Our family loves this nachos recipe. It\u2019s simple, made on one big sheet pan, and loaded with taco meat, beans, and all our favorite toppings.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
We usually turn this into beef nachos, but you can absolutely make it your own. I\u2019ve shared plenty of tips below to help you customize. We start with our favorite taco meat, then pile on all the good stuff.<\/p>\n
My best tip for making nachos at home is using a sheet pan (I do it when making shredded chicken nachos, too). It gives you plenty of room to spread out the tortilla chips so every chip gets its fair share of cheese and toppings. It makes serving easy, too. I set the whole pan down in the middle of the table, and we all dig in.<\/p>\n
Key Ingredients<\/h2>\n
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Ground meat:<\/strong> Our photos show ground beef, but you can use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or really any ground meat you have on hand in our recipe below. We like a little fat, but not too much, or else the meat turns out greasy. Look for 7% to 10% fat.<\/li>\n
Beans:<\/strong> These are loaded nachos, so we add two kinds of beans. Rinsed, canned black beans and refried beans. I usually use canned refried beans (Siete is my favorite brand), but you can always make your own (here\u2019s our refried beans recipe).<\/li>\n
Taco Seasoning:<\/strong> I know you can buy packets at the store, but trust me, our taco spice blend is so much better. Also, I bet you already have all the spices you need to make it in your spice cabinet. You\u2019ll combine chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and salt together. It\u2019s easy and makes the taco meat extra delicious. Another option is to use this taco seasoning recipe, which makes a larger batch and has a few optional ingredients for flavor.<\/li>\n
Tomato Paste and Stock:<\/strong> These bring everything together. A little tomato paste deepens the rich flavor of the meat and spices, and the stock keeps it from drying out.<\/li>\n
Tortilla Chips:<\/strong> A standard bag of chips should do the trick. Choose chips that are a little thicker so they hold up to all the toppings. If you are really pumped, you can always make your own. Here\u2019s our tortilla chips recipe.<\/li>\n
Toppings:<\/strong> Our family adds cheese (use a melty one like cheddar or Monterey Jack), then we add guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, pickles of some kind (try pickled onions, pickled jalape\u00f1os, or candied jalape\u00f1os), and sliced olives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Find the full recipe with measurements below.<\/em><\/p>\n
How to Make Nachos<\/h2>\n
Tip 1: Make the taco meat. <\/strong>For the best flavor, let your ground meat get a little golden and crispy. I like to press it down in the skillet and let it sit for a minute or two so it really gets some color. Sprinkle in your spice mix and use a wooden spoon to break everything into crumbles. To keep things juicy and flavorful, stir in a couple of spoonfuls of tomato paste, then add your stock and beans.<\/p>\n
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