Classic Tex-Mex Baked Nachos (Print version)

Crispy chips topped with seasoned beef, melted cheese, beans, jalapeños, and fresh garnishes. Perfect for sharing.

# What you’ll need:

→ Beef Mixture

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 pound ground beef
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/4 cup tomato sauce

→ Nachos Base

11 - 8 ounces tortilla chips

→ Cheese

12 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
13 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Toppings

14 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
15 - 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
16 - 1/4 cup sliced black olives
17 - 1/4 cup sliced jalapeños, fresh or pickled
18 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
19 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
20 - 1 avocado, diced
21 - 1/2 cup sour cream
22 - 1/2 cup salsa

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking apart with a spoon, approximately 5 minutes.
04 - Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
05 - Arrange half the tortilla chips on a large baking sheet or oven-safe platter. Top with half the beef mixture and half the combined cheeses. Layer remaining chips, beef, and cheese.
06 - Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
07 - Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with cherry tomatoes, black beans, black olives, jalapeños, and red onion.
08 - Garnish with chopped cilantro and diced avocado. Serve hot with sour cream and salsa alongside.

# Cooking tips:

01 -
  • Everything gets crispy and melty at the same time, so you never bite into a sad, soggy chip.
  • You can prep all the toppings while the beef cooks, and the whole thing is done in half an hour.
  • It scales up or down easily, so whether you're feeding two or ten, you just adjust the layers.
  • Lefto�ers (if there are any) reheat beautifully in the oven the next day.
02 -
  • If you pile all the toppings on before baking, the tomatoes and avocado will turn mushy and sad, so always add the fresh stuff after the oven.
  • Layering the chips and beef twice instead of once means you won't end up with naked chips at the bottom of the tray.
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet or the cheese will drip everywhere and smoke up your kitchen.
03 -
  • Toast your tortilla chips in the oven for a few minutes before layering if they've gone a little stale, it brings them back to life.
  • Grate your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded, it melts smoother and tastes better because it doesn't have anti-caking agents.
  • If you're feeding a crowd, make two trays and stagger them in the oven so one is always coming out hot while people are still eating the first.
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