The best ever super crispy and crunchy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips without oil! This healthy Mexican recipe is made with only 3 ingredients and a few minutes! No deep-frying!
Serve them with salsa, guacamole, or your favorite dipping. Perfect for game-day snacks or Cinco de Mayo!
Table of Contents
Air Fryer Tortilla Chips without Oil
I used to make tortilla chips by deep-frying them in order to get the crispy texture, but it’s too much hassle to cook. After making it in the air fryer, I find it’s so much easier and air frying is the BEST WAY to cook tortilla chips or nachos. It makes eating healthy possible without compromising texture or flavor. When cooked in the air fryer, these tortilla chips have much fewer points, and are perfect for weight watchers.
Air frying makes the crispiest tortilla chips with NO OIL required! It only needs 3 ingredients and is a great way to use up leftover tortillas. Too good to be true?
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tortillas: You can use either corn, flour, or even low-carb flour tortillas. I find corn tortillas (white or yellow) work the best as they become extra crispy in the air fryer. I used small tortillas, and cut each into 6 pieces. This yields the perfect bite-sized chips similar to the store-bought tortilla chips.
- Salt: Salt adds an irresistibly savory touch, and you can use sea salt or regular table salt.
- Cooking Spray: It has less calories than oil, therefore is a healthier option. If you don’t have cooking spray, you can brush your tortillas with regular olive oil.
How to Make Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
1. Start by spraying your tortillas with cooking spray on each side, and season with salt. Then place the tortillas in a stack.
2. Cut them in half, and then cut each half into 3 small triangles.
3. Spread the tortilla pieces in the air-fryer basket in a single layer, overlapping as little as possible. (You will need to make a few batches if your air-fryer is not big enough.)
4. Set the air fryer to 350ºF for 5 minutes. After 3 minutes, take out the basket and gently stir and flip the chips. Return the chips to the air fryer and cook 2 more minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Season with salt once more if necessary. You’ll get super crispy and crunchy chips!
Pro Tips for the Best Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
- I recommend using corn tortillas for this recipe. They are much crispier than flour tortillas.
- Avoid overcrowding the basket. It’s best to arrange them in a single layer if you’d like to have the super crispy chips.
- Cooking time varies depending on the brand and size of the tortilla. I like my chips on the crispier side, so I cook them until the edges are golden brown, about 5 minutes. To avoid overcooking, check after air frying for 4 minutes in total and add more time if necessary. Also note that the chips will crisp even further as they cool down. (Yellow corn tortillas may take longer to cook.)
How Long Do They Last?
Homemade air fryer tortillas can last up to 2 weeks at room temperature if stored in an airtight container or zip-top bags.
Can You Make This Recipe with Flour Tortillas?
Yes, although they won’t be as crispy as corn tortillas. Also note that the flour tortillas may take slightly less time to cook.
Variations
Flavors: I love simple salted tortilla chips, but you can easily add additional flavors such as lime, nacho cheese, or even cinnamon sugar.
Tortillas: As I mentioned, you can use corn, flour, or low-carb tortillas. I find the corn tortillas produce the crispiest chips and are my favorite. Low-carb tortilla chips do not taste as good as corn or flour, but they are great for weight watchers.
Dipping ideas: These tortilla chips taste so good with many different dips. Here are some of my favorite dipping choices: guacamole, salsa, spinach artichoke dip, pico de gallo, and hummus.
More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your air fryer tortilla chips turn out in the comments below!
Crispy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 small tortillas corn or flour (6-inch)
- cooking spray
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat you air fryer by setting the temperature to 350ºF. (It usually takes about 3 minutes to preheat an air fryer.)
- Spray your tortillas with cooking spray on each side, and season with salt to taste.
- Place 6 tortillas in a stack and cut them in half. Then cut each half into 3 small triangles (see the photos in the post).
- When the air fryer is ready, take the basket out. Spread the tortilla pieces in the basket in a single layer, overlapping as little as possible. (You will need to cook in batches. I was able to fit 9 pieces into the basket each time.)
- Put back the basket, and set the timer for 5 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, take out the basket and gently stir and flip the chips.
- Return the basket to the air fryer and cook 2 more minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Season with salt once more if necessary.
- Let the tortilla chips to cool before serving. They will become crispier and crunchier as they cool down.
Notes
- Watch the chips closely and the chips are done cooking if the edges of the chips are golden brown. Add more time if necessary.
- If your chips are no longer as crispy, you can reheat them in the air fryer at 350F for a few minutes.
Nutrition
Editor note: Originally published December 2, 2019 and updated September 2, 2020.
Great idea! My air fryer is so small, I’d be making chips all day!
It would take all day to cook up a batch.
Hi! Did you use white or yellow corn tortillas???
I am going to try it out!
Hi Leticia, I used white corn tortillas, but you can use yellow ones or flour tortillas for this recipe.
I used flour tortillas they we’re great going to try the corn ones very soon
Great to hear that! izzy
Hey I tried the street corn tortillas after they came out I sprinkled them with nacho cheese popcorn seasoning they are amazing
Do tha6t keep well, say if i was to make them in the afternoon for supper time? If i have left overs how would you store them to keep them crisp?
Hi Deb, let your tortilla chips cool completely at room temperature, and then store them in a ziplock bag. They should keep several days.
New to air fryer. Attempted to make but they were flying around in basket so stopped. ??
Hi Karin, as an air fryer has strong air flow, light foods could fly around in the basket. For tortilla chips, it’s ok if they fly around while cooking, but for lightweight food like spinach, it could end up getting up in the heat coil and get burned.
Isn’t cooking spray oil? Is there a brand that is not oil?
Hi Linda, cooking spray can be used as a replacement for oil, and it has fewer calories (and grams of fat) than oil.
I bought the roasting rack insert to make crispy toco shells from corn tortillas how do I do this also time and temp
Hi Sharon, as long as you can fit the roasting rack insert into the basket. You can follow the recipe. The cooking time and temp are the same. Hope it helps.
These chips came out perfectly! This is no my go-to tortilla chip recipe. Even when we get take out Mexican food, I make these chips ahead of time because I can control the amount of salt, and also, they taste GREAT! I use the small Mission yellow corn (you’re right, they’re a little more substantive than white corn, I find white corn can get a little flimsy) and make one set in the basket and another set on a grate atop the basket to cut down on time. I do about 3 and 3 front/back and sometimes stick with your 3/2 depending on how crunchy I want them. Anyway, thanks for the recipe!
Hi Michael, glad that you like the recipe, and thank you so much for sharing your tips! Izzy
New to the air fryer and I made mine out of corn tortillas, olive oils spray and a little salt. They were a great accompaniment to chili on a cold FL night!!!
Hi David, great to hear that you enjoyed your tortillas. Thanks for letting me know! Izzy
Amazing! Better than the restaurant chips! We tried some with some different seasonings and salt. Will be making these again. Used white corn tortillas.
Hi Erica, glad you like the recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
I saw this earlier today as we were making Caldillo/ Green Chili Stew. They turned out great!! I am very picky about my tortilla chips.
I have a smaller air fryer so this recipe isn’t great for me, but it did lead me to try a tortilla bowl that worked perfectly, I’ve also had luck making crispy corn tortilla shells in my air fryer as well. Thank you for sharing, I hope I get myself a bigger air fryer soon so I can make larger batches at one time!
Hi Paul, thanks for sharing your experience.