Say hello to the easiest appetizer: Loaded Nachos! Corn tortilla chips layered with seasoned beef, onion, tomato, and cheese, then baked in the oven until the cheese is melted. It’s the perfect snack to serve to a crowd!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Easy: A top criteria for all of my recipes, and this one is no exception. You add the tortilla chips to a baking pan, add whatever toppings you’d like on top, then bake. That’s it! You really, truly cannot mess it up.
Customizable: Add whatever toppings you have in your fridge. Heck, you could even make these vegan or vegetarian by adding beans instead of meat, or even walnut taco meat.
Shareable: Loaded nachos are the perfect appetizer to serve a crowd, and the recipe can easily be doubled if needed. Just use two baking sheets and you’re good to go.
Loaded nachos are a classic recipe and one that can often be found on restaurant menus. But, making them at home is incredibly easy, just like my hot crab dip, black bean corn salsa, and my white bean hummus.
Recipe Ingredients
Protein – I used ground beef, but ground chicken or ground turkey are great low-fat options. If using beef, I recommend lean ground beef.
Tortilla chips – I almost always use corn tortilla chips, but this is a personal preference. Store-bought chips work just fine, but you can always make your own if you prefer.
Cheese – Either freshly grated shredded cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend works best.
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
How to Make Loaded Nachos
Step 1: Cook the meat. Start by adding the ground beef to a skillet and cook over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to break it up. Add the taco seasoning and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink and any liquid has absorbed.
Step 2: Layer the ingredients. Pour the chips onto a large baking sheet, then add the cooked beef and half of the cheese on top. Sprinkle the other toppings — red onion, diced tomato, jalapeños, and the additional cheese — over top.
Step 3: Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 400° F for approximately 7 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and enjoy!
Tips & FAQs
- You may need to cook the beef an extra minute or two to cook down any of the fat from the beef. You don’t want there to be any liquid or else it’ll cause the nachos to become soggy.
- When in doubt, add extra toppings. I’ve tested these and given my own recommendations for amounts needed for each topping, but if any of the sections are looking sparse, feel free to add a little extra.
Sure can! Other options include: refried beans, black beans, diced bell peppers, black olives, avocado, minced garlic, a drizzle of spicy avocado dressing, guacamole, sour cream, etc.
Storage
This is one of the only recipes on my site that can’t really be stored for later. Loaded nachos taste best fresh, and the chips just get soggy and/or stale tasting if you try to store them. So, make these fresh and devour them the same day instead 🙂
More appetizer recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Cook the beef: add all ingredients to a skillet and cook beef until it’s no longer pink. Cook an extra minute or two until any liquid has cooked down; set aside.
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While the beef is cooking, prepare the nachos: line a baking sheet with tortilla chips. Once the beef is cooked, pour it on top of the nachos, then add HALF of the cheese, along with the red onion, tomato and jalapeño. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
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Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for approximately 7 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with cilantro and any additional toppings you’d like (think: avocado, sour cream, etc.) and enjoy!
*The amount you use will largely depend on how many people you’re trying to feed. If you want to feed a LOT of people, you’ll want to use a whole bag of chips, and divide them between 2 baking sheets
Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 376mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 514IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 3mg
