One-Pan Nacho Explosion – Bold Flavors, Big Cheesy Energy!

Bring the party to your pan – melty, meaty, and made to share! 

One-Pan Nacho Explosion – Bold Flavors, Big Cheesy Energy!

Get ready to fire up your taste buds with One-Pan Nacho Explosion – Bold Flavors, Big Cheesy Energy! This crowd-pleasing dish layers crispy tortilla chips with juicy taco-seasoned ground beef, melty cheddar and Monterey Jack, and all your favorite toppings—like tangy pickled jalapeños, fresh grape tomatoes, creamy sour cream, and zesty lime wedges. It’s a flavor-packed, no-fuss recipe that’s perfect for game nights, family dinners, or anytime you need a fast and festive meal. Best of all? It’s all done on one pan, so cleanup is a breeze!

Whether you're serving it straight from the pan for a laid-back dinner or piling it high on plates for a weekend hangout, this nacho recipe is endlessly customizable. Swap in shredded chicken or black beans for a twist, or add some salsa or a drizzle of hot sauce to turn up the flavor. However you top it, this cheesy, crunchy masterpiece is guaranteed to disappear fast—so don’t be surprised if everyone’s asking for seconds (or thirds).

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

Produce

• Yellow onion
• Garlic
• Grape tomatoes
• Lime
• Avocado (optional, for topping)

Meat

• Ground beef

Dairy

• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream

Pantry

• Olive oil
• Taco seasoning
• Tortilla chips
• Pickled jalapeño slices

Substitutions and Variations

Substitutions

• Ground beef → Ground turkey, ground chicken, or plant-based crumbles

• Want to skip meat? → Use black beans, pinto beans, or lentils for a vegetarian version

• Cheddar & Monterey Jack → Pepper Jack for a spicier kick, or mozzarella for a milder melt

• Tortilla chips → Blue corn chips, sweet potato chips, or even pita chips for a twist

• Grape tomatoes → Diced roma tomatoes or salsa

• Avocado → Guacamole or a squeeze of avocado crema

• Pickled jalapeños → Fresh jalapeño slices, banana peppers, or hot sauce

Variations

• Taco Night Twist:  Use taco shells instead of chips—break them into big chunks and layer like nachos.  Add refried beans or a layer of queso for extra indulgence.

• Veggie-Packed Nachos:  Swap beef for black beans, corn, and sautéed bell peppers or mushrooms.  Top with shredded lettuce, diced red onion, and a drizzle of avocado lime crema.

• Spicy Southwest Nachos:  Add chipotle chili powder or chopped green chiles to the beef.  Top with hot salsa, sliced jalapeños, and a sprinkle of cotija cheese.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use a sturdy chip – Thin chips tend to get soggy or break under all that cheesy goodness. Go for thick-cut tortilla chips or ones labeled “restaurant style.

• Don’t overbake – You just want to melt the cheese (about 8–10 minutes). Overbaking can dry out the chips or make the toppings bitter.

• Layer for maximum flavor – Create at least two layers of chips + meat + cheese to make sure every bite gets love.

• Shred your own cheese – Pre-shredded cheese often has anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting. Shredding it fresh gives you a gooier, meltier result.

• Mix cheeses for balance – Cheddar gives sharp flavor, and Monterey Jack melts beautifully!

• Add fresh toppings after baking – Think tomatoes, avocado, jalapeños, sour cream, and lime. It keeps things vibrant and prevents sogginess.

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One-Pan Nacho Explosion 

Serves: 4

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
3 cups tortilla chips
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
1 8 oz container sour cream - for topping
1 jar pickled jalapeño slices - for topping

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until tender, then add the garlic and ground beef. Cook for 5-8 minutes, then season with the taco seasoning. Cook until the outside is no longer pink.

Spread the chips on the baking sheet and spread the ground beef mixture evenly over the chips.
Sprinkle the cheese over the ground beef and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and top with cherry tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, and lime wedges. Dollop with sour cream. Serve hot.

Game Day Eats: Beef Barbacoa Nachos

These ultra-juicy Beef Barbacoa Nachos are hands-down
the BEST game day food around!

Beef Barbacoa Nachos

With Super Bowl Sunday approaching it's time to plan those infamous snacks to eat while watching the big game.  These aren't just any old nachos these babies are topped with boldy flavored Mexican shredded beef barbacoa.   The beef is made in the slow cooker so you can make this start this early the morning of game day or even start it the night before and let it cook overnight.  Since we are using the slow cooker this is simple to put together.

Once the beef is done and shredded the nachos come together easily by layering chips, beans, cheese, and meat.  Plus don't forget all the scrumptious toppings.  I used chopped tomatoes, Jalapeños, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream.  YUM!  This dish is a winner and soon to be your favorite game day food of all time!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

For the Beef Barbacoa

• Chuck roast - 1 to 2 pounds
• beef broth
• apple cider vinegar
• tomato sauce
• fresh limes - 3 - 4 limes
• black pepper
• cumin 
  
• garlic powder
• Mexican oregano
• onion

For the Nachos

• Tortilla Chips
• cheese - Monterey and Cheddar cheese
• Black beans
• Beef barbacoa
• tomatoes
• Jalapeños
• avocado
• cilantro
• sour cream

Substitutions and Variations

• Instead of the slow cooker you can made the beef barbacoa in the Instant Pot.

• Choose different toppings:  refried beans or whole pinto beans,  pepper Jack cheese, diced green chiles, red onion, quacamole, red bell peppers, or green onions.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Browning the beef on all sides before you cook it give it more depth of flavor.

• Choose the sheet pan size based on how many nachos you want to make.  Or use 2 sheet pans when feeding a large crowd.  I use these sheet pans becuase they are sturdy.  Full size sheet pan.  Half size sheet pan.

• Don't skimp on the cheese!  You want your nachos cheesey so start with the 2 cups and add MORE if you what cheese pulls and super cheesey nachos.  You can also make a cheese sauce with 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese, 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 cup evaporated milk (microwave or stove top until melted and blended).

• Try and cover all the chips with cheese and other toppings, otherwise a plain chip is just a chip...not a nacho!

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Beef Barbacoa Nachos

For the Beef Barbacoa:

1-2 lb. Chuck roast
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 onion diced

In a large skillet add some canola oil and heat over medium high heat.   Brown meat in skillet on all sides.. Place meat in slow cooker and add all the rest of the ingredients on top. Cook on low for 8 hrs.  Remove beef to a cutting board and then shred.  Return shredded beef back to the juices in the slow cooker.

For the Nachos:

Tortilla Chips
1 cup each type of cheese - Monterey and Cheddar cheese
1 cup Black beans, drained and rinsed
Beef barbacoa

Preheat oven to 420 degrees.  Lay tortilla chips on a baking sheet.  Add as many or few as you would like your serving size to be.  Sprinkle both types of chesses over the chips reserving some cheese to add to the top.  Add on the black beans, spreading over the chips and cheese, then add on the amount of beef barbacoa you would like.  (roughly 1 - 2 cups depending on how many nachos you make) Sprinkle on the remainder of the cheese then bak at 420 degrees for 10 min.

Top with chopped tomatoes, Jalapeños, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream.  Serve.

source: Beef Barbacoa recipe adapted from Jar of Lemons