These easy air fryer tortilla chips will convince you that homemade is always better! All you need is 3 ingredients and 15 minutes, and these crunchy triangles are ready for dipping in your favorite salsas and dips.
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Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
I love my from-scratch homemade tortilla chips, but whenever I need a tasty snack or appetizer in a hurry, I turn to this easy air fryer version!
- 3 ingredients. Yes, you can make salty, crunchy tortilla chips in your air fryer with only tortillas, salt, and oil. You’ll never want to buy store-bought again!
- Hands-free. The air fryer is one of my favorite kitchen appliances for a reason. These air fryer tortilla chips come out perfectly every time with hardly any effort.
- Ready in less than 15 minutes. There’s no deep-frying involved, meaning no mess and a super quick cooking time!
- Versatile. These crunchy little triangles can be as simple or as flavorsome as you want. Change up the seasonings and serve your tortilla chips with your favorite dips and recipes. I love these as a topping for chicken tortilla soup!
I’m always finding new ways to use my air fryer to make the tastiest snacks! These homemade tortilla chips turn out just as crispy as they would in the oven. If you love this recipe, you might also like these air fryer fried pickles, my favorite air fryer chicken taquitos, and these totally snackable air fryer potato wedges.
What You’ll Need
With only 3 ingredients, this easy air fryer recipe keeps it simple. Check out my notes here, and scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Corn tortillas – Use your favorite store-bought tortillas or make homemade corn tortillas. I don’t recommend substituting flour tortillas for this recipe.
- Salt – Or your choice of seasoning. You can add garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, or any of your favorite spices for an extra flavorful bite (more on this later!).
- Cooking oil – Feel free to use avocado oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil spray. Make sure to use cooking oil spray and NOT aerosol non-stick spray, like PAM, which can smoke and damage the air fryer.
How to Make Tortilla Chips in the Air Fryer
As long as you keep an eye on your air fryer, these tortilla chips are practically fail-proof. Follow the steps below, and scroll down to the recipe card for printable directions.
- Cut the tortillas. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice each tortilla into 6-8 even triangles. You can also tear them with your hands as long as the triangles come out more or less the same size.
- Arrange in the air fryer. Next, spread the tortilla chips in a single layer across the bottom of the air fryer basket. You may need to cook them in batches so that they don’t overlap.
- Season. Spray the chips with cooking oil and season with salt on both sides. If you’re using spices or seasonings to flavor your tortilla chips, now’s the time to add them.
- Air fry. Cook at 375ºF for 2 minutes, then flip. Spray with more cooking oil and allow them to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the tortilla chips from the air fryer once they’ve reached your desired crispiness.
- Serve. Carefully remove the tortilla chips from the air fryer and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Why Are My Air Fryer Tortilla Chips Chewy?
If your tortilla chips are still chewy after cooking, it usually means they’re not quite done yet. Leave them in the air fryer for another 20 seconds, or up to 1-2 minutes, until they’re golden brown and crunchy. You can also give them an additional light spray of cooking oil to help crisp up the outside.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Keep an eye on the air fryer. Sometimes it’s easy to walk away, but I suggest watching your air fryer tortilla chips closely to avoid burning. Burnt tortilla chips are really bitter.
- Use refrigerated tortillas. Fresh corn tortillas are very soft, so it takes longer to make them crispy. For this recipe, using tortillas that have had time to dry out in the fridge is best.
- Make them spicy. Sprinkle 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of chili powder on the tortillas to give them some heat. If you feel particularly confident about how much you can take, substitute it for ground chile de arbol.
- Garlicky. Mix 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder to give your tortilla chips a garlicky punch.
- Mediterranean. Combine 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon of dried thyme to make an exquisite Mediterranean spice mix.
- Tex-Mex. Whisk 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/8 teaspoon of chili powder, and 1/8 teaspoon of dried cumin for a Tex-Mex spice mix.
Serving Suggestions
I love using air fryer tortilla chips to make chilaquiles or I’ll serve them with refried beans and guacamole for dipping. On game day, turn these crispy tortilla chips into nachos with ground beef, melted cheese, pico de gallo, beans, salsa, and shredded lettuce. They’re also great with dip recipes like spicy salsa morita or avocado salsa, easy Texas caviar, and cheesy crockpot jalapeño corn dip. For a Mediterranean twist, serve them with tzatziki!
How to Store
Stored in an airtight container away from heat and humidity, your homemade air fryer tortilla chips will last for up to 10 days. If they lose some of their crunch, you can pop them in the air fryer for 15-30 seconds at 350ºF until they’re nice and crispy again.
More Snacks and Appetizer Recipes
Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
Ingredients
- 6 corn tortillas
- Oil cooking spray, avocado or olive oil
- Salt, to taste
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Instructions
- Cut corn tortillas into triangles. Depending on the size of your tortilla, you will want to cut them into 6 to 8 triangles. (Slice it like a pizza!)
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Spray tortillas on both sides with oil spray and sprinkle with salt, to taste. Place tortillas in the air fryer basket, in as even a layer as possible. If your air fryer is smaller, I recommend working in batches.
- Air fry for 2 minutes at 375°F. Open the air fryer, flip the tortillas, spray a little oil again, and fry for another 2 minutes. Keep tossing chips and air frying in 2-minute intervals, until your desired level of crispness.
- Remove from the air fryer and serve as desired!
Notes
- The thinner your tortillas, the thinner your tortilla chips will be.
- Storage: Stored in an airtight container away from heat and humidity, these air fryer tortilla chips will last for up to 10 days. If they lose some of their crunch, you can pop them in the air fryer for 15-30 seconds at 350°F until they're nice and crispy again.
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