Air Fryer Nachos with ground beef, melted cheese, and tasty fresh toppings are easy to make. These nachos in the air fryer make a great hearty snack or for dinner!

A plate of air fried nachos topped with tomatos, avocado, black olives, salsa, and drizzled with sour cream

Jump to:

❤️ Nachos In Air Fryer
How To Serve
Ingredients and Tools
Variations
How To Make
Expert Tips
Common Questions
Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
💬 Comments

❤️ Nachos In Air Fryer

"I've been making this air fryer loaded nachos for my family for years! It's an easy recipe, and everyone loves the taco meat. We make these for dinner a lot!" 🙂 -Kori

Perfect Nachos Every Time

I think you'll love this air fryer nacho recipe.

These come out perfect every time! The first time I made these, I was amazed at how fast they cooked and how well the hot air got into the underneath chip layers! If you've ever cooked nachos in a regular oven, you know that it takes a little longer to get the inside layers perfectly melted.

Tip: these cook fast, so keep your eye on them!

Low Carb Nachos Recipe

While these air-fried nachos calls for tortilla chips, you could just as easily swap out a low carb or keto-friendly tortilla chip or use pork rinds. Check out my Pork Rind Nachos recipe for a keto version. 🙂

If you make this recipe and substitute pork rinds for the tortilla chips, the nutritional analysis for the low carb/keto version is here:

4.1 g net carbs | 32.6 g of fat | 20 g protein | 397 calories

If you are interested in keto, be sure to get our FREE keto food list and shopping list!

How To Serve

Air fryer nachos are pretty much a meal of their own, but here are some ways that you can serve them:

Serve as a hearty appetizer or air fryer snack.
Because of the meat, these air fryer nachos make a great main dish for dinner or even lunch. Make the meat ahead of time and you've got a super quick meal.
If you are looking for a side dish, a simple fresh side salad would be amazing. Try it with our Avocado Dressing.
Try topping the nachos with our homemade guacamole - so delicious.

Ingredients and Tools

Here are the ingredients and tools you'll need to make nachos in air fryer:

Ingredients

Ground Beef (80/20) - you can also use ground or shredded chicken or pork. If you don't want any meat you can skip it completely.
Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix - my homeade taco seasoning recipe is easy, delicious, and healthy - give it a try! If you don't feel like making your own you can use a store-bought packet.
Water
Tortilla Chips - use whatever brand is your favorite!
Cheddar Cheese - I used a medium cheddar, but a mild or sharp cheddar would work well. You can also try others such as jack cheese or pepper jack.
Avocado
Green Onions - you can also use yellow or red onion for variety.
Tomatoes
Black Olives
Sour Cream
Salsa

Tools

Air Fryer or save some space with all in one Ninja Foodi Deluxe like I have - it's a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and air fryer (and more) in one.
10" skillet
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Chef Knife
Cutting Board
Cheese Grater

Variations

There are a few ways you can vary or make substitutions to your air fried nachos:

Substitute ground chicken or pork for the beef. You could also shred chicken or pork and season with taco seasoning. Heck, you can even go meatless!
Use any favorite nacho toppings - you don't have to follow my example exactly.
Use pork rinds or low carb tortilla chips to make this recipe gluten free, low carb, and keto.

How To Make

Here's how to make nachos in air fryer! I also included instructions for baking in your oven, just in case! 🙂

Please see the recipe card below for full details.

Make Taco Meat

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Add taco seasoning mix and water. Cook according to the recipe or package instructions.

Layer Meat and Cheese

In the air fryer basket, layer tortilla chips, cheese, and meat. You'll get a more even distribution of meat, cheese, and rinds if you create multiple layers - three layers work the best for this recipe.

For easy removal, you can line with foil. If you plan on removing the nachos after baking, line the basket with a strip of foil with some foil left out so you can easily lift them out and transfer to a plate.

Air Fry

Preheat the air fryer 325 degrees F for 5 minutes.

Place the basket into the air fryer and cook the nachos for 3 to 8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Watch carefully; they cook fast.

Toppings

Top with avocado, tomato, black olives, sour cream, and salsa. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Here are some air fryer tips you might find helpful for making the best nachos.

Keep your eye on the nachos as they are air frying - they cook FAST.
If you want to easily remove you nachos from the air fryer basket to serve on a platter, place a folded strip of aluminum foil on the bottom of the air fryer basket before layering nachos.
Grate your own cheese. Fresh grated cheese melts so much better. Many store-bought grated cheeses are coated with an ingredient that prevents it from sticking together - but it also prevents it from melting properly.
For best distribution of toppings and chips - tortilla chips, cheese, and meat evenly. I ended up with three layers and this seemed to work great!
Air fryer nachos are best eaten immediately. Nachos don't keep well and will go soggy.
Cook your meat, grate your cheese, and chop your vegetables (not the avocado) in advance for a super quick recipe.

Common Questions

Can you put foil in an air fryer?

Yes, you can put foil in your air fryer. We used foil in this recipe to help us lift out the nachos to transfer them to our serving plate. Here are some tips for using aluminum foil in your air fryer:

Before using foil check your manufacturers guidelines.
Don't cover the top of your food near the air frying fan and heat source. This will prevent air flow and could overheat your air fyer.
Use foil only where necessary so you don't impede air flow.
Only place foil in the air fryer basket.
Aluminum Foil should not be used with acidic foods such as citrus fruits or tomatoes. The foil will react to the acidity.
Foil is helpful to prevent grease and liquids from dripping through the basket.
Folding a strip of foil in the bottom of the air fryer basket can help you lift out your food. Most foods can be removed with tongs but things like nachos are trickier - a wide strip of foil works like a charm if laid in the bottom.

How to Make Low Carb and Keto Nachos

To make this nacho recipe, replace the regular tortilla chips with original flavored pork rinds or a low carb/keto tortilla.

All other ingredients and instructions are the same. See our pork rind nacho recipe for more information.

What topping do you put on nachos?

There is an infinite number of ways you can make nachos. Here are a few popular nacho toppings:

Salsa or pico de gallo
Guacamole
Sour cream
Sliced jalapenos
Cheese sauce
Cilantro
A variety of cheeses - cheddar, jack, cotija cheese, etc.
Meat - ground beef, chicken pork, bacon
Seafood - shrimp, crab
Avocado
Roasted or grilled corn
Tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Green Onions or other diced onion
Black olives
Beans - black beans, pinto beans, etc.
Tofu

Can you make nachos in advance?

You can prepare all of your ingredients in advance, like cooking the taco meat and chopping vegetables. Save the avocado until right before you need it, so it doesn't turn brown.

Nachos will become soggy if they sit, so it is best to serve them fresh and hot right out of the oven or air fryer.

How to Heat Nachos

If you want to heat your nachos, preheat the air fryer to 325 degrees F for 5 minutes (oven 350 degrees F). Place nachos in the basket and cook until heated through, about 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes

Looking for more air fryer recipes? Check out these delicious recipes that could work as both an appetizer or a main dish:

If you tried these Air Fryer Nachos, I'd love for you to come back and give it a star rating and/or a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

📋 Recipe

Air Fryer nachos are both delicious AND easy! Loaded air fryer nachos with ground beef taco meat, lots of melty cheese, and your favorite delicious toppings. Feel free to use shredded or ground chicken, pork, or even go meatless. Make these low-carb and keto nachos by using pork rinds instead of chips. This air fryer nachos recept makes a filling appetizer or snack or a main dish dinner or lunch. Enjoy!

Air Fryer Nachos (Loaded Nachos with Ground Beef)