This quick and easy recipe for Air Fryer Tortilla Chips uses just 3 simple ingredients! Make your own tortilla chips using the air fryer and some corn tortillas (or flour tortillas). No preservatives or additives are needed – just delicious and crunchy goodness! Use corn tortillas for an easy homemade gluten-free tortilla chip.
Who doesn’t love a crispy, crunchy snack? While sweet cravings are pretty common, as I get older I find myself craving savory and salty more often. Enter this easy and delicious recipe for air fryer tortilla chips!
Made with just a few basic ingredients, these homemade tortilla chips can be made with corn tortillas (my fav) or flour tortillas, and it takes less than 15 minutes to make. Best of all? They make the most AMAZING plate of nachos. Seriously!
The thing I really love about them though is that it’s easy to make your very own gluten-free tortilla chips that are also free from preservatives and additives. Corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free, meaning they are a great option for guests and parties. But really? They are just so delicious, you can’t resist! And did I mention easy?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make with just 3 super simple ingredients!
- A fast and delicious way to make your own gluten-free tortilla chips at home.
- Skip the preservatives! Just real food, made delicious and crispy in the air fryer.
- It’s the perfect base for a batch of homemade nachos, and so delicious for dipping with salsa, pico, or guacamole.
Ingredients
- Tortillas: You can use either corn tortillas or flour tortillas for this recipe. I find corn tortillas turn out more like store-bought chips, so I recommend those.
- Salt: A little bit of salt sprinkled on top makes for the perfect not-too-salty snack.
- Cooking spray: I like to use avocado oil cooking spray, but if you don’t have cooking spray you could brush a thin layer of oil on each tortilla with a pastry brush.
Equipment
- Air Fryer: For most of my recipes I like to use a 5.5-quart basket air fryer like the Ninja XL.
- Pizza cutter (or sharp knife): This makes easy work of cutting layers of tortillas into triangles. You could use a very sharp knife if you don’t have a pizza wheel on hand.
How to Make Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
Once you make these easy air fryer tortilla chips for the first time, you’ll want to make them again and again! It really is a super easy recipe, and I make sure to keep corn tortillas on hand just so I can make up a batch when I’m craving something crispy and crunchy.
With Corn Tortillas
Corn tortillas offer the best flavor and crunch in my opinion (even though they are not my favorite for using in other recipes).
To get started, lay out 2 corn tortillas onto a grease-proof surface. Spray both sides with cooking spray (I like Chosen Foods avocado oil cooking spray) OR brush a thin layer of oil with a pastry brush.
Sprinkle both sides of the tortillas with a small amount of salt to your taste.
Then stack the tortillas and use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut it into 6 triangles.
Place the tortilla triangles in a preheated air fryer basket in a single layer (working in batches if necessary). It’s okay if they touch a little bit, but the goal is very minimal overlapping.
Insert the basket into the air fryer and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until lightly browned and crunchy.
As soon as the chips begin to brown around the edges use a pair of tongs to remove them to a wire rack. Repeat the process with the remaining chips and the desired amount of tortillas.
Once all of the chips are done and have cooled briefly, serve and enjoy! I like to serve them with some salsa or layer them up with some cheese and toppings for a yummy personal-sized nacho plate.
Alternative: Use Flour Tortillas
If you would prefer, you can use flour tortillas to make air fryer tortilla chips. They are a little less crisp and are a bit easier to burn. So if you choose flour tortillas, make sure to keep a close eye on them during the cooking process!
I also recommend using a smaller-sized tortilla. I used a large (burrito-size) tortilla here, and it was difficult getting the proper shape for the triangles. It still worked out just fine though!
Spray with Cooking Spray
Lay 1-2 flour tortillas on a grease-proof surface and spray both sides lightly with cooking spray (or brush with oil).
Sprinkle both sides of the tortilla with salt (to your taste), and then cut it into triangles with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.
Air Frying Flour Tortilla Chips
Place the prepared flour tortilla triangles in the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer.
Cook for 3-5 minutes, until crispy on the edges. It’s important to keep a close eye on the tortilla chips, as flour tortillas can burn easily when compared to corn tortillas.
Remove the cooked tortilla chips from the basket using a pair of tongs and place them on a wire rack to cool.
Repeat the process with the desired amount of flour tortillas, then allow to cool briefly before serving.
Tips for Success
- Keep an eye on your tortilla chips while they are in the air fryer. They cook quickly and may be done sooner depending on the particular model. For the best results, check after a few minutes to see how they are browning.
- Allow the chips to cool completely before transferring them to a storage bag or airtight storage container. Any warmth will cause condensation, and result in a chip that quickly loses its crispness.
- Corn tortillas tend to do much better than flour tortillas in the air fryer. If you’re using flour tortillas make sure to reduce the time, as they tend to cook more quickly and can easily become overdone.
Variations
No oil: I wouldn’t recommend making tortilla chips in the air fryer without oil. Without at least a light coating of cooking spray, they can burn rather than brown. Try misting a fine layer and spreading the mist of oil with a pastry brush to help a little bit of oil go a long way.
With cinnamon and sugar: After spraying the tortilla chips with cooking spray, sprinkle them with some cinnamon sugar. Combine 1/4 cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon and mix well to make your own cinnamon sugar. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Low Carb: Use low-carb tortillas in place of the corn or flour tortillas called for in the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can put raw tortilla chips in an air fryer! Just make sure they are lightly coated with cooking spray or oil first and sprinkled with a small amount of salt for flavor. You can then cook them at 350ºF for about 3-6 minutes – less time for flour tortillas, and more time for corn tortillas.
The truth is that you can’t really stop them from moving in the air fryer, since it uses air to circulate around your food. If it really bothers you, you can lay a small heat-proof trivet on top of the food to keep it from flying around.
Heat your air fryer to 350ºF. Once the air fryer is preheated add a small number of tortilla chips and warm them for 1-2 minutes in the air fryer. Once they are crisp and warm you can remove them and add another batch (if desired).
More Air Fryer Snacks
- Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
- Air Fryer Mini Pepper Nachos
- Roasted Almonds in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Pepperoni Chips
- How to Cook a Pop Tart in an Air Fryer
Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
Equipment
Ingredients
- Corn tortillas or flour tortillas
- Avocado oil cooking spray
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350ºF for at least 3 minutes, or according to your manufactures instructions.
- Place two tortillas on a flat, grease-proof surface and spray each side lightly with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle with salt according to your taste.
- Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to divide the tortilla into 8 wedges.
- Place the tortilla pieces into the basket of your preheated air fryer in a single layer.
- Cook corn tortilla chips for 4-6 minutes, and flour tortilla chips for 3-5 minutes. They are finished when they are beginning to brown on the edges and are crispy.
- Remove the chips from the air fryer using tongs and place them on a wire cooling rack.
- Repeat, working in batches, until you have made the desired amount of tortilla chips.
- Serve and enjoy!
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