Air Fryer Tortilla Strips
These air fryer tortilla strips give soups and salads a salty crunch with just three ingredients. A batch takes about 15 minutes from slicing to serving.
Scoop them into Mexican sour cream sauce or add to your chicken Fajita rice bowl for a little crunch.
A crunchy topping can pull a whole dish together. I like keeping homemade breadcrumbs and Pangrattato on hand, and tortilla strips are another way to add texture using what’s already in the kitchen.
I made these to use up tortillas I had left in the freezer. Once thawed, they were easy to slice and crisp in the air fryer.
Quick Look: Air Fryer Tortilla Strips
- 🔪 Prep time: 5 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook time: 8–10 minutes per batch
- 👪 Servings: 6
- 📋 Main ingredients: Corn tortillas, sea salt, and oil
- ♨️ Cooking method: Slice → coat with oil and salt → air fry → cool
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🥣 Serving ideas: Soups, chili, salads, or tomatillo enchilada sauce.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Three ingredients. All you need are corn tortillas, oil, and sea salt.
- Quick crunch. A batch air fries in 8–10 minutes.
- A use for spare tortillas. Make a small batch with the tortillas you have left over.
- More than a snack. Like Parmesan croutons, they add a crisp finish to salads and soups.
Recipe Ingredients
Corn tortillas: For that toasted corn flavor and crisp edges.
Sea salt: Seasons the strips. I used coarse sea salt. Try jalapeno infused salt or citrus salt if you want a different finish.
Olive oil: Helps the strips brown and gives the salt something to cling to. A neutral cooking oil or a light mist of cooking spray also works.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Season the strips. Try smoked paprika or cumin for a warmer flavor, or add cayenne or homemade Creole seasoning for heat.
- Switch the oil. Use habanero infused oil or garlic rosemary oil for a different flavor.
- Try a tangy finish. Sprinkle with homemade Tajin seasoning. Taste before adding more salt.
How to Make Air Fryer Tortilla Strips
Step 1: Cut the corn tortillas in half, then slice them into thin, even strips.
Step 2: Arrange the strips in a single layer in the air fryer basket and drizzle with oil. Work in batches if needed.
Step 3: Sprinkle with sea salt and toss to coat, then spread the strips back into a single layer.
Step 4: Air fry for 8–10 minutes, shaking the basket once or twice. Take them out when the edges are lightly golden and the strips feel crisp.
💭 Top Tip
Spread the strips out after air frying. They crisp further as they cool, so give them a minute before deciding whether they need more time.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Give the strips room. Use one layer and shake the basket once or twice, just as you would for Air Fryer crispy noodles.
- Cut evenly. Kitchen shears, a sharp knife, or a pizza cutter all work. Similar widths help the strips cook at the same rate.
- Check near the end. Flour tortillas can brown differently from corn. Look for dry, crisp edges and adjust the cook time as needed.
- Coat lightly. Toss until the oil is evenly distributed so each strip gets a light coating.
How to Use Air Fryer Tortilla Strips
Use these crispy air fried tortilla strips as a crunchy snack on their own, or teamed up with a dip like nacho cheese sauce or a spicy jalapeno mayo.
Scatter the strips over Mexican caviar, salads, soup, or even with shrimp Aguachile for a crunchy element.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. Packing them while they are warm can trap steam and soften them.
Air fry them again briefly, checking often, until they crisp up. Let them cool before serving or returning them to the container.
Yes. Flour tortillas and whole wheat tortillas can work too. Watch their edges and texture as they cook, since they may brown differently from corn tortillas.
The strips may be uneven in width or overlapping in the basket. Cut them to a similar size, cook in a single layer, and shake the basket once or twice so they crisp evenly.
Yes. Thaw them until flexible enough to cut and pat off any visible moisture before tossing the strips with oil and salt.
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Air Fryer Tortilla Strips
Ingredients
- 4 corn tortillas
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Cut the corn tortillas into half and then into thin strips.
- Arrange them in a single layer in your Air Fryer basket and drizzle a bit of oil over them.
- Top with some coarse sea salt to season and toss to coat everything well.
- Air fry for 8-10 minutes until they're crunchy and start turning slightly golden brown.
Notes
- Make sure you arrange the tortilla strips in a single layer in your Air Fryer basket, and shake the basket a couple of times to ensure all the strips are nice and crunchy. I did this when I was making my Air Fryer crispy noodles too.
- I used kitchen shears to cut the tortillas, but if you don't have them, simply use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to do the job.
- If you're using flour tortillas, keep in mind that they may not have that golden brown hue corn tortillas will have- but that's okay, they'll still be crunchy.
- If you don't want to use oil, drizzle some lemon juice over the tortilla strips before you season them. This will help the seasoning stick to the surface of the strips.
