The ultimate nachos: tacos ground beef, fresh pico de gallo, chipotle cream and all your favorite toppings. These nachos win game day every time. It’s an easy and delicious weeknight meal too.
(Looking for something sweet to serve? Make some fudgy s’mores brownies!)
Game day, whether it’s the Super Bowl, March Madness, or your favorite sports team making the play-offs, is as much about the food as it is about the game.
Let’s face it, it won’t be the same without pizzas and burgers and chicken wings.
This easy ultimate nachos recipe is our go-to game day snack.
It’s a breeze to make, includes all our favorite things, and everybody loves it.
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love ultimate nachos
I mean, what’s not to love?
- Easy no-fail recipe — it’s so easy to make and you can even make the components ahead and assemble before game time.
- Simple ingredients — the ingredients we use are easy to find… you probably already have most of them in your pantry.
- Customizable — our nachos have kidney beans but you can absolutely use refried beans, pinto beans, or black beans instead. We add cilantro but you can skip that if you’re not a fan. You can decide what to put on your nachos and customize this recipe any way you like.
- Serves a crowd — best of all, it’s enough to feed you and your guests!
How to make the best nachos
Making nachos is simple and straightfoward.
Ingredients for nachos
This ultimate nachos recipe with ground beef has all the usual nacho ingredients like tortilla chips, cheese and tomatoes. You can find the full ingredient list in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
A few things to note:
- Taco seasoning — we use pre-packaged taco seasoning but you can absolutely use your own homemade seasoning mix.
- Pico de gallo — we love making pico de gallo because it’s fresher and tastes better. It’s very simple to make too. But yes, you can use ready made salsa in a pinch.
- Chipotle cream — chipotle cream brings a unique smoky flavor to these nachos that makes it that much better. All you need to do is blend some chipotle chilis in adobo sauce and sour cream, transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
These nachos are not particularly spicy but you can make some of this homemade tajín recipe for some heat!
Got extra ingredients? Make this easy huevos rancheros recipe for breakfast.
Cooking tools
You don’t need any special tools; just a pan or a skillet to cook your ground beef in and a baking pan to assemble and bake your nachos on.
We like using a squeeze bottle when drizzling the chipotle cream on top for the best looking nachos but it’s not necessary.
Step-by-step photos
Preheat your oven to 350F. Prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
To make the pico de gallo, mix all ingredients (except salt) in a medium sized bowl. Then add salt to taste.
Cover and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the ingredients to allow the flavors to develop.
To make the chipotle cream, put chipotle chilis and 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 ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until it turns brown (approximately 7-8 minutes).
Add kidney beans and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the taco seasoning and follow the instructions on the package.
Set aside.
Start to assemble your nachos by placing half of your tortilla chips on a baking pan.
Add half of your cooked ground beef.
Add half of your shredded cheese.
And half of your olives. Repeat and build a second layer.
Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with green peppers, avocados, and pico de gallo. Top with jalapeño slices and drizzle with chipotle cream.
Expert tips
Easy, right? We make these ultimate nachos for weeknights as well. It’s a complete meal!
Here are tips for perfect nachos every time.
- Prep ahead for a stress-free party. Cook your beef, make your chipotle cream and pico de gallo, and get your toppings ready so all you have to do is assemble right before your guests arrive.
- Bake at the last minute to avoid soggy nachos. You’ll also want to remove excess liquid (e.g. from a can of beans) to help avoid the tortilla chips from losing their crispiness.
- Layer evenly. It’s all about the layering and what goes into your layers! When you’re assembling your nachos, ensure you’re distributing the ingredients evenly and covering the layer completely. This way, every bite contains all the yummy things.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use ground chicken or shredded carnitas. Shredded rotisserie chicken works, too.
There are so many ways you can make this recipe your own:
– Switch up the protein. Instead of ground beef, use chicken, turkey or pork.
– Use a different mix of shredded cheese. We usually do cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey jack.
– Serve with shredded lettuce or guacamole on the side.
– Top with your favorite things like corn kernels, pickled onions or jalapeños, and more.
Absolutely. Cook your beef, make your chipotle cream, prep your pico de gallo, and get your toppings ready so all you have to do is assemble and bake right before your guests arrive.
If you’re making these nachos ahead, you’ll want to bake them at the last minute. It also helps to remove excess liquid from your ingredients (e.g. canned beans).
You can keep leftovers covered in the fridge.
To get back some of that crispiness, reheat in a 350F preheated oven for a few minutes.
More game day food
If you love game day food as much as we do, try these reader favorites!
Do you have vegetarian friends coming over? Make some potato tacos and a football veggie tray or this 7-layer Mexican hummus dip!
Detroit-style pizza is also always a crowd-pleaser.
We love making these ultimate nachos. They’re always the first to go so we usually have to make enough for two batches!
They make for an easy and filling weeknight meal too.
Happy baking!
Did you make this recipe for ultimate nachos? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest and YouTube.
How to Make the Ultimate Nachos
Equipment
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. Then add salt to taste.3 cups seeded and diced plum tomatoes, ¼ cup diced jalapeño, ⅓ cup chopped cilantro, ½ cup diced sweet onion, Juice from 1 regular-sized lime, Salt to taste
- Cover and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the ingredients to allow the flavors to develop.
For the Chipotle Cream:
- Put chipotle chilis and 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.2 pcs chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, 1 cup sour cream
For the Taco Beef:
- Put the ground beef in a skillet on medium heat until it turns brown (approximately 7-8 minutes).1 pound lean ground beef
- Add kidney beans and cook for another 2 minutes.1 cup red kidney beans
- Add the taco seasoning and follow the instructions on the package. Set aside.1 1-oz package taco seasoning
Assembly:
- Mix all your cheese in a bowl.2 cups grated cheddar cheese, 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, 2 cups grated monterey jack cheese
- Assemble your nachos in layers: half your tortilla chips, half your cooked beef, half your mixed cheese and half your black olives. Repeat using the other half of your ingredients.1 13-oz bag tortilla chips, 1 cup sliced black olives
- 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.1 regular sized green bell pepper, 1 regular sized avocado, 1 regular sized jalapeño
Video
Notes
- Substitutions: you can use homemade taco seasoning instead of pre-packaged taco mix, and ready-made salsa instead of fresh pico de gallo.
- If making ahead, bake at the last minute to avoid soggy nachos.
- You can customize the recipe by adding more of your favorite toppings!
- See post for more tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
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