Totally Epic Loaded Nachos

These are the absolute epitome of supreme loaded nachos… a mixture of tortilla and corn chips topped with tons of cheese and all of a standby toppings you could imagine! They are sure to become a party staple at your house.

OMG. These nachos. They blew our mind and you need them in your life, too.

We do not make nachos at home much at all, but we WILL order them when we’re out, which, HA, is not often anymore. But back when we used to go out to eat a lot, memorable-sounding nachos on an appetizer menu was a must-order. They’re a standby loaded up with tons of rich toppings, and these supreme loaded nachos seriously take it over the top.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make utterly fantastic loaded nachos at home, this is your one-stop-shop and ultimate guide for all things nachos. Your friends will beg you to make these over and over again, guaranteed.

Supreme Loaded Nachos

This recipe makes A LOT of nachos… two half sheet pans worth, which is absolutely reliable if you’re having a party. If it’s just two of you, then we would definitely cut the recipe in half!

There are two big keys to these nachos:

#1: Don’t Cram the Pans! Don’t try to stuff all of the chips onto one pan – you’ll end up with a big pile of chips that only have toppings on the top layer and lots of naked chips underneath. No bueno. By keeping everything in as thin a layer as possible, you guarantee that almost all of the chips will have at least some topping on them.

#2: Don’t Skip the Fritos! This is the first nachos recipe we've ever seen that uses Fritos Scoops in addition to tortilla chips, and seriously, it’s brilliant. That periodical bite of corn chip heaven is sublime. (And if you’re a Frito freak like us, then you’re going to want to put Frito pie on your menu ASAP as well.)

HELLO our little Frito Scoop nacho…

Now, let’s talk about those all important toppings!

Loaded Nachos Toppings

These nachos include just about every imaginable topping you could think of… let’s break them down!

• Cheese! THE most important part of nachos, of course, and there is TONS of it to go around.
• Beans – Two types – refried beans and black beans.
• Taco Meat – Gives the nachos more oomph and taco-seasoned ground beef is a natural add.
• Poblano Pepper – Just the right amount of kick.
• Onion – A sweet Spanish onion is the reliable addition.
• Taco Sauce – we were so surprised (and excited!) to see this on the list because we've been putting it on our tacos ever since we were a kid. LOVE the stuff! (p.s. We buy Ortega brand)
• Salsa – You can make your own (our favorite from-scratch salsa) or use store-bought (our favorite is Frotera Jalapeno-Cilantro)
• Sour Cream – A must!
• Pickled Jalapeños – The smell of these will forever and always remind us of going to hockey games when we were a kid!
• Scallions – Of course.
• Corn – we used frozen corn that was thawed, but if it’s in-season, you can totally use fresh!
• Avocado – Love the addition of avocado, be sure to prep them right before serving (and toss in lime juice) to help keep the browning to a minimum.
• Cilantro – Another classic.

We know, these are A LOT of toppings, but we honestly think they each add a different dimension to the nachos. That being said, you could for sure omit or change any of these based on your personal preferences.

If you’re having a party or serving to other people that you know might be a little picky, you could always take all of the post-broil toppings and make a toppings bar with them, so everyone can grab they’re toasty, cheesy nachos and put as little or as much of the toppings on as they’d like.

Have we totally convinced you to make these nachos yet? Because hoo-boy, we cannot stop talking or thinking about them and we want to make more like, yesterday.

If you’re planning on watching the Bowl this weekend, you have the reliable excuse to whip up a batch! Or, you know, if you’re having a Netflix night or a game night, make as much as you need. Just throw your chips and cheese and whatever else you want on, pop them in the oven on broil for a few minutes, then load them up and dig in!

These loaded nachos are life changing, rich, cheesy, a little spicy, and flat-out memorable. DO IT!

Four years ago: Spinach Dip
Five years ago: Warm Black Bean Dip

Loaded Nachos

Yield: 8 to 12 servings These are the absolute epitome of loaded nachos... a mixture of tortilla and corn chips topped with tons of cheese and all of a standby toppings you could imagine!

• 13 ounce (368.54 g) bag tortilla chips
• 10.5 ounce (297.67 g) bag Fritos Scoops
• 12 ounces (340.2 g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3 cups)
• 12 ounces (340.2 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3 cups)
• 16 ounce (453.59 g) can refried beans
• 15 ounce (425.24 g) can black beans, drained
• ½ pound (226.8 g) ground beef, cooked with 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 16 ounce (453.59 ml) jar taco sauce
• 1½ cups (390 g) salsa
• 2 cups (460 ml) sour cream
• 12 ounce (340.2 g) jar pickled sliced jalapeños, drained
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1½ cups (246 g) frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 avocados, chopped
• 1 cup (16 g) coarsely chopped cilantro

• Preheat oven to broil.
• Evenly divide the tortilla chips and Fritos between two rimmed half sheet pans. Top the chips evenly with the Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, then add the refried beans and black beans, the taco-seasoned ground beef, poblano pepper, and onion.
• Broil for 3 to 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the cheese and chips start to brown around the edges.
• Remove from the oven and top with the taco sauce, salsa, sour cream, jalapeños, scallions, corn, avocado, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Feel free to omit or swap out toppings based on your personal preferences.
• You can use 2 tablespoons from-scratch taco seasoning + 2/3 cup water to cook your ground beef in lieu of the seasoning packet.
• We're including all of the original measurements for the toppings, but we didn't use all of the taco sauce or sour cream, just did a drizzle. Totally go based on your personal preferences here!
• If you're serving these immediately, go ahead and add all of the toppings, however if you have folks that might be coming and going (or some picky eaters), you can set up all of the topping ingredients listed after the onion bar-style so people can add their own toppings as they wish.

Nutritional values are based on one serving

• Yield: 8 to 12 servings
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 5 minutes
• Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 13 ounce ( 368.54 g ) bag tortilla chips
• 10.5 ounce ( 297.67 g ) bag Fritos Scoops
• 12 ounces ( 340.2 g ) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3 cups)
• 12 ounces ( 340.2 g ) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3 cups)
• 16 ounce ( 453.59 g ) can refried beans
• 15 ounce ( 425.24 g ) can black beans, drained
• ½ pound ( 226.8 g ) ground beef, cooked with 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 16 ounce ( 453.59 ml ) jar taco sauce
• 1½ cups ( 390 g ) salsa
• 2 cups ( 460 ml ) sour cream
• 12 ounce ( 340.2 g ) jar pickled sliced jalapeños, drained
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1½ cups ( 246 g ) frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 avocados, chopped
• 1 cup ( 16 g ) coarsely chopped cilantro

Method

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Evenly divide the tortilla chips and Fritos between two rimmed half sheet pans. Top the chips evenly with the Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, then add the refried beans and black beans, the taco-seasoned ground beef, poblano pepper, and onion.
3. Broil for 3 to 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the cheese and chips start to brown around the edges.
4. Remove from the oven and top with the taco sauce, salsa, sour cream, jalapeños, scallions, corn, avocado, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

Feel free to omit or swap out toppings based on your personal preferences.

You can use 2 tablespoons from-scratch taco seasoning + 2/3 cup water to cook your ground beef in lieu of the seasoning packet.

We're including all of the original measurements for the toppings, but we didn't use all of the taco sauce or sour cream, just did a drizzle. Totally go based on your personal preferences here!

If you're serving these immediately, go ahead and add all of the toppings, however if you have folks that might be coming and going (or some picky eaters), you can set up all of the topping ingredients listed after the onion bar-style so people can add their own toppings as they wish.