After plenty of testing, we've found it: the easiest, tastiest Air Fryer Tortilla Chips recipe. Using store-bought yellow corn tortillas and your air fryer, you can whip up a big batch of salty, fresh tortilla chips, perfect for dipping in our air fryer salsa!
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Tortilla Chips from Tortillas
Unless you're cooking for a crowd, any time you buy a pack of tortillas, you're most likely going to wind up with more than you need. Turn those extra tortillas into one of your favorite snacks: crispy air fryer tortilla chips, tossed in olive oil and a sprinkle of salt!
The best part about making homemade tortilla chips from tortillas is that you can control exactly how much seasoning goes into your chips. Store-bought chips give you less control over the flavor, and you might find them too salty (we often do!).
By making air-fried tortilla chips yourself, not only can you bring down the salt level, but you can also add extra seasonings like a little bit of lime juice or taco seasoning, and they're ready in just minutes!
Ingredients
- Corn Tortillas: Although we're using yellow corn tortillas, you can also make white corn tortilla chips or even flour tortilla chips if you prefer. We find corn tortillas work the best when making chips, however, with the perfect flavor and crispness.
- Olive Oil: This adds flavor to the chips and allows the salt to adhere to them as they air-fry. Definitely don't skip out on oiling the chips! You can use other oils if you prefer, but we highly recommend olive oil. Avoid cooking spray!
- Kosher Salt: Avoid table salt, and go for kosher salt or sea salt flakes instead. This will give you much higher-quality chips with a better taste.
Watch the Video
Toppings and Sides for Tortilla Chips
- Cheese, meat, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream: Make your own homemade nachos by air frying your tortilla chips and topping them off with your favorite nachos ingredients! You can stack them up in the air fryer after air frying the chips, then close the basket and let the residual heat melt the cheese over top.
- Queso and guacamole: A classic pairing we love is a side of queso and guacamole. Both yellow and white queso are delicious with homemade air fryer tortilla chips.
- Cinnamon Sugar: For a sweet twist, try making sweet tortilla chips with cinnamon and sugar! Get our recipe for Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips.
- Chili Seasoning: Try serving our chips with a teaspoon of our Chili Spice Blend! This will give you a spicy chip. However, you should toss the chips in the seasoning after air frying - if you do it beforehand, it will give the chips a bitter taste.
- Garlic Butter Chips: After air frying, toss your tortilla chips with a teaspoon of garlic butter for buttery, garlicky chips. Get our recipe for Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce.
- Or use ranch seasoning for cool ranch chips!
How to Air Fry Tortilla Chips
Step 1
In a small bowl, whisk together oil and salt.
Step 2
Brush the oil mixture over both sides of each tortilla.
Step 3
Stack your tortillas. Cut the pile into sixths using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. This will make the perfect wedge slices for chips.
Step 4
Place the tortilla wedges in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Place the air fryer wire rack on top of the tortillas to prevent the tortillas from flying up into the air fryer heating element. This is very important as a safety precaution.
Step 3
Air fry tortilla chips at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C) for 5-6 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown and crispy. Don't let them get too dark!
Step 4
Transfer the chips to a wire rack to cool completely. They will get crunchier as they cool. Repeat with remaining tortillas in batches until all are air-fried, then serve and enjoy!
If the tortillas don't get crispy enough for you, air fry for an additional minute at a time until they are crispy to your liking. Keep in mind the chips will crisp up more as they cool.
Toaster Oven Style Air Fryer Instructions
The following instructions are for toaster-oven style air fryers with a tray, such as the Breville Smart Oven Air. Note that these models take longer to cook than air fryers with a basket.
- Preheat air fryer oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C).
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Brush the oil mixture on both sides of each tortilla.
- Stack the tortillas and cut the pile into sixths using a pizza cutter or sharp knife to make chips.
- Place tortilla triangles in a single layer on the air fryer tray.
- Air fry at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C) for 5-6 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer the chips to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas in batches until all tortillas are air fried.
- Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- You can use yellow or white corn tortillas.
- You can even use flour tortillas. We air fried flour tortillas for 7 minutes.
- Mixing the oil and salt first and then brushing a thin coating on the tortillas will give you more even coverage. When it comes to oil in the air fryer, less is more.
- Check on the chips early until you have a feel for your specific air fryer. The chips will go from perfect to perfectly burnt quickly.
- The chips will get crunchier as they cool.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer basket. Leaving room around each chip allows them to get nice and crispy.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer. As always, use the cook time and temperature as a guide until you are more comfortable with your specific brand of air fryer.
- When cooking in multiple batches, be sure to check on the remaining batches early, as they may cook more quickly.
What to Serve with Tortilla Chips
Storage Instructions
- In an airtight container, carefully layer your tortilla chips so they're stacked on top of each other as much as possible, then cover with a paper towel to absorb moisture. Store in a cool, dry place for up to a week. Reheat in the air fryer to crisp them up again.
FAQ
Place the air fryer wire rack on top of the tortillas when adding them to the air fryer basket. This prevents them from flying around in the air fryer, which is a safety issue.
Yes! Add tortilla chips back to the air fryer and air fry for 2-4 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to reheat them.
Air Fryer Snack Recipes
- Try all of our air fryer snacks!
- Frozen Onion Rings
- Homemade Fries
- Crispy Chickpeas
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!
Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 6 corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Brush the oil mixture on both sides of all 6 corn tortillas.
- Stack the tortillas and cut the pile into sixths using a pizza cutter or sharp knife to make chips. Cut the pile in half first and then cut each half into 3 equal triangles, so you’ll get 6 chips per tortilla (see video).
- Place tortilla triangles in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Place the air fryer rack on top to keep tortillas from flying up into the air fryer burner.
- Air fry at 350℉ 5-6 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown and crispy. Don’t let them get too dark.
- Transfer the chips to a wire rack to cool completely. They will get crunchier as they cool.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas in batches until all tortillas are air fried.
- Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use yellow or white corn tortillas.
- You can even use flour tortillas. We air fried flour tortillas for 7 minutes.
- Mixing the oil and salt first and then brushing a thin coating on the tortillas will give you more even coverage. When it comes to oil in the air fryer, less is more.
- Check on the chips early until you have a feel for your specific air fryer. The chips will go from perfect to perfectly burnt quickly.
- The chips will get crunchier as they cool.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer basket. Leaving room around each chip allows them to get nice and crispy.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer. As always, use the cook time and temperature as a guide until you are more comfortable with your specific brand of air fryer.
- When cooking in multiple batches, be sure to check on the remaining batches early, as they may cook more quickly.
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