Homemade Nachos with Ground Beef

5 from 3 votes

A tray of these easy homemade nachos with ground beef makes a fun weeknight dinner or a festive party appetizer.

Course Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword baked, beef nacho recipe, easy, homemade nachos, homemade nachos with ground beef, simple

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 529kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

1 lb. ground beef
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix (or use homemade taco seasoning blend)
1 large bag tortilla chips (about 11 ounces)
4 cups grated cheese (try cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, or a combination of these)
½ cup pickled jalapeños, patted dry (optional)
Optional toppings: chopped tomato, salsa, sour cream, sliced black olives, chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, diced avocado or guacamole

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet or line with foil or parchment; set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and onion until the onion is tender and the meat is no longer pink. Drain off the fat; return beef and onion to the skillet. Add taco seasoning (and water if called for on the packet). Cook according to the instructions on the seasoning packet.
Arrange half of the tortilla chips on the prepared baking sheet. Top chips with half of the beef mixture, half of the cheese, and half of the jalapeños (if using).
Repeat layers once more.
Bake in the oven until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Add optional toppings; serve immediately.

Grate the cheese by hand. I find that packages of pre-shredded cheese don't melt as smoothly and don't give you that ooey, gooey, cheesy texture that we all love in our nachos.
Layer the nachos by starting with half of the chips, then adding half of the cheese, meat and optional jalapeño peppers. Creating multiple layers of chips, cheese and beef on your tray ensures that most of your chips are covered with toppings. Otherwise, you end up with cheese and ground beef on the top layer...and a bunch of plain chips underneath!
Use thick, sturdy corn tortilla chips that can stand up to the toppings. I like the freshly made in-store chips that I find in the bakery section at my grocery store. Other good options include On the Border Cafe Style or Traditional Cantina Tostitos. Just avoid the thin and crispy varieties, which tend to get soggy and/or break under the weight of the toppings.
Nachos burn easily, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when the cheese melts and the edges just start to get brown.
Serve the nachos while they're still warm from the oven. Nachos tend to get soggy and stale if they sit out for too long.