layers.
- Serve them fresh. Air fryer nachos is one of those dishes that is best enjoyed fresh. Making them ahead of time can cause them to become soggy over time. Luckily, they come together so quickly, so you can make them with just a moment’s notice!
- For easy removal from the air fryer, leave two sides of parchment paper or foil a little bit longer so that you can easily lift the packet of nachos from the air fryer.
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