Making Copycat Taco Bell Nacho Fries in the air fryer is easy and saves a lot of calories. These are such a great alternative to hitting the drive-thru and taste amazing!
WHAT ARE NACHO FRIES?
Taco Bell introduced nacho fries to the scene back in January of 2018. They were an instant hit and actually ended up being the most successful product launch in their history!
Nachos fries are fries that fit a Mexican-inspired fast-food restaurant. The fries are seasoned with Mexican-style seasonings and come with nacho cheese sauce for dipping.
The biggest problem if you LOVE nacho fries is that they are not a permanent menu item at Taco Bell. They come and go for limited time periods. It is very frustrating for people who want to order these year-round!!
WHY MAKE COPYCAT TACO BELL NACHO FRIES AT HOME?
One reason to make your own copycat Taco Bell nacho fries at home is that you may be craving them during a time when they are not for sale!! This happens to me a lot…they are an addictive snack!
Another reason to make these spicy fries at home is that you can make them MUCH healthier! One order of Taco Bell Nacho Fries is 320 calories, 18 grams of fat, and a whopping 620 mg of sodium. WOW!
Making air fryer nacho fries will save you calories, fat, and sodium. It is amazing what deep-fat frying foods can do to nutritional values.
Plus, you can make these ANYTIME! There’s a lot to be said for the convenience of being able to make restaurant dishes at home, and you can control what you add for a healthier version. For example, you can make a yummy Copycat Cava Bowl at home with less sodium and oil for a lighter dish than if you ate out. Get loads of veggies with the grilled chicken for a balanced meal, and it’s easy to prep ahead for the week too.
INGREDIENTS IN AIR FRYER COPYCAT TACO BELL NACHO FRIES
This simple ingredient has only 3 main ingredients….plus spices that I am sure you already have in your cabinet! Grab some potatoes on sale and you are set.
- Russet Potatoes
- Olive Oil
- Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Dried Oregano
- Chili Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
- Salt
HOW TO MAKE NACHO FRIES AT HOME IN THE AIR FRYER
If you are a big fan of nacho fries….my advice is to make up a double or triple batch of this nacho spice blend seasoning mix and keep it on hand. It will save you time when you get a craving!!
STEP ONE: MAKE SPICE BLEND
Use a coffee bean grinder or a spice grinder for the best results! Add all of the spices to the grinder and grind them up together until they are very fine and resemble the texture of baby powder or cornstarch.
This is a very important step and makes a HUGE difference in how these nacho fries turn out. The mixture should NOT feel gritty when you rub it between your thumb and index finger.
Once you are done with this step, set the mixture aside.
STEP TWO: PREPARE POTATOES
Now peel the potatoes and slice them lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick.
Stack up the potato slices and then slice them again lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick, so you have the classic “French fry baton” look.
STEP THREE: TOSS POTATOES IN OLIVE OIL
Put all of your potato slices into a large bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat them completely.
STEP FOUR: AIR FRY
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Arrange the potato slices in an even layer in the air fryer basket.
If you overcrowd the basket the fries won’t get as crispy! You may have to air fry in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
Air fry for 10 minutes, shaking the basket after 5 minutes so potatoes cook evenly.
STEP FIVE: ADD SEASONING MIX
After the fries have cooked for 10 minutes, pull out the basket and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 3/4 of the nacho spice seasoning blend and toss to coat evening.
Air fry for 5 more minutes. Check the fries and decide if they are crispy enough for you. If not, add 2 to 3 more minutes to the air fryer time. Be careful not to overcook or burn the spice blend.
When the fries are done air frying, remove the fries from the basket and toss with the remaining 1/4 of the spice blend.
Serve hot with a side of nacho cheese sauce!
COPYCAT TACO BELL NACHO FRIES RECIPE
You can print off the complete ingredients and instructions for this delicious copycat Taco Bell nacho fries recipe made in the air fryer via the recipe card below.
If you make these and love them….be sure to come back and leave a 5-star rating. It would mean the world to me!
Making copycat Taco Bell nacho fries is simple in the air fryer and the results are delicious and addicting! Plus these are much healthier!
- 1 lb. Russet Potatoes peeled and cut into ¼ inch batons
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoons Paprika heaped
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon Salt
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In a coffee bean grinder or a spice grinder, add all the ingredients of the nacho spice blend and grind it up till it is very fine and resembles the texture of baby powder or cornstarch. It should not feel gritty when rubbed between your thumb and index finger. Keep aside.
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Peel the potatoes and slice them lengthwise, about ¼ inch thick.
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Stack up the slices and then slice again lengthwise, about ¼ inch thick, to get the classic “French fry batons”.
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In a large bowl, add the potato batons and 2 tablespoons of oil, toss to coat completely.
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Preheat your air fryer to 400F, if your air fryer has a preheat option. If not, ignore this step.
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Arrange the potato batons in an even layer in the air fryer basket. If you put too many in the basket they may not get as crispy.
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Air fry for 10 minutes, shaking the basket after 5 minutes to get the potatoes cook evenly.
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After 10 minutes, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and ¾ of the nacho spice blend and toss to coat.
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Air fry at 400F for another 5 minutes. If the fries are not crispy to your linking, add another 2 to 3 minutes to the air fryer time. Make sure to not to burn the spice blend.
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Remove the fries from the air fryer basket and toss the crispy fries in the remaining spice blend and serve immediately with nacho cheese sauce.
If you love air frying…be sure to check out my new cookbook…the Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook! It has 150 recipes and tons of tips and tricks for air fryer success.
Here are some more delicious air fryer “fry” recipes:
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