Easy Cheesy Tex-Mex Nachos (Printable)

Cheesy Tex-Mex nachos layered on tortilla chips with seasoned beef and vibrant toppings baked together.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 0.5 lb ground beef (alternatively ground turkey or plant-based mince)

→ Spices

02 - 1 tsp chili powder
03 - 0.5 tsp ground cumin
04 - 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
05 - 0.5 tsp garlic powder
06 - 0.5 tsp onion powder
07 - 0.25 tsp salt
08 - 0.25 tsp black pepper

→ Base

09 - 7 oz tortilla chips (approximately 1 large bag, gluten-free if required)

→ Cheese

10 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Toppings

12 - 1 medium tomato, diced
13 - 0.5 small red onion, finely chopped
14 - 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
15 - 0.25 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
16 - 0.25 cup canned sweet corn, drained
17 - 2 tbsp sliced black olives (optional)
18 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

→ To Serve

19 - Sour cream, salsa, and guacamole

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
02 - In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully cooked, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
03 - Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to the beef. Cook an additional minute until fragrant, then remove from heat.
04 - Evenly spread tortilla chips on the prepared baking sheet. Distribute the seasoned beef mixture over the chips, then scatter black beans and sweet corn evenly on top.
05 - Sprinkle shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses evenly over the assembled layers.
06 - Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling.
07 - Remove from oven and immediately top with diced tomato, red onion, jalapeño slices, black olives, and fresh cilantro.
08 - Serve hot with sides of sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything bakes together on one pan so cleanup is literally just crumpling up foil
  • The cheese gets perfectly melty while the edges stay crispy, something impossible to achieve with microwave nachos
02 -
  • Never skip the parchment paper cleanup or you will be scrubbing baked on cheese for days
  • Letting the beef cool slightly before spreading prevents the chips from getting soggy underneath
03 -
  • Layer half the cheese between the chips and the beef so every single chip gets coated
  • Let the beef rest in the spices for at least 10 minutes before cooking for deeper flavor
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