Beef Nachos with Guacamole (Printable)
Crispy chips piled high with savory spiced beef, melted cheese blend, and creamy fresh guacamole for the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer.
# What You Need:
→ For the Nachos
01 - 7 oz tortilla chips
02 - 10.5 oz ground beef
03 - 1 small onion, finely diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese
12 - 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
13 - 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
→ For the Guacamole
15 - 2 ripe avocados
16 - 1 small tomato, finely diced
17 - 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
18 - 1 clove garlic, minced
19 - Juice of 1 lime
20 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
21 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
22 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ For Serving
23 - 1/2 cup sour cream
24 - Lime wedges
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until translucent, approximately 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet. Cook while breaking up the meat until thoroughly browned, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
04 - Stir in cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
05 - Spread tortilla chips in an even layer on a large baking tray. Top with the cooked beef mixture.
06 - Sprinkle both cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses evenly over the beef and chips. Top with sliced jalapeño if desired.
07 - Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - In a bowl, mash ripe avocados with a fork. Stir in diced tomato, red onion, minced garlic, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and black pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
09 - Remove nachos from the oven. Top with dollops of guacamole and sour cream. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The way the beef seasoning mingles with melted cheese creates this incredible salty crust on some chips that honestly might make you close your eyes when you taste it.
- Youll never go back to plain nachos once you try the contrast of hot, cheesy chips against cool, creamy homemade guacamole.
02 -
- Never add guacamole before baking or youll end up with hot, gray, sad avocado that will haunt your culinary nightmares.
- Building nachos in layers rather than piling everything on top means no one gets stuck with naked chips, a lesson I learned after watching friends politely pick through the barren bottom layer at a party.
03 -
- Warm your serving platter in the oven for a few minutes before transferring the nachos to keep everything melty and hot for longer.
- Save a handful of cheese to sprinkle over the nachos immediately after removing from the oven, creating pockets of super-stretchy cheese that form those irresistible strings when pulled apart.