Baked Nachos with Ground Beef (Printable)

Crispy chips loaded with seasoned beef, melted cheese, and vibrant toppings—perfect for sharing in 30 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic; sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking apart with a spoon, approximately 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - Stir in chili powder, ground 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.
06 - Layer remaining tortilla chips, beef mixture, and cheese on top of the first layer.
07 - Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling.
08 - Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with cherry tomatoes, black beans, olives, jalapeños, and red onion.
09 - Garnish with fresh cilantro and avocado. Serve hot with sour cream and salsa on the side.

# Tips from the Pros:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in under 30 minutes, so you can feed a crowd without spending your whole evening in the kitchen.
  • The layering trick means every chip gets some beef, some cheese, and none of those sad naked corners.
  • You can adjust the heat and toppings to match whoever is eating, from kids to spice lovers.
  • Leftovers reheat surprisingly well if you store the toppings separately and add them fresh.
02 -
  • If you pile all the toppings on before baking, the tomatoes and avocado turn soggy and sad, so always add fresh ingredients after the oven.
  • Using two layers of chips and fillings instead of one massive pile means the bottom layer actually gets cheese and flavor instead of staying plain.
  • Let the beef mixture cool for a minute before layering; if it's too hot, it can make the chips underneath go limp before they even hit the oven.
03 -
  • Shred your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded; it melts smoother and doesn't have that coating that keeps it from getting gooey.
  • If you're feeding a big group, use two sheet pans and bake them at the same time on separate racks, rotating halfway through for even melting.
  • A squeeze of lime over the finished nachos right before serving brightens everything and cuts through the richness in a way that feels almost necessary.
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