Air Fryer Nachos

For the fastest way to go from no nachos (sad) to boom, nachos! (yay!) get your air fryer involved. These Air Fryer Nachos are ready in just 5 minutes!

Let’s get this question out of the way. 

Why air fry nachos?

To get them into your face hole faster! I can’t proclaim that preparing nachos in the air fryer is somehow superior to making them in your oven (baking) - at least as far as taste is concerned. But not having to wait for your oven to preheat makes air fryer nachos THE MOVE when you want an awesomely cheesy snack quickly. 

How do I air fry nachos?

Once your nachos are assembled, all you have to do is turn your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and air fry for 5 minutes until the cheese has just melted. If you let them go too long, you risk the cheese getting overly crisp. These are nachos, not cheese crackers, so the cheese should be just melted and gooey. Keep an eye on these while they cook so you don’t overdo it! 

Of course, there are thousands of different combinations to try when it comes to nachos, but I wanted to keep it simple here and go with Air Fryer Chicken Nachos using rotisserie chicken. 

My Air Fryer Oven

This Air Fryer Nachos recipe was prepared in a Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 XL Countertop Air Fry Oven. I love it, it’s worth every penny, and has more or less replaced my oven at this point. 

The ingredient amounts are based on what fits on the tray (which is 13 ½ inches x 11 ½ inches) that comes with this Ninja Foodi XL Air Fry Oven. 

What ingredients do I need to make Air Fryer Chicken Nachos?

Keeping in mind that the ingredient amounts called for are based on the 13 ½ inches x 11 ½ inches tray that comes with my Ninja Foodi XL Air Fry Oven, you will need the following to make these chicken nachos in the air fryer. 

INGREDIENTS  

• 4-5 handfuls tortilla chips
• 1 ½ cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded 
• 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded 
• ½ cup pickled banana pepper rings
• 3 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
• Cooking spray
• Salsa(s) of your choosing (optional)
• Parsley or cilantro, chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Spray your air fryer tray lightly with cooking spray.
2. Remove the banana peppers from the jar and lay them out on paper towels. Cover with paper towels as well to remove excess moisture. This will prevent the nachos from getting soggy.
3. Lay down a fairly uniform layer of tortilla chips. Spread the entire cup of smoked gouda evenly over the nachos. 
4. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken next, ensuring even coverage. Add the banana peppers next, followed by the finely minced red onion. 
5. Take the cup of shredded pepper jack cheese and do a final even, cheesy layer. 
6. If necessary preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit - the Ninja Foodi does a 90-second preheat. 
7. Add the tray of nachos to the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes, keeping close tabs so the cheese doesn’t overcook - you want just melted cheese that’s gooey. 
8. Remove from the air fryer oven and garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro and serve with salsa(s) of your choosing. 
9. Snack away!

Ingredient Substitutions & Suggestions

The Protein

I like to use rotisserie chicken for nachos, but you can of course use other proteins, such as shredded or ground turkey, pork, or beef. If you want to take this a vegetarian route, swap in black or pinto beans or a meat substitute of your choosing. 

The Cheese

Please don’t use pre-shredded cheese. I’ve ranted and raved about this before, but pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose to prevent clumping and it melts like trash. You’ll get better nachos if you suck it up and shred your own cheese. I said what I said. 

I LOVE smoked gouda and it’s not too terribly difficult to find. But if you don’t see it at your local grocery store, try using a smoked cheddar instead. Or you can leave it out and just use pepper jack. 

Almost any kind of cheddar works here, as well as Monterey Jack and American cheese. Oaxaca cheese melts beautifully on nachos if you can find it near you. 

The “Bonuses”

The protein tends to dictate the direction nachos go, so I like to refer to the other ingredients as “bonuses”. Which should be selected carefully (or chosen based on what complimentary items you have on hand). While the bite of fresh onion and pickled heat of banana peppers is awesome to me, you might not be a fan of either of those things. In that case, try adding these instead:

• Black olives
• Green olives
• Red or green bell pepper
• Poblano pepper
• Pinto or black beans 
• Fresh or pickled jalapenos
• Or, just do chicken and cheese! 

What to do with Leftover Nachos?

Have some nachos leftover? Fear not, you can reuse them in a lot of creative ways, from migas to casserole. Read more about What to do with Leftover Nachos.

What should I serve with Air Fryer Nachos?

Other appetizers! Try serving these awesome nachos with:

• Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
• Air Fryer Pickle Spears
• Air Fryer Tortilla Pizza
• Air Fryer Walleye
• Crispy Air Fryer Tacos

If you need Air Fryer Nacho dipping inspiration, try these spectacular condiments: 

• Roasted Green Tomato Salsa
• Roasted Garlic Guacamole
• Spicy Pico de Gallo
• Citrus Jalapeno Salsa

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