Loaded Ground Beef Nachos
Crispy tortilla chips piled high with seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, and fresh toppings. A crowd-pleasing Tex-Mex favorite ready in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 652
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 8 oz tortilla chips
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 medium jalapeño peppers
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cilantro or scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 pinch to taste salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Slice the jalapeño peppers lengthwise from stem to tip, then remove and discard the seeds and white membranes inside by scraping with a knife. Slice the cleaned peppers crosswise into thin rings, about 1/8-inch wide.
- 2
Set the oven rack 6 inches below the broiler element and set the broiler to high. Wait for it to preheat, about 3 minutes, or until a faint hum or heating sound is audible inside the oven.
- 3
Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot, about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it into small walnut-sized pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- 4
Continue stirring the beef once every 20 seconds until no pink remains inside any piece and the meat is completely browned, about 5–6 minutes total. Tilt the pan to check for pink in the center of larger chunks.
- 5
Pour off any excess fat by tilting the pan toward a paper towel-lined small bowl, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet. Stop pouring when you have removed most of the grease but some liquid remains.
- 6
Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder to the hot beef and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the powder turns fragrant and coats every piece of meat.
- 7
Spread the tortilla chips in a single layer on a large oven-safe platter or cast iron skillet, covering the entire surface with no large gaps between chips.
- 8
Pour the cooked ground beef evenly over the chips, spreading it from edge to edge so chips underneath are partially covered but not completely buried.
- 9
Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese in a single even layer over the beef and chips, covering the surface completely so melted cheese will bind everything together.
- 10
Scatter the sliced jalapeño rings evenly over the cheese, distributing them throughout so each bite has some heat.
- 11
Place the platter under the preheated broiler and watch carefully as the cheese melts, about 2–3 minutes. Cheese is ready when it looks glossy, fully melted, and beginning to bubble at the edges.
- 12
Remove the platter from the broiler using oven mitts and set it on a trivet or cutting board to cool for 1 minute so the cheese sets slightly and doesn't slide off.
- 13
Drizzle the 0.5 cup of sour cream over the nachos in three or four lines from one edge to the other, creating a streaked pattern across the top.
- 14
Scatter the 0.25 cup of chopped cilantro or scallions evenly over the entire surface, finishing with salt and pepper to taste.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet
- wooden spoon
- oven-safe platter or cast iron skillet
- oven mitts
- trivet or cutting board
- cutting board
- chef's knife
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