Taco Nachos, Loaded Style

As a kid I’m pretty everyone at the table called this a Mexican pizza.

Maybe there were refried beans involved? Maybe not. But what I do remember is my little self picking off simply about everything except the meat and cheese. Instead of calling this a Mexican pizza, I went with taco nachos because in my head, that’s exactly what this is. Consequently, my own family has decided to tease me for naming these taco nachos. Why? Who knows.They probably do it because they like to give me a hard time. I was told “Mom, shouldn’t the chips be taco shells for these to truly be called taco nachos?” or “Aren’t these simply nachos with lettuce?” …sigh.

First of all, how rude [said in my dependable Stephanie Tanner (Full House) voice]. Second of all, um no. They are taco nachos, thankyouverymuch. Seems to me like they should get their own blog and then they can name the recipes however they want.

Basically what you have here is everything you love about tacos simply in nacho form. From the taco seasoned ground beef to cheese to lettuce, tomatoes, black olives and sour cream and hot sauce. Taco nachos are a thing and a satisfying thing at that.

To Make These Loaded Taco Nachos Set out:

• ground beef – Or use ground turkey or ground chicken.
• taco seasoning – Use from-scratch or store-bought.
• tortilla chips – Use a sturdy thick tortilla chips. A regular here Fiesta Grande brand (not sponsored).
• onion – Use red, white or yellow onions.
• cheddar jack cheese – Or a combination of medium or mild cheddar and monterey jack.

optional fresh toppings:

• lettuce – I prefer iceberg lettuce but romaine would work fine as well.
• green onions – Add a pop of subtle fresh onion flavor.
• tomatoes (diced) – I like Romas, but cherry or regular shmegular tomatoes are fine as well.
• black olives – Technically not Mexican but A regular here them on nachos and in taco salads.
• sour cream – Or use Mexican crema or plain non-fat greek yogurt.
• hot sauce – Or use salsa.
• avocado – Diced fresh or top with guacamole.
• jalapeños – Picked jalapeños use fresh.

Make The Taco Meat:

Preheat your oven to 325℉ (or 160℃).

Add 1 pound of lean ground beef into a 10-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, using a spatula to break it up, cooking until browned and fully cooked.

Once browned, season the meat with 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning.

Stir to combine and then set off to the side.

If you’d rather turkey taco nachos, go for it! Therefore another satisfying option would be ground chicken, that would also be a lean way to enjoy these nachos.

Build The Nachos:

On two rimmed, metal quarter baking sheet, add a single layer of thick and sturdy corn tortilla chips.

Then top both with a little cheese and some of the ground beef.

Then top with a few more chips, some cheese and taco meat.

Lastly top with diced bell pepper and onion. Slide the pan onto the middle rack of your preheated oven for about 8 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Cheesy nacho heaven right there ^^^

Finally, now comes the fun part. The toppings! Use whatever taco toppings you love and prefer. For me, it’s the usual suspects are lettuce, tomatoes, green onions and black olives. And then to mine I usually add hot sauce, sliced jalapeños and guacamole.

As if this isn’t flavor-packed enough, to push these loaded nachos over the top, drizzle a little sour cream or Mexican crema and hot sauce over top. Because who doesn’t love sour cream on their nachos? Above all, the whole nacho is flavor-packed and not to mention SO straightforward.

All you need is a margarita or three to cook this meal complete.

Enjoy! And if you give this Loaded Taco Nachos recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!