These Easy Cheesy Beef Nachos are a classic appetizer staple that’s perfect for solo munching, or turn into a sharing platter for the holidays or parties! Tortilla chips covered with seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, and your choice of toppings.
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I think majority of you can agree that whenever we’re having Mexican night — be it at restaurants or during nights in — you best believe that nachos would be a guaranteed part of the spread. A mouthwatering dish that’s so versatile, you can have it for lunch, dinner, or to snack on at any time of the day!
So recently I came across Abi Marquez’s nachos on Instagram, and it inspired me to create my own version. With Super Bowl coming up, there’s no better time to share this recipe! Enjoy it as is for your own munching session, or scale it up to a sharing platter for a party food appetizer.
Cheese Nachos with Ground Beef Recipe
What goes on nachos? The base of this dish is some good old tortilla chips that’s topped with sautéed onions, garlic, and seasoned ground beef, then covered with beautiful melted cheese.
The best thing about nachos is that it’s so customizable. For the toppings, aside from pickled jalapeños, some favorites include cubed tomatoes, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, guacamole, olives and sour cream. Refried beans and shredded chicken are also popular additions to load up the dish even more.
So if you’re having a party, take the stress out of deciding what additional toppings to put by setting up a nacho bar.
Ingredients You’ll Need
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Sharp cheddar
- Mozzarella
- Tortilla chips
- Pickled jalapeno (for garnish)
- Cilantro (for garnish)
Seasonings
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Light soy sauce
- Sugar
How to make easy cheesy beef nachos
- Shred cheese and set aside for later (see notes).
- In a pan over medium heat, drizzle a bit of oil and add onions. Sauté for 30 seconds before adding garlic and continue cooking for another minute before adding ground beef.
- Break up any clumps and once it’s halfway cooked, add all the seasonings except for light soy sauce and sugar. Stir until well combined. Once the ground beef is cooked, season with light soy sauce and sugar and stir.
- Optional step: Bring off heat and push the ground beef to one side. Tilt the pan so the grease will collect to one side. Discard by transferring to a glass bowl or soak it up with a paper towel. Place the pan back over the heat.
- Turn heat down to medium low heat and add the cheese. Cover with a lid a leave it for a few minutes or until all the cheese has melted. Remove lid and turn off heat.
- In a serving plate, place the tortilla chips. Gently “slide off” or add the cheesy ground beef from the pan to on top of the tortilla chips. Garnish with pickled jalapenos and cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes for Easy Cheesy Beef Nachos
- Soy sauce or salt: I like using light soy sauce to season the meat because it gives a bit more flavor to it. Feel free to skip and use salt instead, adjust to taste.
- Toppings: Add whatever ingredients to the ground beef or as toppings. Some suggestions: Cubed tomatoes, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, guacamole, olives and sour cream.
- Cheese: Use whatever cheese combination you want and as much as your heart desires. I used sharp cheddar and mozzarella, but other options include: Colby, Monterey Jack, and Pepper Jack.
- Shred your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese are coated in an agent that makes it harder to melt. So because of that I like shredding my own cheese as it melts into a gooey texture better. But in a pinch, you can definitely use pre-shredded cheese.
More Appetizer Recipes
- Ground Beef Queso Dip
- Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip
- Fried King Oyster Mushroom Bites (Vegan)
- Asian-Inspired Crispy Chicken Sliders
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
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Easy Cheesy Beef Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1.5 cups sharp cheddar shredded
- 1.5 cups mozzarella shredded
- tortilla chips
- pickled jalapeno for garnish
- cilantro for garnish
Seasonings
- 1.5 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce see notes
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Shred cheese and set aside for later (see notes).
- In a pan over medium heat, drizzle a bit of oil and add onions. Sauté for 30 seconds before adding garlic and continue cooking for another minute before adding ground beef.
- Break up any clumps and once it's halfway cooked, add all the seasonings except for light soy sauce and sugar. Stir until well combined. Once the ground beef is cooked, season with light soy sauce and sugar and stir.
- Optional step: Bring off heat and push the ground beef to one side. Tilt the pan so the grease will collect to one side. Discard by transferring to a glass bowl or soak it up with a paper towel. Place the pan back over the heat.
- Turn heat down to medium low heat and add the cheese. Cover with a lid a leave it for a few minutes or until all the cheese has melted. Remove lid and turn off heat.
- In a serving plate, place the tortilla chips. Gently "slide off" or add the cheesy ground beef from the pan to on top of the tortilla chips. Garnish with pickled jalapenos and cilantro. Enjoy!
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