Loaded Texas Nachos – Individual crispy tortillas are loaded with refried beans, seasoned ground beef, and shredded cheese before they’re toasted in the oven. Don’t forget your favorite fresh toppings like sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo!
Happy Cinco de Mayo week, everyone! We started our celebrations yesterday by having our baby shower in the theme of a Mexican fiesta, with a full taco bar, fresh margaritas (virgin for me!), and even a piñata! It was so fun to celebrate our little señorita with all of our friends and family. She already so loved!
And please excuse my husband…Apparently, his fake mustache turned him into a tough guy who thinks smiling is overrated!
In keeping with the theme, today’s recipe is one you need to serve at your Cinco de Mayo fiestas this weekend. But before we get to it, here are some other recipes that need to make an appearance, as well:
- Tropical Red Bull Margaritas – The guava juice in these margs takes them to a whole other level!
- Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad – Corn and cojita cheese never tasted as good as they do in this chicken salad!
- Fried Chicken Tacos – A simple taco with fried chicken tenders, lemon garlic mayo, lettuce, and tomato – but don’t let that fool you. These tacos are incredible!
The above are fun remixes of traditional Mexican dishes. But you also gotta serve up the classics, right?! So that’s why I am bringing you these Loaded Texas Nachos today!
So you may be asking yourself “What the heck are Texas nachos???” Are they the same are normal nachos? What makes them “Texas”?”
These are all excellent questions! The key difference in a Texas nacho vs. most nachos you’ve had is that Texas nachos layer toppings on each tortilla chip individually. That means, you have the perfect nacho every single time with the perfect amount of cheese, refried beans, and seasoned beef in every bite.
Ummm, yes please! No more digging for the perfect nacho chip from the heaping pile of ingredients!
To make these nachos, you need a few key ingredients:
- A sturdy tortilla chip to carry the load of all those toppings
- Perfectly seasoned ground beef and refried beans
- A perfect cheese for melting that doesn’t get greasy or overpower the other flavors
The chips are super important here, people. The last thing you want is a flimsy tortilla chip that cannot hold the weight of all the ingredients. So corn tortilla chips are a must. I even decided to take mine to the next level and fry them myself.
Corn tortillas are much thicker than the corn chips you might find in the grocery store, so I fried them in some oil to crisp them up because I knew they’d hold up best. You can also use tostada rounds or hard taco shells broken in half. I personally prefer the texture of the freshly fried tortilla chips so I didn’t mind the extra 10 minutes of work.
Also, I cut mine in thirds from the round tortilla in order to maximize the real estate on the chip. But feel free to cut into fourths – you’ll just have smaller nachos that way.
For the beans, I used canned seasoned refried beans – nothing fancy. And then for the beef, I simply cooked up ground beef with some taco seasoning. I made my own but you can definitely use the store-bought packets, instead.
Finally, the cheese! Finding the right cheese is super important. Some cheeses are too bold in flavor so they overpower the nachos. Other cheeses are too firm so they get greasy when melted. I found that colby cheese is the perfect consistency and flavor for these nachos. I mean, just look at how gooey and melty it looks!
In addition to the tips I give you for the ingredients, here are a couple more to make sure these nachos are INCREDIBLE:
- When frying your own tortilla chips, it is so so so important to dust them with salt immediately after removing them from the oil. This will keep the salt stuck on the chip after the oil dries.
- Always shred cheese yourself – especially when using it for melting purposes, whether it’s for pizza or nachos or fondue or queso. Pre-shredding cheese has anti-caking preservatives so that the cheese doesn’t clump together. These preservatives keep the cheese from melting perfectly.
- Try to keep the layers thin on the nachos. You really don’t need to load them up to get a perfect bite. If anything, that will make the nachos soggy and flimsy.
Alright people – now you have everything you need to feed your fiesta this weekend! Don’t forget your ponchos and sombreros!
Loaded Texas Nachos
Ingredients
- 5 yellow corn tortillas
- 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
- salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning prepackaged or make your own
- 2/3 cup water
- 8 ounces colby cheese shredded
- 2/3 cup seasoned refried beans
- sour cream, pico de gallo, avocado, pickled jalapeno for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut corn tortillas into thirds. You can do fourths if you are struggling with cutting into thirds. However, the servings will be smaller. Heat oil over medium heat to 350 degrees in cast iron skillet or dutch oven. If you don't have a thermometer, this will probably take about 10 minutes.
- Test oil with one tortilla third. If it sizzles and begins to crisp, the oil is ready. Add 4 more tortillas and cook for 45 seconds. Flip and cook for 45 more seconds. Remove and drain on paper towels. Quickly sprinkle with salt before the oil dries. Repeat with rest of the tortillas.
- While the chips cool, let's prepare the seasoned beef. Heat a pan to medium and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once hot, add beef and brown completely. Remove from heat and drain excess fat. Return to medium heat and add water and taco seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce for a simmer. Cook uncovered until mixture thickens and water has evaporated. Remove from heat.
- Now we assemble the nachos. Make sure chips are scattered on a large baking sheet in one layer. Spread a 1 1/2 teaspoons of refried beans onto eat tortilla chip - you may have some leftover. Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoons ground beef onto each chip. Sprinkle cheese over each chip individually until all the cheese has been used. They will look covered in cheese, but once it melts, it won't look like so much.
- Bake chips in preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese has completely melted. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings!
Pin for later:
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BBQ Chicken Nachos
Verde Chicken Tostada Bites
Fried Chicken Tacos
Beer Battered Corn Fritters
Our nachos are normally pretty messy and so loaded that it usually results in a bunch of toppings sliding off the chips. No bueno. Yours look like the perfect ratio of toppings to chips so I’m definitely going to have to try them!
Now that I know the difference, I like Texas nachos way better! I bet those disappeared really quick at your baby shower!
I just showed my husband this recipe and your pictures and he told me I absolutely MUST make this recipe this week! So – you sold him! You sold me too…my goodness these look AMAZING!! Love how you broke out the steps!
Love that this recipe gives each bite the perfect amount of beans and meat! These look so good! And what a cute theme for a baby shower – congrats! 🙂
I’m a sucker for nachos but always end up with a little pile of leftover chips that didn’t get any of the cheese and meat . Your way of preparing them and loading each chip individually is really clever.
You have solved a mystery for me. My first experience with nachos were individual chips layered with goodness. I loved those nachos. Later, nachos became a pile of stuff on a plate. Now, I realize that the first ones were Texas Nachos. Who knew. I always prefer those, even though they are more time consuming. It’s less messy, and everything is evenly distributed. YUM! Congratulations on your new little Senorita. Your baby shower sounds like it was great.
These nachos look beyond amazing. I love how easy this is to make. Now I can’t wait for weekend and celebration of Cinco De Mayo. My hubby will be thrilled with this.
Wow! These are my kind of appetizer! My family love tapas night and these are ggoing on the menu! ¡Que Rico!
this is an absolute staple here at every restaurant and i love it! your version looks really really good.
What beautiful nachos! You got me in the food for some mexican food now. And congratulations on the baby! How exciting!
Thanks so much!
Yum! They do look socruspy and crunchy! My other half lives his nachos, so saving this one for him!
Thank you!
This is one of the best low carb recipes I’ve ever made. DELICIOUS!!
Ooo the low carb is definitely a bonus!
This is brilliant! The problem I always have with nachos is not enough topping on one and too much on another. Problem solved!
Exactly!!
How fun! I just went to a 50th b-day party that was Cinco de Mayo themed! But we didn’t have these delicious loaded Texas tacos! Yum. I love that each chip is topped with all that goodness. I can’t wait to try your delicious recipe!
Ohh love that theme choice!
Yummm that cheese was too bomb!! So delicious!
Thanks!
There is no doubt that I need to make these! I want to grab one out of my screen!
You sure do!
My kids are going to love these!!!!!
Your baby shower sounds perfect. I bet the food was all amazing!
I bought fake mustaches at Christmas….I though the men would find them funny. Turns out it was us girls who found wearing them funny…until they fell off into our wine!
Anyway….definitely trying this recipe soon!
Haha yeah I was surprised that the boys weren’t more into them, but the girls were all about putting them on!
I can totally make an entire meal out of nachos! Especially these delicious nachos!
So true!
Wow, I bet these are delicious! Every chip is loaded with toppings – so smart!
Thank you!
Oh my goodness, come to mama! These look fantastic and I definitely won’t forget the guac!
Thank you!
I love nachos and this recipe looks like you’ve taken them to the next level. These sound like the perfect party food!
They really are!
I just started a healthy eating plan today, but I already see myself cheating with these nachos!
Haha yes! The perfect cheat food!
These are definitely Tex Mex Style! The last time I ordered nachos at Los Cucos (a local Texas chain) I was like “WHAT?! $6 for 6 tortilla chips?!” Haha – all that aside though, these look great! I fry my own chips too. Way better, and they definitely are the type of chip you need to hold all of the delicious toppings!
Haha that’s what I thought when I first ordered them at a restaurant. Like, hmmm, I need to order double to get full, here! But they are surprisingly filling and ultra-satisfying!
The pregnant one in me will never leave this alone! I am so excited to make these!
Haha yay!