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💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
Easy, and quick recipe that everyone will love. You just need a couple of ingredients and less than 10 minutes! Hard to beat that! Restaurant-quality nachos, and customizable. Making this easy snack at home means you can customize them to your liking. Great way to use leftovers. Have some extra cheese? Salsa? Black beans? Throw them in! You don’t even need to measure them precisely.
📋 Ingredients and notes
You’ll need sturdy corn tortilla chips, canned black beans, shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese, and salsa to make this air fryer nachos recipe. I have topped with lime juice, avocados, green onions, and sour cream, but the best part is that topping options are endless!
Notes and Variations
Choosing the best tortilla chips: If you want to make your own tortilla chips, you can check out my homemade air fryer tortilla chips and take it up a notch further by using homemade flour tortillas! Or pick up your favorite tortilla chips from the store. You want restaurant-quality crunchy chips with a slightly salty taste. No more soggy nachos!Type of cheese: I prefer using sharp Cheddar, but Mexican blends, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack also tend to work great for this recipe! You want something a bit strong, and with great meltability. If possible, grate your cheese yourself - you won’t regret it! Optional toppings: There are no limits to the toppings you can add to this recipe. I’ve used black beans and homemade salsa and topped off with some fresh avocados, sour cream, green onions and a quick squeeze of lime juice. But you can also add jalapenos, black olives, pico de gallo shredded cooked meat of your choice (for the non-vegetarians at home) or even top with guacamole.
📖 Step-by-step instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Line air fryer basket or tray with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent cheese from dripping down to the bottom of your air fryer basket or tray. Spread out tortilla chips on aluminum foil, spacing them out evenly in a single layer / overlapping rows. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need more or less chips! Scale or make in batches as needed.Once you layer chips, add salsa, black beans (drained and rinsed), and freshly shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend on top. Be generous! You can also season with taco seasoning or chili powder if you desire.
Place the air fryer basket or tray back into the air fryer and cook for about 2-5 minutes, until you see melted cheese. Depending on your air fryer, you might need to cook more (I recommend checking in 1 minute intervals!)Remove nachos from air fryer, and top with your favorite garnishes - I’ve used salsa, avocados, green onions, and sour cream as my nacho toppings. But for the ultimate nachos, you can also add jalapenos, green chilies, olives, chili, pico de gallo, pinto beans or other favorite toppings!
Devour crispy chips with gooey cheese and all the good stuff while hot! Note: Air fryer temperatures will vary depending on the model and the type of air fryer (e.g., basket versus tray) so the exact cooking time will vary depending on those factors as well,
Troubleshooting
🍴 Serving and storage suggestions
You can store leftover nachos in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 days in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, top with extra cheese and reheat for 2-3 minutes at 320F in a preheated air fryer or oven. I don’t recommend freezing nachos - why would you when you make the best nachos in under 10 minutes?! Looking for other air fryer recipes? Check out:
Air Fryer Samosas Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts (Vegan, Six Ingredients!)Air Fryer Mozzarella SticksAir Fryer French Fries
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐