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Air fryer tortilla strips are a fast & tasty alternative to fried corn chips. Have them as a snack on their own. Or use them as a crunchy topping on salads and soups. Ready in less than 10 minutes. Vegan & gluten-free.
The air fryer gets a lot of use in my house. When it’s not cooking full meals like vegan lasagna or crustless mini vegan quiche, I use it for garnishes and toppings.
I make vegan croutons, homemade pita chips, and fried chickpeas.
Adding to the list are these air fried tortilla strips.
Air fryer tortilla strips
Fried tortilla strips are a crunchy & salty addition to salads & soups. They give an extra texture that makes lunch a little more fun.
I have a Southwestern salad recipe that I’ll be sharing soon, which features them as a garnish. It’s topped with creamy cashew salad dressing.
Of course, you could easily buy fried tortilla strips sold in bags. Or you could make your own by deep frying tortilla strips in oil.
However, making them in the air fryer provides a snack that is made with very little oil. Plus, they’re ready in less than 10 minutes with minimal clean-up. (No oil splatters here!)
How to make crunchy tortilla strips
Grab a pair of kitchen shears. Cut a corn tortilla into long, ½ inch wide strips.
After you’ve cut one or two tortillas into strips, put them in the air fryer basket.
Give the strips an even spray of oil. Then add a pinch of salt.
Air fry them at 360 degrees for 4 minutes. The color doesn’t change much on the tortillas, but they should have the perfect crunch.
How to use them
- Eat the tortilla strips on their own as a snack
- Dip them in guacamole
- Use them as a crunchy garnish on salads, tortilla soup, and lentil chili
How to keep them crunchy
These air fryer tortilla chips are best when they are fresh & hot. If you store them in a baggie, they lose their crunch as they cool & become more difficult to chew.
So I recommend making just the amount you need and eating them right away.
And if you’re having them on a soup or salad, add them in small amounts as you eat, so that they don’t take on the moisture of their surroundings. You want them to keep their maximum amount of crunch.
Crunchy tortilla strips
Ingredients
- 1 corn tortilla
- Spritz oil spray
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Use kitchen shears to cut a corn tortilla into long, 1/2 inch wide strips. Once all of the strips have been cut, put them into the air fryer basket.
- Spray the corn tortilla strips with a spritz of oil. Then add a pinch of salt.
- Air fry at 360 degrees for 4 minutes. Remove from basket, and eat right away.
Notes
Nutrition
For more air fryer recipes, check out the air fryer section of my recipe index.
Kathryn Grace says
Terrific idea. I love crunchy tortilla strips on a salad so much! An air fryer setting and a wire basket came with the toaster oven I bought when I had to replace my old one last year. I quickly discovered I could make homemade tortilla chips with it. We don’t even use oil or salt, letting the crunch of the chips and the herbs and spices in the dips we like with them add that extra flavor punch. My grandkids especially love them with homemade hummus. Can’t wait to try your idea of cutting strips for salads.I bet they’d go nicely as toppings for some Mexicali casseroles too, yes?
Cadry says
That’s great to know that you’ve had success making oil free chips! I’ll add that in the notes section of the recipe. And that’s a good point about the dips you’re serving alongside the chips having extra herbs and spices to bring an added boost of flavor. Thanks, Kathryn!
Shell says
As I read this post, I was also thinking that I would like to cut them in triangles and make chips. It’s good to see that Kathryn has had success with that. I think my family would enjoy the strips as well! A great new salad topper!
Cadry says
Absolutely! There are so many fun possibilities. When I make the triangular chips, I’d like to add some extra seasonings too!