21 of the BEST Nacho Recipes that will ROCK YOUR WORLD (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to crispy nachos? ›

Limiting the number of ingredients baked with the chips is the key to crispiness. Top chips with no more than two or three toppings. Choose from items such as black beans, refried beans, chopped grilled chicken, seasoned ground beef (browned and drained), or chopped jalapenos.

Start with a base of tortilla chips, cheese, salsa, jalapeño, and any warm fillings like meats and veggies. Once the cheese melts, remove from the oven, add another layer, and repeat. This extra step ensures your nachos are well-covered and evenly baked from top to bottom.

The classic nachos we know and love consist of crispy tortilla chips generously topped with melted cheese and sliced jalapeños. Often, they are served with a side of salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Choose a combination of cheeses for both flavor and meltability. A Monterey Jack cheese will have the oozy-melty quality sought after in the best nachos, while a standard sharp cheddar will offer a little tang.

* Bring refrigerated toppings to room temperature before piling them onto the warm chips. * To prevent the chips from getting soggy, sprinkle grated or crumbled cheese on top and bake them in the oven for a few minutes. When melted, the cheese will act as a buffer between the chips and toppings.

Spread out a layer of chips, followed by an even distribution of meat and beans, then lots--I mean lots--of cheese. Complete coverage guarantees you don't commit the cardinal sin of nacho making: the sad chip with no topping. Repeat until you have an impressive tray a few layers high, then bake.

Here's a fact: If you put a plate of tortilla chips topped with cheese in the microwave and zap them until the cheese melts, the cheese will melt way before the tortilla chips have the chance to take on any color or toasted flavor. With nachos baked in the oven, the chips toast while the cheese melts.

If you feel like revving up your nacho game, try topping them with grilled shrimp, doused in lime juice and some chipotle chili powder. Add grated Monterey Jack, sliced avocado, some seeded and sliced jalapenos and queso fresco to top it off.

Are nachos better in the oven or grill? ›

The cooking method

Drummond "nukes" the nachos in a microwave and the NYT grills them, but the best results, I find, come from baking, which heats the dish all the way through without making the base layer soft and chewy.

Tip tortilla chips on to a baking tray, pour over salsa and scatter over a few sliced spring onions. Grate over a good chunk of cheese (fontina is perfect, but cheddar will do). Add a pinch of crushed chilli flakes, then put under a hot grill for about 3 minutes to melt the cheese.

We call them tortilla chips (many of us pronounce the Ls in tortilla too). They came to us fully formed, and so we call them what they were called by the people who brought them here (mainly Californians, not Mexicans). However, as a generic category, they are classed as crisps.

On the stovetop

Make sure your layer of nachos isn't too thick, and be sure not to overcrowd the pan — two moves that can lead to soggy nachos. Place a layer of aluminum foil over the top of the pan, then replace the pan's lid. Heat the pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the nachos are crisp and warm.

Seriously, that's all it takes: a quick blast in a super-hot oven for a few minutes. Once the chips come out of the oven, you may fancy giving them a sprinkle of salt, but that's about all there is to it.

Melting Salts:

We've found that the secret to perfectly velvety-smooth nacho cheese sauce is a combination of keeping the cheese at low temperature while cooking, and the use of sodium citrate (derived from citric acid) and SHMP (sodium hexametaphosphate).