Baked Nachos with Ground Beef (Printable)

Crispy chips loaded with seasoned beef, melted cheese, jalapeños, tomatoes, and fresh toppings. Perfect for sharing!

# 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
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 onion and 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.
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 the 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.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in under half an hour, so you can go from craving to eating without much wait.
  • The double layer trick means every chip gets its share of toppings, no sad naked corners.
  • You can customize the heat and toppings to match whoever's gathered around your table.
  • Leftovers reheat surprisingly well if you use the oven instead of the microwave.
02 -
  • Don't skip the double layering, single-layer nachos always leave half the chips bare and disappointing.
  • Add the fresh toppings after baking, not before, or the tomatoes and avocado will turn soggy and sad.
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet to catch any cheese that bubbles over, trust me on this one.
03 -
  • Taste your beef mixture before assembling and adjust the seasoning, it's easier to fix it now than after everything's baked.
  • Use a mix of cheeses for the best melt and flavor, one sharp and one creamy makes all the difference.
  • Let the nachos rest for a minute after baking so the cheese sets slightly and doesn't slide off in one gooey avalanche.
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