Beef Nachos with Guacamole (Print Page)
Crispy chips layered with spiced beef, creamy avocado, and fresh tomato salsa, perfect for sharing.
# What You Need:
→ Nachos
01 - 10 oz tortilla chips
02 - 10 oz ground beef
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tsp ground cumin
06 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
07 - ½ tsp chili powder
08 - ½ tsp salt
09 - ½ tsp black pepper
10 - 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
12 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Guacamole
13 - 2 ripe avocados
14 - 1 small tomato, diced
15 - ½ small red onion, finely chopped
16 - 1 lime, juiced
17 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
18 - ½ tsp salt
19 - ¼ tsp black pepper
→ Salsa
20 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
21 - ½ small red onion, finely chopped
22 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
23 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
24 - 1 tbsp lime juice
25 - ½ tsp salt
→ Optional Garnishes
26 - 2 tbsp sliced jalapeños
27 - 2 tbsp sour cream
28 - Fresh cilantro leaves
# Directions:
01 - Set the oven to 400°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic; cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
03 - Add ground beef along with cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook until browned and cooked through, breaking up lumps with a spoon, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - Spread half of the tortilla chips on a large baking tray. Layer half of the cooked beef and half of both cheeses over the chips. Repeat the layering with the remaining chips, beef, and cheeses.
05 - Place the tray in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
06 - Halve and pit the avocados, scoop into a bowl and mash lightly. Stir in diced tomato, chopped red onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Combine diced tomatoes, chopped red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.
08 - Remove nachos from oven. Top with portions of guacamole and salsa. Add optional garnishes if desired. Serve immediately while hot and crisp.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They come together in under an hour, which means you can go from craving to eating without overthinking it.
- The layers of warm cheese, spiced beef, and cool guacamole hit every flavor note at once, so each bite tastes different.
- They're naturally made for sharing, which somehow makes food taste better when you're not eating alone.
02 -
- Warm chips stay crispier longer than cold ones, so preheat your serving plate if you have time—it sounds fussy but changes everything in those first few minutes.
- Don't make guacamole too far ahead; it browns quickly once exposed to air, and brown guac tastes fine but looks sad.
- The moment cheese starts bubbling is when you pull it out; another minute and it stops looking appetizing and starts looking like it got cooked twice.
03 -
- Pat the ground beef dry before it goes in the skillet—moisture is the enemy of browning, and browned beef tastes a hundred times better than steamed beef.
- Keep your oven temperature steady and your baking tray in the center; edge chips cook faster, so this helps everything finish at the same time.