Baked Nachos with Beef (Print View)

Crispy chips loaded with seasoned beef, melted cheese, black beans, jalapeños, and fresh toppings for game day or dinner.

# Components:

→ 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 fresh cilantro, chopped
20 - 1 avocado, diced
21 - 1/2 cup sour cream
22 - 1/2 cup salsa

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 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, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and 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 cheeses. Layer remaining chips, beef, and cheese.
06 - Bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling.
07 - Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with cherry tomatoes, black beans, olives, jalapeños, and red onion.
08 - Garnish with cilantro and avocado. Serve hot with sour cream and salsa on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent way more effort than the actual fifteen minutes of work.
  • Everyone eats directly off the same platter, which somehow makes ordinary food feel like a celebration.
  • The cheese melts into every crack and crevice, so even the plain chips get flavor.
02 -
  • If you add the fresh avocado and cilantro before baking, they'll turn brown and mushy—wait until the very end no matter how tempted you are.
  • Layer your chips properly or you'll end up with a few people getting all the good stuff while others get stuck with naked chips at the bottom.
03 -
  • Use slightly stale tortilla chips if you have them—they hold up better under the weight of toppings than super-fresh ones.
  • If your crowd is large, make two smaller batches instead of one massive one so everything stays warm and the cheese actually melts through properly.
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