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 or any family get-together!

Air fryer appetizers are some of my favorites because they are easy and cooked perfectly every time. Try out these others like these 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.

Air Fryer Nachos

Nachos are one of our very favorite snacks around here!! They are crispy and loaded with cheese, veggies, and all sorts of delicious toppings. I like to make them with my homemade tortilla chips because let’s be honest, I don’t always have everything on hand! I like using an air fryer for cooking up food because it’s a set it and forget it mentality. You let the air fryer do all the work!

These nachos take less than 10 minutes from start to finish, and even if you make the tortilla chips before, it doesn’t add much time. Because these air fryer nachos are so simple, it’s easy to make another batch (or two!) when this one is gobbled down by all of your guests in a matter of minutes. So keep that air fryer handy. You’re going to need it! Once you get the hang of the air fryer, it’s going to become your favorite kitchen appliance! Try out these air fryer zucchini pizza bites or these air fryer potato wedges next!

Ingredients To Make 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 take away ingredients to make this perfect for you! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Homemade Tortilla Chips: You can use store bought tortilla chips, or if you don’t have any on hand then make these super easy homemade tortilla chips instead!
Black Beans: Drain and rinse these before adding them to the nachos.
Olives: Slice these up and place them on top.
Jalapeno: If you don’t want much heat from the jalapenos then make sure to take all of the seeds out and leave them off of your nachos.
Shredded Cheese: I like to use colby jack cheese but feel freee to use whatever you have on hand!
Roma Tomato: I like to cut this into larger chunks.
Avocado: Slice this up right before you plan to use it so that it doesn’t go brown.
Sour Cream: A little dollop of cool sour cream on top of hot nachos is the best combo!
Cilantro: This will be a garnish on top after your nachos are done cooking!.

How to Make Nachos in the Air Fryer

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

Add ingredients to the air fryer: Add the tortilla chips to the bottom of the air fryer basket. 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 with tomato, avocado, sour cream and chopped cilantro.

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

Quick Tips

I have a few ideas for you to make your air fryer nachos turn out perfectly! These tortilla chips, heaped with cheese and toppings, are a recipe that you won’t want to miss!

How to Load the Air fFyer: You never want to pack and air fryer too much becuase then the food doesn’t 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, bacons bits, shredded chicken or pork, steak bites, or even some chili!
Chips: If you don’t make your own homemade tortilla chips then amke sure you pick out the right kind at the grocery store! You don’t want any that are too thina s they will break in the air fryer. Get some thicker, restauraunt quality one that will hold up to all of the added toppings!

A hand scooping a nacho out of an air fryer.

How to Reheat Nachos in the Air Fryer

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