These delicious ground beef nachos in the oven are loaded with sweet tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, well-seasoned ground beef, pungent spring onions and bubbling Cheddar cheese. An easy to prepare appetizer that comes together in under 30 minutes making any dinner party finger-licking good.
Oven baked cheese nachos with beef
I love eating nachos, often just straight from the bag with a good dipping sauce, like this tomato onion salsa, or mango salsa. I might even dip these crispy treats in to a refreshing Greek tzatziki sauce or creamy baba ganoush. But nothing beats some good oven baked nachos with beef, cheese and other yummy nacho toppings.
There are countless recipes to make nachos in the oven. It all depends on the toppings you would like to add. You might just want cheese nachos, or a full vegetarian version or just meat and cheese as toppings. This recipe is how I love to eat it and how I usually prepare my nachos recipe. The toppings work well together, it’s not too spicy, not too loaded with cheese and is a healthy mix of meat, cheese, vegetables and seasoning.
Which ingredients to use
- Tortilla chips: Use good quality tortilla chips, preferably the more sturdy ones. You don’t want them to either break or get soggy after adding all the toppings. It won’t be nice to eat. Also try using the natural flavored chips since all the taste will come from the beef, the cheese and all the other delicious toppings.
- Ground beef: Go for a good quality lean ground beef. You can substitute beef with ground pork, chicken, turkey or lamb if you prefer.
- Garlic and onion: They provide the base of the flavor for the meat.
- Seasoning: The meat is seasoned with taco spice, which contains a mix of chilli, garlic and onion powder, oregano, cumin and paprika powder. Add salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to give this nacho dish some extra heat if you like it nice and spicy by adding some cayenne pepper or extra chilli flakes to the meat.
Toppings for nachos
- Shredded Cheddar cheese: No nachos without cheese. For this recipe, I have used a mild Cheddar cheese which melts away nicely over the beef nachos. If you prefer to use another cheese, by all means do so, just make sure to use a nice melting cheese, like Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Gouda or Emmental. Or you can opt to use a mix of two or more cheeses to add some extra flavor.
- Tomatoes: Add a few fresh Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced, to provide an additional sweet and tart aroma.
- Jalapeño peppers: Use either pickled or fresh jalapeño peppers, depending on what you have at home or the one you prefer. Depending on how well you or your guests can stand spicy food, don’t go overboard with the jalapeño peppers if they are too hot. It would not be nice if the cheese nachos will not get eaten. So know the guests you are cooking for.
- Spring onions: Garnish with finely chopped spring onions for a pungent flavor and to brighten up the color.
Additional nacho toppings
Other toppings you can consider using are kidney beans, refried beans, corn, olives and red onion. Additionally, you can add sour cream, fresh cilantro or guacamole (avocado dip) before serving.
How to make nachos in the oven
This nachos dish comes together quick and easy in just a few steps.
Prepare the ground beef:
Heat some cooking oil in a skillet on medium heat and fry the garlic and onion until translucent. Then increase the heat, add the ground beef to the skillet and brown while breaking up the mince with a fork. Season well with salt, pepper and taco seasoning.
Prepare the nachos:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (or 180°C). Spread the tortilla chips out on a baking tray or in an oven dish large enough for a maximum of 2 layers of chips. Spoon the fried beef evenly over the chips then spread the diced tomato and the sliced jalapeño peppers over the meat. Finally, sprinkle a good layer of shredded cheese on top of all that.
Place in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes until all the cheese has melted.
Finishing touch:
Garnish with chopped spring onions before serving.
How to serve this nacho recipe
This beef nachos recipe is great to serve as an appetizer before any meal, or to eat as an evening snack while binge watching your favorite series. They also make for a great party snack. Place the dish straight from the oven on the table so everyone can dig in or serve each guest a small plate with an individual serving. Don’t forget some small bowls with extra toppings to the side so everyone can add their favorite topping for nachos.
Nachos in the oven with ground beef and cheese
Ingredients
- 1 medium size bag of tortilla chips
- ½ pound (or 250 g) minced beef / ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Taco spices
Toppings
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 2 tablespoons spring onions
Additional toppings
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
Prepare the beef topping
- Add olive oil to a skillet and glaze the diced onions and garlic on medium heat.
- Add the beef mince in small pieces to the skillet with the onions and garlic and increase the heat. Brown the mince for 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and add taco spices to taste.
Preparation of the oven dish
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (or 350°F).
- Shred the Cheddar cheese, dice the tomatoes and jalapeño pepper.
- Place the nachos chips evenly in an oven dish.
- Add the fried beef and onion mix.
- Sprinkle the tomato and jalapeño evenly on top.
- Finish off with the shredded cheese
- Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Finish the Nachos and cheese
- Sprinkle the chopped spring onions on top.
Notes
- Add additional toppings (sour cream, avocado and fresh cilantro) according to taste. Serve these extra toppings in small plates next to the dish. Don’t add fresh sour cream or avocado / guacamole on warm food.
- I have used Cheddar cheese, but any easy melting cheese can be used, like mozzarella, Emmental, Gruyere, Gouda,…
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment with rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #thetastychilli and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
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