Baked Nachos with Ground Beef (Print Version)

Crispy chips layered 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
18 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
19 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
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 onion and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking apart with a spoon, approximately 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.
06 - Bake in preheated 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 avocado. Serve hot with sour cream and salsa on the side.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • Every single chip gets toppings because you layer instead of piling everything on top like a sad mountain.
  • The seasoned beef tastes like it came from your favorite taco truck, not a packet.
  • You can have this on the table in thirty minutes, which means it works for both lazy dinners and surprise guests.
  • Customizing is effortless since everyone just loads up their own plate with the toppings they actually want.
02 -
  • If you don't layer the cheese and beef, the bottom chips will be naked and sad while the top ones are overloaded.
  • Don't add the tomatoes or avocado before baking or they'll turn mushy and lose all their fresh texture.
  • Use a sturdy baking sheet, not a flimsy one, or the weight of the nachos will make it buckle and slide.
03 -
  • Toast your tortilla chips in the oven for three minutes before building the nachos, it keeps them crispier under all that weight.
  • Warm your toppings slightly before adding them so they don't cool down the nachos the second they hit the cheese.
  • Use a pizza cutter to portion out sections before serving, it makes grabbing a piece way easier than fighting over chips with a fork.
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