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Home Eat Snacks

5 Minute Air Fryer Nachos

5 from 3 votes
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By: Sarah BondUpdated: Jan 13, 2023 5 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

Air fryer nachos are crispy, crunchy, and oh so crave-able! Easily make a single plate of nachos when the craving strikes. Here’s how to do it.

A large platter of vegetarian nachos.

One of the best parts of watching sports (dare I say…the only good thing about watching sports) is the food.

Making your “game day food” at home is not only more affordable, but healthier too. Enter, air fryer nachos!

There’s nothing worse than soggy nachos. Absolutely no one enjoys the soggy remains at the bottom of the pile. That’s why you need an air fryer. Thin layers of chips and cheese mean that these vegetarian nachos are crispy throughout, even if you’re reheating them!

This recipe makes the absolute perfect amount. Enjoy them as a main meal for two, or share them with more friends. The best part is they take just 5 minutes to crisp up, so making another batch is a snap. And since we’re heating just the chips and cheese, everyone gets to customize the toppings on their own serving.

Vegetarian nachos topped with salsa, limes, and cilantro.

Ingredients for air fryer nachos

SO simple. Grab your favorite chips and cheese at the store and get cooking.

  • Tortilla Chips: Wander the chip aisle and you’ll find the standard brands, but now there are also so many to choose from, even grain-free, lower salt, lime flavored. Choose your favorite! Feeling adventurous? Make your own tortilla chips!
  • Shredded Cheese: I like classic cheddar, but grab whatever strikes your fancy (need help? here’s our definitive guide to the best cheese for nachos). Monterey Jack or a cheddar-jack blend also taste great. Give vegan cheese a try, too. Daiya brand melts nicely.
  • Toppings: This is where you go wild! Pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, homemade guacamole…the list goes on!

Cheese Tip

Check out the photo below – I picked a thickly shredded cheese. This means the cheese will melt into a beautiful layer but won’t quickly turn hard or rubbery. I think it works much better than “fancy” shredded cheese, which is super thin. Try shredding your own on the large holes of a box grater.

How to make nachos in the air fryer

The hardest part is waiting 5 minutes!

Step 1: Prep
Cut a piece of parchment paper or foil the size of your basket’s insert, plus a bit to go up the sides – but not TOO high! Try and keep it below the top of the basket. This will help you pull your entire serving of air fryer nachos out of the basket, while also preventing a cheesy mess in the bottom of your air fryer.

Step 2: Assemble
We’re doing two layers here, just like making lasagna. Chips-cheese-chips-cheese. This makes sure every bite has cheese and there aren’t any naked chips on the bottom. Those would be sad.

Tortilla chips and shredded cheese layered in the basket of an air fryer.

Step 3: Air Fry
Cook for 5 minutes, or until your cheese is melted. No need to preheat! I also love that you can easily set the timer for longer and just hang out by the air fryer and take a quick peek multiple times without losing too much heat. This lets you get things perfect.

Melted cheese on chips in the basket of an air fryer.

Step 4: Serve
Carefully lift out your vegetarian nachos by the edges of the parchment. I just place the entire paper on the serving platter. Now add allll your favorite toppings! You can also gently pull apart the entire stack of nachos into two for everyone to customize their plates.

A platter of cheesy chips with bowls of salsa and sour cream next to it.

Recipe tips

Even Cooking: Make sure if you are using foil, you keep the edges straight up – if they droop over the nachos they will block the circulating air.

Thick Cheese: Remember to use thicker shredded cheese. The thin shreds will melt too quickly and can turn rubbery or hard.

Keep an Eye Out: This isn’t a recipe you’ll want to walk away from. All machines heat differently, so the first few times you’ll want to peek in on your nachos before the time is up to make sure they aren’t burning.

A white platter filled with vegetarian nachos.

Why this Recipe Works

  • No wasted energy when you want a single serving. There’s no reason to heat up the main oven when the air fryer will do!
  • Five minutes is all you need to make these. You can’t even heat up a toaster oven in the time these nachos cook in the air fryer!
  • No soggy nachos here! The air fryer heating element is super close to the chips, keeping them nice and crispy. And with your layered approach, no chip is cheese-less!

FAVORITE AIR FRYER

After trying out a bunch of different air fryers, this is my favorite!

get it here

FAQs

Why do I need to line the basket?

Using parchment under your nachos serve a dual purpose. Not only can you easily lift your entire platter of nachos out at once, this way no cheese will drip in the basket! This means a quick wipe of any crumbs is all you need to clean your machine.

How do you make nachos crispy again air fryer?

These are amazing fresh, but also to reheat, just pop them right back in for a minute. Keep in mind you’re just heating it back up a bit since it’s already melted.

Can I put parchment paper in the air fryer?

Yes – it’s totally safe! Just make sure you keep the edges of the paper below the top of the basket so they don’t come into contact with the fan or heating element.

A white platter filled with vegetarian nachos.

Top It Like it’s Hot

I know you already have your favorite dips and toppings in mind, but these are perfect recipes to make when making nachos for a crowd.

  • Avocado Corn Salsa is perfect for those that like just a hint of avocado.
  • Guacamole Dip if you can’t get enough of the green stuff!
  • Blender Salsa can be made by one of your guests while the nachos heat.
  • Spanish Rice and Beans are a great way to round things out and turn this appetizer into a meal.

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @liveeatlearn on Facebook or Instagram!

Air fryer nachos on a plate.

5 Minute Air Fryer Nachos

5 from 3 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Author: Sarah Bond
Calories:
Servings: 4 servings
Print Rate
These easy air fryer nachos are cooked in just 5 minutes and are totally foolproof. Easily make a single batch when the craving strikes.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups tortilla chips
  • 2 cups grated cheese like Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, or a blend
  • Optional Topping Ideas: pico de gallo, sour cream, avocado, cilantro

Instructions 

  • Prep: Place a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil in your air fryer so that it covers the bottom and a bit of the sides.
  • Assemble: Layer in half of the chips, then half of the cheese, then the remaining chips and cheese.
    Nachos in an air fryer.
  • Air Fry: Cook at 325°F (162°C) for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
    Nachos in an air fryer.
  • Serve: Transfer nachos on the parchment paper to a serving plate, topping with your desired toppings!
    Plate of nachos with toppings.
Did You Make This?

Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

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  1. MARIE CORDALIS says

    Posted on 1/21 at 12:04 pm

    Easiest nachos ever! We love nachos but I dislike the way they turn out in the microwave and I don’t always have time for the oven. These are perfect? Crispy like in the oven but in a fraction of the time. I never would have thought to use my air fryer because of fear of the mess, but the parchment paper is the key. The only changes I made were to add some corn and bean salsa to the chips and vegetarian safe cheese and I had to do it in two batches because my air fryer isn’t a large one. This is how I’ll make my nachos from now on 🙂5 stars

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 1/22 at 8:06 pm

      Yay! I’m so happy to hear it, Marie! 😀 Enjoy!

  2. Miyako says

    Posted on 1/27 at 11:31 am

    You were right, Sarah — using the air fryer made these nice and crispy (versus the microwave we used to use)! Since we use vegan cheese, will have to experiment with time to find the best melting. This is just in time for NFL playoffs, so thanks!5 stars

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 1/27 at 12:59 pm

      YAY! Enjoy, Miyako!!

  3. Mel says

    Posted on 2/2 at 2:04 am

    Oh. My. Goodness. These nachos are so unbelievably delicious! Incredibly easy, and paired with some fire roasted salsa and cilantro?!?!?!?!?! 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤 YES PLEASE!!!! Ive always made these in the microwave. It never ONCE dawned on me to make them in the air fryer! Thank you for such an incredible way to make one of my fave snacks!5 stars

    Reply

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