Texas Nachos (Printable)

Crispy chips topped with melted cheese, spiced beef, and vibrant fresh toppings—perfect for sharing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base Layer

01 - 7 oz tortilla chips
02 - 7 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

→ Seasoned Beef

03 - 9 oz ground beef
04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 clove garlic, minced
06 - 1 tsp chili powder
07 - ½ tsp ground cumin
08 - ½ tsp paprika
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper

→ Fresh Toppings

10 - 1 medium tomato, diced
11 - 1 jalapeño, sliced
12 - 2 tbsp pickled jalapeños
13 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
14 - ¼ cup sour cream
15 - ¼ cup guacamole or sliced avocado

# How to Make It:

01 - Set oven to 400°F for optimal cheese melting.
02 - Heat skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook 4–5 minutes until browned. Drain excess fat.
03 - Stir in chopped onion and garlic. Cook 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
04 - Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute to bloom spices. Remove from heat.
05 - Spread half the chips on a baking sheet. Top with half the cheese and half the beef. Repeat with remaining chips, cheese, and beef.
06 - Bake 8–10 minutes until cheese is fully melted and bubbly. Watch closely to prevent burning.
07 - Remove from oven. Top immediately with tomato, jalapeños, cilantro, sour cream, and guacamole. Serve while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The layered technique means every single chip gets loaded with flavor instead of those sad naked ones at the bottom of the pile
  • Everything hits the oven together so you're not stuck assembling while everyone else is already eating
02 -
  • Once I skipped the draining step with the beef fat and ended up with this greasy pool at the bottom of the baking sheet that made the bottom layer totally soggy
  • I learned that spreading everything in one thin layer instead of a towering heap means more chips get that perfect cheese coverage
03 -
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet instead of a flat one to contain any cheese overflow that happens in the oven
  • Let the beef mixture cool for just a couple of minutes before layering so it doesn't steam the chips and make them soft

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