Baked Nachos with Ground Beef (Printable)

Crispy chips layered with seasoned beef, melted cheese, beans, and fresh toppings. Ready in just 30 minutes.

# 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 fresh cilantro, chopped
20 - 1 avocado, diced
21 - 1/2 cup sour cream
22 - 1/2 cup salsa

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 400°F and allow to preheat completely.
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 fully 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 combined cheeses. Layer remaining chips, beef, and cheese.
06 - Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
07 - Remove from oven and immediately add cherry tomatoes, black beans, olives, jalapeños, and red onion.
08 - Garnish with cilantro and avocado. Serve immediately with sour cream and salsa on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in under thirty minutes, so you can go from hungry to happy without the wait.
  • The layering trick means every single chip gets its fair share of beef and melted cheese.
  • You can pile on exactly what you love and skip what you dont, making it yours every time.
  • It feeds a crowd without fancy techniques or a sink full of dishes.
02 -
  • If you pile all the cheese on top without layering, the bottom chips stay dry and sad, so always build in two stages.
  • Dont add the avocado or cilantro before baking or they turn brown and bitter under the heat.
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet or the cheese will drip onto the oven floor and smoke up your kitchen.
  • Let the beef cool for a minute before layering so it doesnt make the chips soggy before they hit the oven.
03 -
  • Use the thickest tortilla chips you can find so they hold up under the weight of toppings without turning to mush.
  • Grate your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded because it melts smoother and doesnt have that weird coating.
  • If youre feeding a big group, bake two smaller pans instead of one giant one so the cheese melts evenly and everyone gets a hot serving.
  • Taste the beef mixture before you layer it and adjust the spices while you still can.
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