Air Fryer Nachos – Perfect Layers! (VIDEO)
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The best part about Air Fryer Nachos is the perfect layers of chips and toppings that you can build in the basket — this is why it’s my favorite way to make nachos at home!
Watch the Air Fryer Nachos Recipe Video!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- neutral oil – my go to neutral oil is avocado oil but you can also use canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil.
- 80/20 ground beef – I like using 80/20 because it has the perfect amount of fat and flavor (for my taste) – feel free to use the ground beef of your choice. You can also substitute with a different ground meat, like ground chicken or turkey.
- taco seasoning – you can use store bought or make your own (there are many recipes online!)
- thick cut tortilla chips – I recommend thick cut tortilla chips (sometimes labeled as “restaurant style”) because they will hold up better with all of the nacho toppings. If you prefer thinner chips, you can use them but beware that they may break easier.
- shredded cheese – you can use shredded Mexican Cheese or equal parts cheddar and Monterey jack cheese.
- vegetable toppings – I used black beans (rinsed and drained), thinly sliced jalapenos, diced white onions, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, chopped cilantro. You can adjust this list to your liking! These are the toppings I prefer.
- other toppings – I used salsa (salsa verde or salsa rojo are my go-tos), sour cream, and guacamole. Adjust this to your liking!
How to Make Nachos in the Air Fryer
Cook the Ground Beef – Heat the neutral oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking the beef up into small pieces. Add the taco seasoning and continue cooking until no visible water remains and the beef crackles in its residual fat and is a deep brown, about 5-6 minutes.
Assemble the Nachos – Preheat the air fryer to 375F. Place a large piece of parchment paper or air fryer basket liner on the tray (watch the video above for detailed instructions on how to fit the parchment paper to your air fryer basket) then add a layer of chips spaced out so no gaps are visible.
Layer with 1 cup of cheese, then a third of the ground beef, beans, jalapenos, onions and olives. Repeat 2 more times with the remaining chips, cheese, beef, beans, jalapenos, onion, and olives.
Air Fry the Nachos – Air fry the nachos at 375F for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted (if you like crispy cheese like I do, air fry for the longer end of this range). Use a pair of spatulas to carefully bring the nachos out of the air fryer basket and onto a plate. Top with fresh tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole and enjoy!
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Expert Tips + Storage
- Adding the parchment paper to the air fryer basket is key for being able to take out the nachos from the basket with zero issue! Watch the video above for step by step directions on how to properly fit the parchment paper to your air fryer basket.
- The air fryer is my favorite way to make nachos because the air fryer basket is perfect for layering – I like to start with a layer of nachos, topped with cheese and then the vegetables, and repeat it at least 2 more times (for a total of 3 layers). It makes it so every chip has some meat, cheese, and vegetables – no naked chips in my nachos!
- I recommend using thick cut (also labeled “restaurant style”) tortilla chips beause they are thicker and will hold up better under the weight of the beef, cheese, and vegetables. If you prefer using thin cut chips, note that they may break.
- Storage – Nachos are best eaten fresh. That being said, if you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the chips will become pliable and lose it’s crunchiness. Reheat quickly in the microwave until warmed through.
If you tried this Air Fryer Nachos Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Nachos (VIDEO)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 bag thick cut tortilla chips
- 3 cups shredded Mexican Cheese, or equal parts cheddar and Monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 large jalapeno, thinly sliced
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- ½ cup sliced black olives
Fresh Toppings
- ½ cup tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup pickled jalapenos
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup salsa, salsa verde or salsa rojo
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup Guacamole
Instructions
- Heat the neutral oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking the beef up into small pieces. Add the taco seasoning and continue cooking until no visible water remains and the beef crackles in its residual fat and is a deep brown, about 5-6 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F. Place a large piece of parchment paper or air fryer basket liner on the tray then add a layer of chips spaced out so no gaps are visible. Layer with 1 cup of cheese, then a third of the ground beef, beans, jalapenos, onions and olives. Repeat 2 more times with the remaining chips, cheese, beef, beans, jalapenos, onion, and olives
- Air fry the nachos at 375F for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Use a pair of spatulas to carefully bring the nachos out of the air fryer basket and onto a plate. Top with fresh tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
Notes
- Adjust the ingredients to your liking! This recipe is highly customizable to your preferences – you can use any kind of ground meat you prefer, use the vegetable toppings you prefer, and top with what you like (I like salsa, sour cream, and guacamole but you don’t need to use all three!)
- The air fryer is my favorite way to make nachos because the air fryer basket is perfect for layering – I like to start with a layer of nachos, topped with cheese and then the vegetables, and repeat it at least 2 more times (for a total of 3 layers). It makes it so every chip has some meat, cheese, and vegetables – no naked chips in my nachos!
- I recommend using thick cut (also labeled “restaurant style”) tortilla chips beause they are thicker and will hold up better under the weight of the beef, cheese, and vegetables. If you prefer using thin cut chips, note that they may break.
- Storage – Nachos are best eaten fresh. That being said, if you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the chips will become pliable and lose it’s crunchiness. Reheat quickly in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
