Air Fryer Tortilla Chips: Quick, Easy, And Delicious!

Making tortilla chips in an air fryer is a quick, easy, and healthy way to satisfy your cravings for a crispy, salty snack. Requiring minimal ingredients and preparation time, this recipe is perfect for snacking, game day, or any occasion where chips and salsa are a must-have.

Choosing your tortillas

The type of tortillas you use will determine the texture and flavour of your tortilla chips. Corn tortillas are recommended for a more traditional, restaurant-style chip, while flour tortillas will result in a flavour and texture closer to pita chips. Corn tortillas are also said to turn out crispier than flour tortillas.

If you are making Keto or Low Carb tortilla chips, you can use low-carb tortillas. There are also tortillas that cater to those on Weight Watchers or gluten-free diets.

Tortilla size is also important. For restaurant-style tortilla chips, use 8-inch tortillas. The taco size is also a good option as they are easy to cut into chip-sized wedges. You can also use any size of tortilla, but bear in mind that the bigger the tortilla, the fewer chips you will get out of it.

For a healthier option, use whole wheat tortillas. These are high in fibre and can be customised with any flavour you like.

If you are using frozen tortillas, let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so before cutting them up and putting them in the air fryer.

Oil and seasoning

The oil and seasoning are essential components of this recipe, ensuring your tortilla chips emerge from the air fryer crispy, tasty, and golden brown.

Oil

You can use a variety of oils for this recipe, including olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. The oil helps to create the perfect crispy texture and ensures your chosen seasonings stick to the tortilla chips.

You can apply the oil in a couple of ways. The first is to mist the tortillas lightly with an oil spray. This method ensures a light and even coating. The second method is to brush the oil onto the tortillas with a pastry brush or baster brush. This approach will likely result in a slightly heavier coating of oil.

Seasoning

When it comes to seasoning, you can keep it simple with just a sprinkling of salt, or you can experiment with different flavour combinations. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Spicy Lime: Sprinkle on some Cajun seasoning, chili powder, or cayenne pepper.
• Zesty Ranch: Use ranch seasoning.
• Sweet: Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
• Cool Ranch: Toss your chips with ranch seasoning.
• Greek: Try a blend of oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.
• Spicy: Add chili powder, cumin, and paprika.
• Zesty 'Cheese': Combine olive oil with nutritional yeast and smoked paprika.

Tips

• It is recommended to oil and season the tortillas before cutting them into triangles. It is much easier to apply oil to a whole tortilla than lots of small pieces.
• Don't worry about getting oil on every single part of the tortilla—a light coating will do.
• If you are using a salt-based seasoning, you can choose to apply it to just one side or both sides of the tortilla, depending on your taste preferences.
• If you are using an oil spray, you can also spray the tortillas after cutting and before air frying, for an extra crispy texture.

Cutting the tortillas

Now that you've gathered your tortillas, oil, and salt, it's time to cut the tortillas into chip-sized pieces. You can use a sharp knife, a pizza cutter, or kitchen scissors to do this. Stack the tortillas on top of each other and cut them into wedges or triangles—about six to eight pieces per tortilla. You can also cut them into equal slices, like a pizza. If you're having trouble getting neat slices, try a sharper knife or a pizza cutter.

For a more traditional, restaurant-style chip, use corn tortillas. Corn tortillas will also give you a crispier texture. Flour tortillas will result in a flavour and texture that's closer to pita chips. They can also be a little chewy, so keep an eye on them while they're in the air fryer. If you're making keto or low-carb tortilla chips, simply use low-carb tortillas.

Once you've cut your tortillas, it's time to season and cook them.

Air fryer settings

Air fryer tortilla chips are easy to make and only take a few minutes to cook. The settings you'll need to use on your air fryer will depend on the model you have, but here are some general guidelines:

• Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (some air fryers don't have a preheat setting, so you can just turn it on and let it heat up for about 5 minutes).
• Brush or spray both sides of the tortillas with oil (olive oil, avocado oil, or a neutral-tasting oil like canola oil are good options) and sprinkle with salt (or your choice of seasoning). You can also mix the oil and seasonings together and brush the mixture onto the tortillas.
• Cut the tortillas into triangles (you can use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife for this).
• Arrange the triangles in a single layer in the air fryer basket (it's important to avoid overlapping the tortillas so that they cook evenly). You may need to cook the chips in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
• Air fry the chips at 350°F for 4-7 minutes, checking on them occasionally to make sure they aren't sticking together or burning.
• Remove any chips that are close to overcooking and continue cooking the rest until they are crispy and golden brown.
• Let the chips cool before serving or storing. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.

Note that air fryer models can vary, so you may need to adjust the temperature and cooking time slightly depending on your particular air fryer. It's a good idea to keep an eye on the chips while they're cooking to make sure they don't burn.

Serving suggestions

Air fryer tortilla chips are a versatile snack and can be served in a variety of ways. Here are some serving suggestions:

Dips and Salsas

The most popular way to serve tortilla chips is with dips and salsas. Here are some dip ideas to serve with your air fryer tortilla chips:

• Guacamole
• Salsa, including pineapple salsa
• Cheese sauce, such as spicy nacho cheese sauce
• Pico de gallo
• Creamy queso chilli
• Cottage cheese dips, such as spinach cottage cheese dip
• Greek yoghurt buffalo chicken dip
• Chipotle dip
• Jalapeño dip

Nachos

You can also use your air fryer tortilla chips to make nachos. Load them up with toppings of your choice, such as:

• Mango guacamole
• Chicken, such as chipotle barbacoa or Mexican chicken
• Cheese
• Beans, such as homemade crockpot refried beans or instant pot refried beans
• Sour cream
• Jalapenos
• Chicken salad

With a Meal

Air fryer tortilla chips can also be served as a side with a meal. Here are some meal ideas that would go well with tortilla chips:

• Mexican vegetable soup
• Chicken fajitas
• Burritos
• Tacos
• Chili
• Chicken fajita soup
• Baked salsa chicken and rice
• Taco soup

Other Ideas

• As a garnish for soups or chillis
• With a drink, such as a strawberry margarita punch or a G&T
• With breakfast nachos
• As a sweet dessert chip with a cream cheese dip

Frequently asked questions