The ultimate nachos: tacos ground beef, served with fresh pico de gallo and drizzled with chipotle cream. We haven’t even talked about the whole toppings shebang yet. Delicious.
(We use pico de gallo and chipotle cream for this easy huevos rancheros recipe too. Check it out, also very good! And if you’re craving chicken wings on game day, try this Asian-style baked chicken wings. Delicious!)
I’m not into sports. Growing up, I got good grades except in Phys Ed.
One time playing softball, the teacher had to come very (very) near me just so I can hit the dang ball, get out of line and give others a chance to bat.
Red is a big sports fan though. To be more specific, a huge Toronto Raptors fan and the team got into the second round of the play-offs for the first time in 15 years (I was told this was a big deal).
To celebrate, I’m sharing Red’s recipe for the ultimate nachos (which I assume we’ll be having for the rest of the play-off series). Game on!
The definitive game day snack
These nachos are perfect with ice cold beer while watching your favourite team.
Or for I-don’t-know-anything-about-sports people like me, for everyday snacking, to serve when friends come over, whenever you’re hungry.
These are filled with all the good stuff including 3 kinds of cheese, jalapeño, chipotle
and avocado. It’s seriously dee-licious.
Make some of this homemade tajín recipe for some heat!
Related: Grilled Shishito Peppers
How do you make the perfect nachos?
It’s all about the layering and what goes into your layers (watch the video to see how I layer our nachos).
First there’s the beef. Get your favourite taco seasoning
, mix it in with the ground beef and beans, cook them together and you’re done.
You can use your favourite homemade seasoning mix too but taco seasoning is very convenient in a pinch (like: you’ve run out of cumin, it’s out of stock at the store and the game starts in 30 minutes. It happens).
Related: Sweet and Salty Filipino Style Spaghetti
How to make fresh pico de gallo
Ironically, Red won’t make any concessions about using ready-made salsa and insists on making her own pico de gallo because it tastes better and fresher (I don’t question it, she gets very cranky before game time).
It’s really very simple: just take tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, sweet onions. Squeeze some lime juice. Season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
But yes, you can use ready-made salsa
(don’t tell) if you don’t want to be bothered with chopping.
Related: Cantaloupe Feta Cheese Salad with Fresh Basil
How to make chipotle cream
Chipotle in adobo sauce is one of Red’s favourite ingredients but is admittedly hard to come by (at least where we are).
So whenever we see it (usually in Latin American supermarkets), we buy a couple of cans (or more, I’m not counting) because you never know when you might need some chipotle awesomeness.
And this chipotle cream brings a unique smoky flavour to your nachos that makes it that much better. All you need to do is blend some chipotle and sour cream, transfer to a container (we like squeeze bottles
because at $1 each they make everything look fancy!) and refrigerate.
How to make the ultimate nachos
Last thing to do is to put everything together.
Get your favourite restaurant-style tortilla chips
, your taco beef, lots of cheese, black olives
and bake until the cheese melts.
Then top with your favourite things (and you can customize this however you want…isn’t that great?) like fresh jalapeño slices, homemade pico de gallo, drizzle with chipotle cream.
Voila – the ultimate nachos you can enjoy while watching your favourite basketball, football or hockey team or, in my case, reading my favourite sci-fi book
of the moment. (What? Told you I’m not into sports lol!)
Can you make nachos ahead of time?
You can definitely prep the nachos ahead of time.
Cook the beef, chop everything that needs to be chopped, layer.
It only needs a quick 5 minutes in the oven, another minute for you to add the toppings, and you’re done.
I don’t recommend baking the nachos hours ahead of when you plan to eat or serve it though because it tends to get soggy the longer it sits.
(Do you have vegetarian friends coming over? Make some potato tacos and a football veggie tray or this 7-layer Mexican hummus dip!)
Other things to serve on Game Day
Family and friends ask for these nachos all the time and I hope you and yours enjoy it too. Here are other crowd pleasers, a sure hit at every party:
- This aloha burger recipe is a juicy cheeseburger topped with grilled pineapple and crispy bacon. Add honey mustard sauce and what you have is an aloha burger recipe that’s almost as good as Jollibee’s!
- Another copycat recipe, these easy cheddar biscuits are exceptionally delicious, simple to make, and ready in less than 15 minutes. Just in time for the game!
- These salted caramel cream cheese brownies are all your favourite things in one decadent, luxurious bite. These will, literally, earn you all the brownie points you will ever need!
- Detroit-style pizza is always a crowd-pleaser.
- And everybody loves these fudgy walnut brownies – crusty and shiny on top, chewy in the centre, and bursting with chocolate chip and walnuts in every bite.
Happy nacho-ing!
Did you make these ultimate nachos? Tell me about it in the comments section below. I’d love to hear all about it. What’s your favourite game day snack?
How to Make the Ultimate Nachos
Ingredients
For the Pico de Gallo:
- 3 cups seeded and diced plum tomatoes about 4 medium sized tomatoes
- ¼ cup diced jalapeño about 1 large jalapeño
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro about ½ bunch
- ½ cup diced sweet onion about half an onion
- Juice from 1 regular-sized lime
- Salt to taste
For the Chipotle Cream:
- 2 pcs chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
For the Taco Beef:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup red kidney beans we used canned
- 1 1-oz package taco seasoning
Assembly:
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups grated monterey jack cheese
- 1 13-oz bag tortilla chips
- 1 cup sliced black olives
- 1 regular sized green bell pepper diced
- 1 regular sized avocado diced
- 1 regular sized jalapeño sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
For the Pico de Gallo:
- Mix all ingredients (except the salt) in a medium sized bowl. Add salt to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the ingredients to allow the flavours to develop.
For the Chipotle Cream:
- Put the 2 chipotle chilis and the cup of sour cream in a blender and blend until well combined (you would still see specks of the chili but the mixture should be smooth). Set aside.
For the Taco Beef:
- Put the 1 pound ground beef in a skillet on medium heat until it turns brown (approximately 7-8 minutes).
- Add the cup of kidney beans and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the taco seasoning and follow the instructions on the package. Set aside.
Assembly:
- Mix all your cheese in a bowl.
- Assemble your nachos in layers (see video): 1 – half your tortilla chips 2 – half your cooked beef 3 – half your mixed cheese and 4 – half your black olives. Repeat using the other half of your ingredients.
- Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with green peppers, avocados, and fresh Pico de Gallo. Top with jalapeño slices and drizzle with chipotle cream.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Amber
This looks absolutely delicious. Love the drizzle.
Tess
These look delicious, and I’m loving the idea of the Chipotle cream! Definitely going to be using that tonight! There is nothing better than GOOD nachos that aren’t skimpy on the toppings. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jolina
Thank you Tess! The chipotle cream really makes a difference. Do you know where to buy chipotle in adobo sauce in Toronto? We buy ours from this place near Bloor and Bathurst 🙂 Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Cole
OMG this looks like the best nacho recipe ever!
Jolina
Thanks Cole! Hope you try them 🙂
Ann
This looks soooooo amazing! I just want to dive in. 🙂
Jolina
Thanks Ann! As I was taking pictures I just wanted to swim in nacho goodness (but that would be too weird lol)
Shakirah
Looks so good. I am going to try with ground turkey and see how that works.
Jolina
Hi Shakirah! I think turkey would work and be healthier too. You might just need to adjust the saltiness as turkey is a little blander than beef but other than that I think you will have awesome nachos 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Lisanne
Oh my, I LOVE nacho’s! Going to try this recipe out!
Jolina
Hi Lisanne! Hope you enjoy them as much as we did! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Lana
I just found my new go to for get togethers! This looks fantastic!
Jolina
Awesome! 🙂 Just a little mise en place is needed but this is really easy to put together. Thanks for passing by Lana!
Melanie
Omg this looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it 🙂
Jolina
Thanks Melanie! Hope you enjoy them. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Leah
I love nacho so! Great recipe. The pics are really good. What camera do you use?
Jolina
Thanks Leah! For these shots, I used a Canon 40D + a 100mm macro lens.
soniya Saluja
This looks so inviting !!Gonna try this soon 🙂
Jolina
Thank you! Let me know how you like it 🙂
Vy
Everyone can make Nachos, so to make some that truly stand out is a rarity. This is an excellent recipe that I think will be a *ahem” Game Changer. That smokey spice flavor of chipotle cut in the sour cream is definitely something intriguing!
Jolina
Sniff. The Raptors just lost. Game changer indeed! 🙂 And yes, the chipotle in adobo sauce is really a very unique flavour. Hope you try it! Thanks Vy!
Deja
Yumm! Nachos are my go-to cheat meal!! These look delicious, can’t wait to try your recipe!!
Jolina
I know right? They are so good! 🙂 And they somehow always taste better with alcohol so there…your cheat day is truly compete lol. Thanks for passing by Deja! Let me know how you like it 🙂
Brandy
My belly is growling, this looks amazing! I must make them, totally pinned to pinterest board so I can try to make this one night. I love all of the ingredients.
Jolina
Hi Brandy! Thanks for the share. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do 🙂
Robin
I’m craving for nachos now….
Jolina
You can totally make this Robin. It’s quite easy 🙂 Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Suchi
I ain’t a big sports fan either but when it comes to sports related food I am all game! Nachos look very tempting
Jolina
Oh me too Suchi! Not into sports at all. I think I just go for the food really lol 🙂 Thanks for passing by!