Baked Nachos with Ground Beef (Printable)

Crispy chips layered with seasoned beef, melted cheese, and vibrant toppings—perfect for sharing any occasion.

# 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sauté until fragrant, approximately 2 minutes
03 - Add ground beef to skillet and cook until completely browned, breaking apart with a spoon, about 5 minutes
04 - Stir in chili powder, 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 completely melted and bubbling
07 - Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with cherry tomatoes, black beans, olives, jalapeños, and red onion
08 - Garnish with fresh cilantro and diced avocado. Serve immediately with sour cream and salsa as accompaniments

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • You can taste it in layers, each bite a little different from the last.
  • It feels like a party even when youre eating alone on the couch.
  • Everything cooks in one pan, and cleanup is almost nonexistent.
  • You can pile on whatever you have in the fridge and it still works.
02 -
  • If you pile all the toppings on before baking, the chips will get soggy and you'll lose that perfect crunch.
  • Layering the chips and beef twice instead of once means every bite has something good in it, not just the top.
  • Use two kinds of cheese because cheddar alone can be greasy, and Monterey Jack alone is too mild.
  • Don't skip preheating the oven or the cheese will take forever to melt and the chips will dry out.
03 -
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet or the cheese will drip onto the bottom of your oven and smoke up the kitchen.
  • If your jalapeños are too spicy, soak the slices in cold water for ten minutes before adding them.
  • Warm your tortilla chips in the oven for a few minutes before layering if they've been sitting in the pantry for a while.
  • Don't refrigerate leftover nachos, they'll never be the same, but the beef mixture reheats beautifully on its own.
Go Back