Sheet Pan Nachos
Home cooks can get golden edges, melty middles, and crave-worthy crunch using a single rimmed sheet pan and a smart layering strategy. This recipe is built for weeknights, parties, and kid-approved dinners. You will use sturdy chips, bold seasoning, a mix of beans and meat, a lake of cheese, and a fresh finish. The result is satisfying, customizable, and easy to scale.
Equipment
- Rimmed Sheet Pan
- skillet,
- oven
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- Sturdy tortilla chips Thick cut restaurant-style chips so they do not wilt
- 1 pound Ground beef Or use ground turkey, chicken, or plant-based crumbles
- 2-3 tablespoons Taco seasoning Store bought or homemade
- 1 can Black beans Drained and rinsed, or pinto beans
- 1 cup Sweet corn Canned drained or frozen thawed
- 1/2 small Red onion Finely diced
- 2 tomatoes Roma tomatoes Diced or use pico de gallo after baking
- 1 whole Jalapeño Sliced, optional
- 1.5 cups Monterey Jack cheese Freshly shredded melts smoothly
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese Freshly shredded for flavor
- 1/2 cup Queso style melting cheese Torn or dolloped, optional for extra ooze
- Olives Sliced, a handful, optional
- Fresh cilantro Roughly chopped
- Fresh lime For serving and squeezing
- Sour cream and/or Mexican crema For drizzling
- Guacamole or sliced avocado For topping
- Salsa or hot sauce For serving
Substitutions
- Protein Swap in shredded rotisserie chicken, carnitas, or chorizo. Vegetarian: use extra beans and roasted peppers.
- Cheese Use dairy-free mozzarella style shreds and dairy-free queso for melt
- Chips Grain-free or low sodium chips if preferred
- Veggies Add bell peppers, green onions, pickled red onions, or roasted corn
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a large rimmed sheet pan inside to crisp bottom chips.
- Prep toppings: dice onion and tomatoes, slice jalapeño, chop cilantro, shred cheeses fresh.
- Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Drain fat. Stir in taco seasoning with 2-3 tablespoons water and simmer 2 minutes.
- Drain and rinse black beans, dry them on paper towels to keep chips crisp.
- Remove the hot sheet pan (use oven mitts), line with parchment if desired, scatter half the chips evenly.
- Top with half the beef, beans, corn, half the Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, and jalapeño slices if desired.
- Add remaining chips, beef, beans, corn, most remaining cheeses, and dot with queso cheese if using. Reserve some cheese for finish.
- Bake 6-8 minutes until cheese is melted and some chip edges are golden.
- Optional: finish under the broiler for 1 minute for extra color, watching closely to avoid burning.
- Remove pan, sprinkle olives, tomato, onion, cilantro; squeeze lime over top; drizzle crema or sour cream; add guacamole dollops or serve on the side.
- Serve hot on the pan with tongs and spatula. Place salsa and hot sauce for guests to customize.
Notes
Preheat the pan to keep chips crisp. Freshly shred cheese for best melt. Dry beans and tomatoes well. Layer in two passes for coverage. Finish with acid like lime juice or pickled jalapeño brine to balance richness.