Baked Nachos (Printable)

Crispy tortilla chips layered with savory ground beef, melted cheese, and fresh toppings. A delicious Tex-Mex dish perfect for gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef Mixture

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

→ Nachos Base

11 - 8 oz 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
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

# How to Make It:

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, about 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 on top.
06 - Bake in the oven for 8–10 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 diced avocado. Serve hot with sour cream and salsa on the side.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The combination of melted cheddar and Monterey Jack creates that perfect cheese pull that everyone fights over
  • You can customize the toppings based on what you have in your fridge, making it infinitely adaptable
  • The beef mixture gets seasoned just right, so every chip carries flavor, not just the lucky ones buried underneath
02 -
  • I learned the hard way that if you do not layer the ingredients, the bottom chips stay bare while the top ones get everything
  • Let the beef mixture cool slightly before building your nachos, or the cheese will melt too fast and slide right off the chips
  • Serve immediately, because nachos wait for no one and they lose their magical texture as they sit
03 -
  • Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, because melted cheese is not your friend the next morning
  • Warming your chips in the oven for 5 minutes before building helps them stay crispy longer under all those toppings
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