Super Nachos (Easy Recipe)

They’re not basic nachos or average nachos, they’re super nachos!

This recipe is the perfect game-day appetizer. It’s quick and easy, and everyone loves nachos.

And every tortilla gets the royal topping treatment, not just the ones at the top!

So, don your superhero cape, and let’s whip up some super nachos!

Super Nachos 

You need to follow two simple steps to whip up a delicious plate of nachos.

First, gather all the best nacho toppings. Easy.

Then, let them hang out in the oven to get nice and crispy. 

What makes the best nacho toppings, you ask?

Anything that balances spicy, savory, salty, and cheesy flavors works wonderfully. 

These super nachos incorporate equal parts beef, taco seasoning, beans, cheese, and sour cream. 

And there are a few secret ingredients to take those flavors over the edge. But more on that a little later. 

Arrange them on a baking sheet to ensure that these toppings cover every tortilla (and leave no tortilla embarrassingly naked). 

Baking nachos in the oven allows the cheese to melt and fuse all those ingredients in Mexican harmony.

They’re gooey and cheesy but still retain that crispy crunch. 

I love serving up nachos for a game night when there’s a lot of grazing.

This recipe makes a big batch, so it’s perfect when having a lot of friends over. 

Bonus points: it comes together in under an hour. 

Ingredients 

Here’s everything you need for these game-day (or midnight snacking) super nachos.

• Ground beef. Lean ground beef is your best choice here. It’s fatty enough to deliver indulgent greasiness but won’t turn your nachos into a greasy, limp mess. 

• Tortilla chips. Restaurant-style tortilla chips work best for nachos. They’re a little bigger than your average tortilla chip and are a beautiful blank canvas for all the fixings!

• Shredded sharp cheddar. Cheddar cheese is the perfect option for a mild cheese that adds gooey cheesy goodness that it’s overpowering. If you want bold cheese flavors, you can swap out cheddar for Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack.

• Refried beans. Adding refried beans to nachos adds a boost of healthy protein and also makes these nachos incredibly filling. If you don’t like refried beans, you can swap them out with black beans. 

• Black olives. Black olives add the perfect pop of saltiness that compliments the savory flavors of ground beef and refried beans. 

• Salsa. A can of your favorite salsa is a must! It oozes into every nook and cranny of the tortilla chips. Plus, it provides chopped onions and crushed tomatoes (so you don’t have to do extra chopping). 

• Sour cream. Sour cream is one of my favorite nacho toppings because it cools all those spicy and salty flavors. If you don’t like sour cream, freshly avocado works the same way. 

• Jalapeno peppers. Adding fresh or canned jalapeno peppers is entirely optional. They’re super spicy, be mindful of how many you add. You can add a lot or leave them out altogether. 

• Green onions. Fresh green onions are the magical cherry on top of these super nachos. They add a bright, herbal crunch that calms all those intense salty flavors. 

How to Make Super Nachos 

Putting together a plate of these nachos is a cakewalk. Here’s how quickly it all comes together.

1. Make preparations. Preheat the oven to the broiler setting and give it enough time to get nice and hot. Then, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

2. Cook the ground beef. Using a skillet, brown the ground beef under medium heat. Cook until the meat is crumbly and cooked all the way through, for about 10 minutes. Drain grease, add water and taco seasoning, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

3. Assemble your masterpiece. Over a single layer of tortilla chips, arrange seasoned ground beef, refried bean salsa, and cheese. 

4. Bake under the broiler. Place the nachos under the broiler, and bake for around 5 minutes. Watch the nachos carefully, and remove them from the oven just as the cheese melts. 

5. Garnish. When the nachos are hot, garnish them with sour cream, black olives, jalapenos, and fresh green onions. Enjoy!

Best Nacho Toppings 

The great thing about nachos is that you can add whatever toppings you like. 

This recipe for super nachos is a great place to start, but you can add even more flavors! Here are some great suggestions: 

More meat. Ground beef is quick, easy, and always a crowd-pleaser. 

But you can easily swap out ground beef for grilled chicken, chorizo, barbacoa, sofritas, or carne asada. I’m basically listing all the meat options at Chipotle here!

I like to add more than one meat option to my nachos because variety is the spice of life! Two of my favorite pairing are light chicken with spicy chorizo. Yum!

Try out different cheeses. Cheddar cheese is great because it adds cheesy goodness that doesn’t overpower the other ingredients, but you don’t have to stop there. 

Try out other options like Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, or Colby. Creamy cheeses like Velvetta are also excellent. 

Veg it up! Adding more veggies makes these nachos more flavorful and colorful. Opt for veggies like sweet corn, red peppers, mushrooms, and fresh tomatoes. 

Tips for the Best Nachos

While these nachos come together easily, check out these quick tips for surefire success.

• Always drain your beef. Even if you opt for lean 90/10 ground beef, it still has a lot of extra grease that’s not very appetizing. Before adding taco seasoning, drain it before returning it to the pan. 

• Don’t pile your tortilla chips. Make sure that you use every square inch of that baking sheet! Line a single layer of tortilla from end to end. If you pile your tortillas, the ones on the bottom will be woefully neglected. 

• Keep a close eye on it under the broiler. Things under the broiler can go from raw to burned in the blink of an eye. Watch your nacho masterpiece carefully, and remove it from the oven as soon as the cheese melts. 

How to Store and Reheat 

Leftover nachos lose their fresh-out-of-the-oven magic the next day. But there are a few tricks to ensure leftovers taste as good as day one. 

Leftover nachos, when stored in an air-tight container, last a day or two in the fridge. 

One trick to amazing next-day nachos is to keep your unbaked toppings (like sour cream and green onions) separate from the nachos. They do not reheat very well. 

Like before, place your nachos back onto a baking sheet and slightly heat under the broiler. 

You only need to heat the nachos through, so keep them under the broiler for a few minutes.