Healthy Air Fryer Black Bean Nachos

I cannot wait for you to try these tasty, healthy, and super easy air fryer nachos! This recipe makes two servings, is under 500 calories, can be made gluten free, and can be made vegetarian, as well. Scroll for concise directions to make these nachos or keep reading to learn exactly how I made this recipe and which ingredients/brands I recommend with direct links to buy these products.

The first thing you need to do with this recipe is decide whether or not you would like to have chicken in your dish. I decided to add 1/2 cup of shredded chicken to each serving of nachos. So, depending on how many servings you're planning on making, cook the amount of chicken needed in the oven and shred when cooked through. I highly recommend getting a meat thermometer.

For the nachos, I used Siete Grain Free Sea Salt Tortilla Chips. The recipe calls for 20 chips per serving, so 40 in total. This is an amazing brand, a healthy choice, and still delicious. You can find these at most grocery stores, but they are also available to purchase online in bulk. Siete is definitely a brand I recommend checking out as all of their chips are made with healthy oils (avocado or coconut) and there are a multitude of flavors to choose from.

To start, in a medium bowl you should combine a 15 oz. can of drained and rinsed black beans with 6 tablespoons chunky salsa. I used both organic black beans and organic canned salsa, which you can find at any grocery store, but non-organic also works. Next, you can use either a jalapeno or a banana pepper and chop that up to put on top.

Get your air fryer basket lined with tin foil and lay your 20 chips in the basket. With this recipe, you cook 1 serving at a time since there is limited space in the air fryer. Depending on how big your air fryer is, you may need to cook only 10 chips at a time, which would be half a serving at a time. If you can fit all 20 chips in, lay them down evenly, put half of the salsa and bean combination on top, 1/8 cup shredded cheese, and your peppers. If you can only fit 10 chips in your basket, do exactly what I said above but split the ingredient amount in half and cook the nachos in 2 batches. Turn the air fryer on to 370 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 4 minutes. Remove the nachos from the air fryer when done, plate them, and prepare your second batch/serving the same exact way. Do this until you have used up all of the ingredients or have made the number of servings desired. Once you are finished, top the plated nachos with your shredded chicken.

For additional toppings, I put organic sour cream and a couple more scoops of salsa on top. If you are wanting a creamier sour cream to drizzle on top, simply add a splash of water to your sour cream and stir! I also chopped up some fresh cilantro and added it as a topping along with Cholula Hot Sauce .

I try to stay away from dairy where I can, so instead of using real cheese, I use Violife. It is a plant based option that is amazing. It is available at Walmart and can also be purchased online. For sour cream I use Organic Valley Sour Cream, which can be bought online or at healthier option grocery stores such as Fresh Thyme or Whole Foods. Meijer is another basic grocery store that has a fantastic healthy and organic selection. Another option is a dairy free cashew milk or almond milk based sour cream. I am unfortunately allergic to peanuts and tree nuts so I have to use regular sour cream but all options are still great!

This recipe is an easy, quick dinner that is also low-cal. It can be made as an entree dish or shared as an appetizer and can be made at a fairly low price! This has definitely become one of my go-to-dinners and I hope it becomes one for you, too.

Ingredients (Makes 2 Servings):

• 40 Tortilla Chips

• 1 cup Shredded Chicken Breast (Optional)

• 1 15 oz. Can Black Beans

• 6 Tbsp Chunky Salsa

• 1/4 Cup Cheese

• 1 Fresh Jalapeno or Banana Pepper (Optional)

• Chopped Cilantro for Topping (Optional)

• 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream

• Cholula Original Hot Sauce (Optional)

Directions:

1. If choosing to add chicken breast, preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and season chicken with desired spices. Put chicken in the oven and cook until internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit or for about 25 minutes. Check for doneness before shredding.

2. Preheat air fryer to 370 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the black beans and salsa.

4. Chop up your pepper (if using)

5. Line the air fryer with tin foil and layer the chips in the basket. You may need to work in small batches depending on size of air fryer. Add the bean and salsa mixture, cheese, and peppers (if using) to the chips in the air fryer basket.

6. Cook the chips and topping mixture in the air fryer for about 4 minutes.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all ingredients are used.

8. If you chose to use chicken, check on doneness and shred when cooked through. Add the chicken to your nachos when they are all done and plated.

9. Drizzle any additional toppings you would like to add such as sour cream, cilantro, cholula hot sauce, more salsa, lettuce, avocado, etc.

Notes:

• Based on the ingredients and brands I mentioned in the paragraphs above, this meal came out to be about 450 calories per serving.

• Because cooking the nachos in batches took time, I microwaved the nachos with the shredded chicken on top before adding all fresh toppings.

Check out and click the links below to shop my favorite ingredients and tools used in today's recipe!

Siete Chips:

My Air Fryer:

Meat Thermometer:

Organic Valley Sour Cream:

Violife Shredded Cheddar Cheese:

Cholula Hot Sauce: