Air Fryer Chicken Nachos

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Nothing beats a big bowl of Nachos when you’re hungry with a group of friends. You just can’t beat it! Peeling away a crispy corn chip covered with all kinds of amazingly flavored goodies. It’s just such a great meal! With the explosion in popularity of Air Fryers over the last few years, getting access to Nachos is now even easier! Yep, in under 15 minutes you’ll have your very own Air Fryer Chicken Nachos to enjoy

Air Fryer Nachos take a fraction of the time as baking in the Oven

In addition to being super convenient, the Air Fryer cooks food so much faster than the Oven. Perfect when you’re looking to feed a hungry group. The whole Air Frying process for these delicious Nachos takes just 5 minutes. Just pile all those amazing ingredients into the fryer and it’ll heat up super quick

We also love the Air Fryer for cooking hot meals without completely warming up the house. Less of an issue in the middle of winter of course. However, in the middle of summer the last thing you want to be doing is cranking that Oven and adding more heat to the house. Air Fryers are a great alternative to the Oven while keeping the house nice and cool

Can you make these Nachos in a regular Oven?

Of course you can. For those who don’t have an Air Fryer, fear not! The recipe works just as well in a regular Oven. The only different will be the cooking time, every other step remains the same

You’ll need more heat in the Oven than the Air Fryer, so set the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius) and cook for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the chicken is lovely and hot

For the best tasting Air Fryer Chicken Nachos, use our Pulled Mexican Chicken recipe

These Nachos are a great way to utilize any leftover Pulled Mexican Chicken as a lovely lunch. The Mexican Pulled Chicken recipe produces quite an ample amount of Chicken, so there is a good chance you’ll have some leftovers

It keeps exceptionally well in the freezer, so make up a big batch and portion our individual bags of Chicken. When you’re ready for Nachos, simply defrost a bag and you’ve got a brilliantly tasty Chicken ready to go!

If you’re short on time, just use a Supermarket Rotisserie Chicken

This dish tastes amazing with the Pulled Mexican Chicken, however it does require some time to make. If you’re looking for a simple lunch or snack for the kids, a great alternative is Rotisserie Chicken. Those delicious roasted Chickens that you can purchase at the supermarket are legit, and work great in the Air Fryer Chicken Nachos Recipe

The only challenge with supermarket Rotisserie Chicken is you don’t want to be purchasing one that has been sitting out for too long. They tend to go tough and stringy after sitting too long in those bags under the heated lights

Some decent supermarkets and grocery stores do put labels on the Chickens to tell you when it’s been packaged. So, if possible, check those and get a fresh one! If you do unfortunately get one that is a little on the dry side, our recommendation is to stick with the dark meat (Thigh and Drumstick) and avoid the Chicken Breast. This meat will be more tender and serves for a much better bite in the Nachos

The most important rule for making Nachos – Layer the toppings!

If you are making these delicious Air Fryer Chicken Nachos, or any other kind of Nachos we have a golden rule to stand by. Layer the toppings!

The worst Nachos you can get, regardless of how flavorful the toppings are, is when they are all simply placed on top of a massive pile of Chips. Sure, the first 10 or so bites are amazing, and filled with delicious meats, Pico de Gallo, Cheese, and sauces. However, once you’ve dug through that top layer, all you’re left with is a pile of Chips

I think a lot of restaurants do this to try and deceive the customers into thinking they’re getting more food than they actually are. It’s a pet peeve of ours to be honest. Great Nachos should be just as tasty and full of toppings on the last bite as they are the first. So, the importance of layering the delicious toppings throughout the Nachos are you’re stacking them are perfect

Our approach is to start off with chips, then a layer of meat and cheese. Add more chips then repeat the stacking process at least 3 times. Depending on how large your Air Fryer is you may be able to get up to 4 or 5 layers. Stacking the Meat and Cheese within the layers of chips ensures the entire pile of Nachos are full of flavor

Save the cold ingredients like the Pico de Gallo, Guacamole and Sour Cream for the top, as these don’t go in the Air Fryer of course

What is the best type of Cheese to use in the Air Fryer Chicken Nachos?

You want cheese that has a good amount of elasticity to it. So, when the Chips are pulled away from the pack there will be a beautiful Cheese Pull. Some great cheeses for achieving this is Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Mozzarella

We would recommend however steering away from Mozzarella. Sure, it’s got a great cheese pull, but lacks in flavor compared to Cheddar and Monterey Jack

AN optional addition is to finish the Nachos off with Mexican Cotija Cheese. This cheese has a lovely crumbly texture that is similar to Parmesan. It doesn’t have the melting quality like Cheddar and Monterey Jack, but tastes great and adds some ‘authenticity’ to your Nachos. Not that authenticity is a requirement for Nachos given they’re not an actual Mexican dish! Still, it tastes great!

Air Fryer Chicken Nachos Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Pulled Mexican Chicken (recipe here). Alternatively, use a Rotisserie Chicken
• 4 large handfuls of Corn Chips (approx. 3 cups)
• ¾ cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
• ¾ cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
• ¼ Red Onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp. Cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. Pickled Jalapeños, sliced
• Juice of 2 Limes
• 2 heaped tbsp. Sour Cream
• Salt
• Optional: ½ cup Guacamole
• Optional: ½ cup Cotija Cheese
  
  

Equipment Needed

Air Fryer

Note: If you do not have an Air Fryer you can use a traditional Oven. Follow the instructions below however bake for 10 minutes in the Oven at 350 degrees

Instructions

1. Lay a piece of Aluminum Foil over the bottom and sides of the Air Fryer. Try to cover at least half of the sides, which will allow for easier removal of the Nachos once they’re cooked
2. Place a layer of Corn Chips across the foil, spread evenly to cover the entire surface. Then add a layer of Monterey Jack and Cheddar, then finish with a layer of Chicken
3. Repeat this process at least 3 times until you’ve stacked your Nachos to the top of the Air Fryer. Finish with the Cheese on top
4. Place in the Air Fryer and cook for 5 minutes on 285 degrees Fahrenheit (140 Celsius) Until the Cheese has melted entirely
5. While the Nachos are cooking, prepare a simple Pico de Gallo by combining the Red Onion, Tomatoes, Lime Juice, Cilantro, and ½ tsp. of Salt in a small bowl and mix well
6. Remove Nachos from Air Fryer and carefully transfer them to a serving bowl or board. Fold the foil underneath the Nachos, leaving just the lovely exposed cheesy goodies inside
7. Finish the Nachos by adding a generous layer of the Pico de Gallo, Sliced Jalapeños, Sour Cream, and (optional) Guacamole and Cotija Cheese
   
   

So, there you have it! Our amazingly simple and delicious Air Fryer Chicken Nachos. If you want to get super fancy you can follow our delicious Pico de Gallo recipe here to get a more detailed recipe and guidance to make the perfect Pico de Gallo

We love these Nachos for a lovely lunchtime snack. If you’re looking for some other amazing Mexican Dishes to pair with the Air Fryer Chicken Nachos, why not check some of these amazing recipes out:

• Easy Chicken Burritos
• Pulled Chicken Sliders
• Homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowl
• Mexican Short Ribs
  
  

Happy Cooking!