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    Home » Recipes » Snacks

    Homemade Crispy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips

    By Elaine Gordon · Published: Nov 6, 2023

    Jump to Recipe

    These homemade restaurant-quality tortilla chips use a fraction of the oil by crisping them up in the air fryer. Keep it classic using just oil and salt or add some maple sugar for an addictive sweet and salty crunch!

    Air fryer tortilla chips and a small bowl of salsa on a white serving platter with a navy blue rim with a white background.

    Mexican food has truly become a family-favorite in my household. Veggie black bean tacos on Taco Tuesday was just the beginning. Now I find I'm making other dishes on the regular such as taquitos, enchiladas and burrito bowls, and my husband and kids can't seem to get enough of them.

    But just like any authentic Mexican restaurant, we have to start with tortilla chips! We love salsa and guacamole - so simple yet so satisfying every single time. I also love taking it up a notch from time to time with my favorite dips such as black bean dip or even a quick 7-layer dip.

    But with all these nutritious homemade appetizers and meals, I recently started thinking about the tortilla chips we were using. Store-bought chips are convenient and perfectly fine to use, but why not make Mexican night more authentic with fresh, warm and crispy chips? The result from using simple ingredients is so much better than any bag from the grocery store.

    The Different Ways to Make Tortilla Chips

    Making my own tortilla chips was actually pretty straightforward, as they basically consist of just corn or flour tortillas with oil and salt (and it is amazing how they compare to store-bought tortilla chips!). The cooking method, however, took a little more to work through.

    Deep frying on the stovetop takes just minutes but tends to get messy and not be the most approachable method for everyday home cooks. Baking in the oven uses a lot less oil and is a great way but can take upwards of 25-30 minutes of cooking time.

    The solution? Bust out the air fryer! Making homemade chips in the air fryer takes the best of both worlds, serving up golden brown tortilla chips in minutes while using only a little bit of oil.

    I started by making classic tortilla chips with just oil and salt and they came out exactly as I was hoping. Then I began experimenting with a little sweetness and eventually landed on the perfect salty and sweet combination!

    Ingredients

    Ingredients of Air Fryer Tortilla Chips consisting of almond flour tortillas, olive oil, salt and maple sugar with a marble white background.
    • Tortillas: Both corn and flour tortillas work depending on preference for the type of tortilla. I prefer almond flour tortillas by Siete (not sponsored) because they are gluten-free and also very thin which helps with crispiness. Yellow corn tortillas are gluten-free too but I unfortunately have a sensitivity to corn - my family enjoys them though!
    • Oil: Any oil will do. I prefer avocado oil or olive oil. A little oil is all you need.
    • Salt: I typically use fine salt.
    • Maple sugar (optional): Maple sugar (or coconut sugar) gives these chips a subtle sweetness. I use just enough so that the saltiness still comes through.

    How to Make Air-Fried Tortilla Chips

    This recipe is super simple and actually really fun to make! Anyone can do it because it is essentially just brushing some oil, salt and sugar on tortillas and then slicing them up before letting the air fryer do the rest.

    1. Season the tortillas. Brush both sides of each tortilla with olive oil using a silicone pastry brush and sprinkle both sides with salt and maple sugar.

    A red silicone brush brushing olive oil on a tortilla on a white plate with a white background.
    A hand sprinkling salt and maple sugar over a tortilla on a white plate with a white background.

    2. Cut the tortillas. Stack the tortillas on top of each other and cut them into 6 slices using either a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. This is the easiest way to cut tortillas and is also the most efficient.

    An almond flour tortilla cut into six slices on a white plate with a white background.

    3. Load the basket. Place the tortilla wedges into the air fryer basket. Placing them in a single layer so that no wedges overlap will get them slightly crispier, but that would require multiple batches and the difference in crispiness isn't significant.

    Tortilla wedges in a black air fryer basket with a white background before being air fried.

    4. Air fry the wedges. Air fry at 350˚F for 8 minutes, tossing halfway through (with tongs) for even cooking. Allow them to cool for two minutes to crisp up and then enjoy!

    Tortilla wedges in a black air fryer basket with a white background after being air fried.

    Recipe Tips

    If you've already sliced the tortillas before seasoning: No problem! Another easy method is to whisk together the olive oil, salt and maple sugar in a mixing bowl and then add the tortilla wedges to toss them until fully coated for best results.

    Switch up the seasonings: You can make add seasonings to make any flavor you want, which is what makes homemade air fryer tortilla chips so much fun. Keep it classic with just salt, spice it up with some chili powder, add some tang with some lime juice or make it more of a dessert chip with cinnamon. You really can't go wrong!

    A pile of air fryer tortilla chips next to a small glass bowl of tomato salsa.

    Serving Suggestions

    Tortilla chips go with just about everything in my opinion:

    Nachos: Spread these chips across a baking sheet to use for vegan sheet pan nachos and load them up with your favorite toppings.

    Dips: Tortilla chips of course pair wonderfully as a snack with dips such as pico de gallo, guacamole and vegan queso, but the list isn't limited to just Mexican. I love dipping these chips in cowboy caviar, Mediterranean hummus and roasted garlic dip as well!

    Salads: These chips make for an addictive salty and crunchy addition overtop any lettuce-based salad such as my vegan protein kale salad or simple side salad.

    Soups: I love serving my own homemade tortilla chips as a garnish to hearty soups such as tomato white bean soup or black bean soup.

    A hand dipping a tortilla chip into a small glass bowl of salsa next to additional tortilla chips.

    Storage and Reheating

    These tortilla chips are best in terms of crispiness when fresh. Store leftover chips at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

    Reheat in the air fryer for 2 minutes to help with crisping them back up.

    Air Fryer Chips

    More Air Fryer Recipes

    Looking to make life easier on other dishes as well? Use the air fryer for snacks or sides such as crispy sweet potato fries or hash browns. You can also save time cooking veggies such as roasted garlic, cauliflower and even asparagus!

    I hope you enjoy these vegan and gluten-free tortilla chips (paleo too if using almond flour tortillas)! If you make this recipe, please share a picture on Instagram so I can see your creations!

    A hand holding an air fryer tortilla chip over a pile of tortilla chips in the background.
    Print
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    A pile of air fryer tortilla chips.

    Homemade Crispy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips


    5 from 4 reviews

    • Author: Elaine Gordon
    • Total Time: 10
    • Yield: 4 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    These homemade restaurant-quality tortilla chips use a fraction of the oil by crisping them up in the air fryer. Keep it classic using just oil and salt or add some maple sugar for an addictive sweet and salty crunch!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    6 tortillas (corn or flour - I prefer almond flour tortillas)

    1 tbsp. avocado oil (or any oil you prefer)

    ½ tsp. fine salt

    ½ tsp. maple sugar (or coconut sugar)


    Instructions

    1. Brush both sides of each tortilla with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and maple sugar.
    2. Stack the tortillas on top of each other and cut them into 6 slices using either a knife or a pizza cutter.
    3. Place the tortilla wedges into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Placing them in a single layer so that no wedges overlap will get them slightly crispier, but that would require multiple batches and the difference in crispiness isn't significant.
    4. Air fry at 350˚F for 8 minutes, tossing halfway through for even cooking. Allow them to cool for two minutes to crisp up then enjoy!
    • Prep Time: 2
    • Cook Time: 8
    • Category: Snack
    • Method: Air Fryer

    Keywords: air fryer tortilla chips

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @eatingbyelaine on Instagram and hashtag it #eatingbyelaine

    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Super Bowl
    • Gluten-Free
    • Nut-Free
    • Refined Sugar-Free
    • Vegan
    • Air Fryer

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Patricia says

      November 20, 2023 at 9:29 am

      What a great idea! I've just recently installed a new oven w/ the air fryer option and I've been gathering up recipes to try! This will be a hit, and with visitors headed this way we'll alway have snacking options at hand! Thank you!






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        December 01, 2023 at 9:15 am

        Thank you so much, Patricia! I'm so happy to hear this! Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Beth Sachs says

      November 20, 2023 at 10:02 am

      Love the idea of adding maple syrup! These look great.






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        December 01, 2023 at 9:15 am

        Thank you, Beth1. I hove the maple sugar for that sweet and salty bite 🙂

        Reply
    3. Mahy says

      November 20, 2023 at 10:38 am

      I need these so much! I have a party coming up, and this is exactly what my guests adore!






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        December 01, 2023 at 9:15 am

        Yay! Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. rebecca says

      November 20, 2023 at 11:22 am

      such a great way to use up those last few corn tortillas! they come out so crispy!

      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        December 01, 2023 at 9:16 am

        Thank you! Yes for sure - such a great way to use them up! Glad you enjoyed the crispiness!

        Reply
    5. TAYLER ROSS says

      November 20, 2023 at 1:12 pm

      I'll never go back to buying a bag of tortilla chips again! These ones were perfection and so delicious!






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        December 01, 2023 at 9:16 am

        Thank you so much, Taylor! I'm so happy to hear this!

        Reply

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    Hi! I'm Elaine.

    Here I combine my passion for creating easy plant-based and gluten-free recipes with my health education background (MPH, MCHES) to make cooking approachable for anyone regardless of dietary restrictions or sensitivities.

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