Beef nachos are a delicious meaty, and cheesy meal or even a hearty snack. They are full of all kinds of flavors and textures and the bonus is, that they are easy to make! This isn't expensive to make and you can totally customize the flavors to your family.
I love ordering these when I go out but realized they are so easy to make! Years ago, I used to make them for the kids and their friends but hey, I love them too! If you love Mexican-flavored food, you'll also love these shredded chicken tacos and this easy but flavorful taco soup!
Why I love these
Who doesn't love deliciously seasoned ground beef with melted cheese on top of crunchy tortilla chips? Of course, the other toppings like your favorite salsa, guacamole, or even fresh-cut tomatoes or avocados add to this flavorful dish.
The bonus is it's so customizable to your tastes!
It's easy to make a huge portion or small individual portions that people can top with their own choices.
All of this and it's easy, quick, and inexpensive to make! People can't wait to dig in when this is set on the table.
Ingredients
- Standard-sized bag of tortilla chips. I prefer the 'restaurant style', which is less salty and often similar to what your favorite Mexican restaurant serves. They are crunchy and fresh with just a bit of salt. My favorite is actually the Costco Kirkland brand. I just measured out a bowl of tortilla chips (12 oz by weight).
- One pound of lean cooked ground beef crumbles is the perfect amount on a sheet pan of nachos. When I know I'm having a busy night, I cook the ground beef ahead and heat it up prior to layering it on the chips.
- Shredded cheddar cheese to melt on top of the chips. I prefer to grate my cheese because it tastes fresher and melts better. But when I'm in a hurry, I happily use pre-grated cheese. I'm probably the only one who notices the difference. Monterey jack cheese is a great substitution.
- Taco seasoning adds flavor to the ground beef. Buy a package or use your homemade mix.
- My favorite toppings include guacamole and salsa.
- Other toppings I have used include green onions, sour cream, corn, red or green peppers, refried beans, black olives, pico de gallo, and cilantro.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Step 1
Spread tortilla chips evenly on a baking pan. Mine is a regular sheet pan and measures 18 x 13 inches.
Step 2
In a spacious frying pan, heat up (or cook) your hamburger crumbles. In a small container, mix ½ cup water and taco seasoning. Add to cooked hamburger crumbles. Simmer on medium heat, stirring regularly until water has evaporated.
Step 3
Spread seasoned ground beef crumbles on chips. Evenly spread the shredded cheese on the chips. Don't forget those chips around the edges!
Step 4
Place pan in preheated oven. As your beef nachos are heating up, set out toppings. Watch to see when the cheese has melted and it's ready to pull out of the oven and serve. This normally takes 10ish minutes. I prefer to just watch for the cheese to be melted rather than use a timer.
Step 5
If everyone loves the same toppings, add them on top prior to serving. In my household, everyone has different favorites, so I serve the toppings on the side.
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Tip - One of the benefits of not adding the toppings to the pan of cheesy, meaty nacho chips is that the whole pan can be reheated if the cheese needs to be remelted.
Storage
Assemble and cook only what will be consumed. Refrigerated nachos with toppings tend to get soggy. If you do refrigerate leftovers, reheat in the oven (not the microwave).
Sealed packages (tortilla chips, cheese) are good until the expiration date on the package.
FAQs
Absolutely! If you are going to make a smaller amount a toaster oven is perfect. Watch them closely, the cheese will melt quicker and you want to make sure you don't overcook/burn your nachos!
It's a fresh salsa. It normally contains chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime juice cilantro, and salt. Recipes may vary but it's delicious!
Other Mexican recipes
Easy Beef Nachos
Ingredients
- 12 oz tortilla chips standard size bag - restaurant quality
- 1 lb lean ground beef cooked, crumbles
- 8 oz cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 package taco seasoning purchased, or use homemade
- 8 oz guacamole
- 8 oz salsa
- green onions, sour cream, corn, red or green peppers, refried beans, black olives, pico de gallo, and cilantro optional toppings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- In a large frying pan, heat up (or cook) your hamburger crumbles. In a small container, mix ½ cup water and taco seasoning. Add to cooked hamburger crumbles. Simmer on medium heat, stirring regularly until water has evaporated.
- Spread seasoned ground beef crumbles on chips. Evenly spread the shredded cheese on the chips. Don't forget those chips around the edges!
- Place pan in preheated oven. As your beef nachos are heating up, set out toppings. Watch to see when the cheese has melted and it's ready to pull out of the oven and serve. This normally takes 10ish minutes. I prefer to just watch for the cheese to be melted rather than use a timer
- If everyone loves the same toppings, add them on top before serving. In my household, everyone has different favorites, so I serve the toppings on the side.
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