Best Nachos Recipe
Posted Jan 16, 2020, Updated Sep 26, 2021
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The Best Mexican Beef Nachos recipe! In this easy nachos recipe, seasoned ground beef is nestled between two layers of cheese and loaded with toppings like corn, beans, olives, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, sour cream and avocados. It’s the perfect game-day appetizer or easy weeknight meal that even picky eaters will devour!
Our family eats copious amounts of Mexican food. It’s my kids’ favorite cuisine (right up there with pizza and mac and cheese), and they always get excited when I tell them that this nachos recipe is what’s for dinner!
This isn’t your average nachos recipe. These are the best beef nachos you will ever eat! What makes this recipe so special is that there isn’t one, but two layers of cheese, which holds everything together in pure loaded nacho bliss.
Plus, the meat in these baked nachos is seasoned with a homemade taco seasoning that imparts just the right amount of flavor and spice! Add your favorite toppings and these Mexican nachos are the perfect game day appetizer or easy weeknight dinner!
Nachos Recipe: Ingredients
This easy nachos recipe is really simple to make, and highly customizable! So we’ll spend a minute chatting about the ingredients before diving into how to make nachos! I’ll discussing nacho toppings later on in the post!
- Ground Beef. I recommend using a ground beef that 85% lean or higher. Ground turkey and ground chicken are also great, healthier options! Please note, if you use a leaner ground beef or ground turkey or chicken, you will need to use 1 TBS olive oil to brown the meat!
- Seasonings. I included my favorite, homemade taco seasoning mixture for 1 LB of ground beef. Note: It is NOT spicy. If you like spicy increase the chili powder to your liking. You substitute the homemade seasoning for 1 TBS of a pre-made taco seasoning, just be sure it doesn’t contain salt. And if it does, omit the salt from the recipe.
- Onion. I love using red onion to make these Mexican nachos because the pop of color is so pretty. Yellow and white onions also work well!
- Minced Garlic. Sautéing the garlic with the meat and onion makes the meat perfectly flavorful. If you don’t keep minced garlic on hand, add 1 tsp garlic powder to the taco seasoning mixture instead.
- Chips. Use an 8 oz bag of your favorite tortilla chips that comply with your dietary needs!
- Cheddar cheese. People often wonder, “What is the best cheese for nachos?” I personally love sharp cheddar. Other delicious options are Colby jack, a Mexican cheese blend or pepper jack for a little spice. You can make this cheese sauce too!
How to make nachos
This nachos recipe is so simple to make, but I have a few tricks that make it truly the best nachos recipe ever. Don’t forget to watch the video for the step-by-step process too!
Make the seasoning blend
The first step in making this beef nachos recipe to make the seasoning blend. Simply put all the spices together in a small bowl, stir to combine and set aside to use to season the ground beef!
Sauté the meat, onions & garlic
Once the spices are prepared, cook the meat, onion and garlic together in a non-stick fry pan or cast iron skillet. Remember, if using an especially lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken to make these easy nachos, then you will need to add 1-2 TBS olive oil with the meat, onion and garlic to make sure it browns.
Conversely, if you’re using a meat that is 85% lean or below, you may need to pause and drain excess fat from the meat during this step. Drain excess fat before adding the seasoning, or else you run the risk of draining off some of the seasoning too!
Add seasoning
Once the ground beef just begins to brown, add the seasoning mixture and lime juice and stir until they are evenly distributed. Cover the mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned.
Set the cooked ground beef mixture aside while you assemble the nachos!
Assemble the nachos
A lot of people wonder, “How do you assemble nachos?” And I’m here to show you our method that results in irresistibly cheesy, delicious loaded nachos that hold together and don’t fall apart!
The key to great nachos is two layers of cheese. Start by placing a layer of chips on the bottom of a baking dish or baking sheet. Next, cover the chips with a generous layer of cheese.
Add some corn and black beans on top of the first layer of cheese. Then add the cooked ground beef mixture and spread it out evenly over the first cheese layer.
Note: If you love refried beans in your nachos, add them to this layer by spreading them over the ground beef or mixing them into the ground beef before spreading it on top of the cheese. I love refried beans (especially these homemade refried black beans), but my husband doesn’t like them, so I didn’t include them in this recipe! 😉
Now, add a second layer of cheese. Again, this is critical to make nachos that don’t fall apart when they are served! Sprinkle with some more corn and black beans and put it in the oven!
Bake
Bake the assembled nachos at 375 degrees F for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Add toppings
Add your favorite toppings (discussed below) and serve! This nachos recipe makes the perfect appetizer for game day or a Cinco De Mayo party. It’s also a great easy weeknight meal that everyone in our family loves!
Nacho Toppings
What do you put on nachos? We have our favorite toppings but the sky is the limit! Here are some suggestions:
- Salsa – this easy homemade salsa is our favorite!
- diced tomatoes or baby tomato halves
- Guacamole – try this best easy guacamole recipe!
- corn
- fresh cilantro
- refried beans (try these homemade refried black beans)
- sliced black olives
- diced onion
- avocado
- sour cream
- hot peppers (if you like spicy)!
FAQs about How to Make Nachos
Here are a few commonly asked questions about how to make nachos, and some answers that I hope will be helpful!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. I do not recommend freezing nachos.
To make nachos crispy again, I recommend warming them in the oven (as opposed to the microwave). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, place the leftover nachos in a baking dish and warm them for about 5 minutes (but watch them closely).
You can also broil the nachos to re-crisp them. Just be very careful not to walk away from the oven when you are broiling leftover nachos. They go from crispy to burnt very quickly.
I personally love the slight-sogginess of cheesy nachos. But I understand not wanting a soupy mess. Here are some of my tips to keep nachos from getting soggy:
Bake the nachos in an even layer on a baking sheet. You could even bake them on the lower rack of your oven if you like them really crispy.
Drain excess moisture/fat from the meat. If your meat mixture has excess moisture, be sure to drain it off before adding the meat to the nachos.
Employ the two-layers-of-cheese method. The cheese “protects” the chips from any juices that might leak off from the other ingredients.
Pre-bake the chips. Some recipes call for pre-baking the chips for a few minutes before adding the toppings. I personally don’t do this as I don’t find it necessary, but if you like extra crispy chips then I recommend giving it a try.
I personally love sharp cheddar. Other delicious options are Colby jack, a Mexican cheese blend or pepper jack for a little spice. You can make this cheese sauce too!
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Best Mexican Beef Nachos Recipe
Ingredients
Ground Beef:
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¾ cup red onion diced & divided (about 1 small onion)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 TBS olive oil optional
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp lime juice
Nachos:
- 8 oz. tortilla chips
- 16 oz. cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup corn
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup baby tomatoes halved
- 2.25 oz. can sliced black olives drained and rinsed (about ½ cup)
- fresh cilantro
- avocado slices
- salsa guacamole, sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Make Ground Beef:
- Mix spice ingredients together, set aside.
- Add ground beef, ½ cup diced onion and minced garlic to a large fry pan or cast iron skillet.
- Cook on medium-high heat stirring occasionally until the beef just begins to brown. If using a lean ground beef, you may need to add 1 TBS olive oil during cooking to brown the beef.
- Add prepared seasoning and lime juice to ground beef. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Cook until beef is just browned, set aside.
Assemble Nachos:
- Place tortilla chips in a 9×13” baking pan or sheet pan.
- Sprinkle half the cheese in an even layer over the chips.
- Evenly distribute ½ cup black beans and ¼ cup corn on top of the cheese.
- Evenly distribute the beef/onion mixture over the ingredients in the pan.
- Note: If you love refried beans in your nachos, add them to this layer by spreading them over the ground beef or mixing them into the ground beef before spreading it on top of the cheese.
- Add the rest of the cheese on top of the beef.
- Add the rest of the corn and black beans on top of the cheese.
- Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and drizzle with sour cream. Then add sliced black olives, tomatoes, fresh cilantro and the rest of the red onions.
- Serve immediately with homemade salsa and guacamole.
Video
Notes
Ingredient substitutions
- Ground Beef. I recommend using a ground beef that 85% lean or higher. Ground turkey and ground chicken are also great, healthier options! Please note, if you use a leaner ground beef or ground turkey or chicken, you will need to use 1 TBS olive oil to brown the meat!
- Seasonings. I included my favorite, homemade taco seasoning mixture for 1 LB of ground beef. Note: It is NOT spicy. If you like spicy increase the chili powder to your liking. You can substitute the homemade seasoning for 1 TBS of a pre-made taco seasoning, just be sure it doesn’t contain salt. And if it does, omit the salt from the recipe.
- Onion. I love using red onion to make these Mexican nachos because the pop of color is so pretty. Yellow and white onions also work well!
- Minced Garlic. If you don’t keep minced garlic on hand, add 1 tsp garlic powder to the taco seasoning mixture instead.
- Chips. Use an 8 oz bag of your favorite tortilla chips that comply with your dietary needs!
- Cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar is my favorite cheese ever. Other delicious options are Colby Jack cheese, a Mexican cheese blend, and my husband loves using a little pepper jack into the mix for spice!
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. I do not recommend freezing nachos.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hands down the best nachos recipe! I’ve made it as is and I’ve also subbed ground turkey when trying to be a little more healthy and it is still delicious. My family asks for nachos frequently because of this recipe. Thanks!!
I LOVE Mexican food, and when nachos come with two layers of delicious cheese, you just can’t go wrong. There’s always so much color and depth to Mexican food.
Looks like an amazing combination. I am definitely making this for SB Sunday! Cabot cheese is so creamy too.