Appetizer Beef Mexican Quick Fix Meals

Ground Beef Nachos | Perfect Tex-Mex Appetizer

 

Nachos, one of our favorite appetizers…

Mexican nachos are a popular Tex-Mex dish that has gained international popularity. While the origins of nachos can be traced back to northern Mexico, they have become a beloved snack and appetizer in many countries, including the United States.

Not only as an appetizer but sometimes I also serve this as a main dish, loaded with ground beef and cheese. This particular recipe can be tweaked to suit our preferences. When I’m feeling super lazy, I simply layer the tortilla chips, salsa, and sprinkle cheddar cheese over them, then bake it for 10 minutes. For a vegetarian version, I’ve added red beans or mixed beans to it. Other times, I’ve used cooked chicken. Out of all the variations I’ve tried, the most delicious one is with ground beef.

This is a quick-fix appetizer or main dish for parties and is perfect for game nights and movie nights. Enjoy Nachos!

Ground Beef Nachos

Ingredients

For cooking ground beef

  • Ground Beef, extra lean- 1 lb or 1/2 kg
  • Ground cumin- 1 tsp
  • Chili powder- 1 tsp
  • Salt- 1 tsp

For layering

  • Tortilla chips– 1 bag
  • Salsa- 1 jar, 430 mL
  • Onion, chopped- 1
  • Green pepper, chopped- 1
  • Green onions, chopped- 2 stalks
  • Jalapeno, pickled
  • Cheddar cheese, grated

Instruction

  • Combine ground beef with chili powder, cumin powder & salt.
  • I cooked the ground beef in the Instant Pot, pressure cooked for 5 minutes at high pressure, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes & then do a quick pressure release. There will be some liquid in the pot, discard the liquid & just use the ground beef.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 F or 200 C.
  • Have chopped onions, green onions, green pepper ready.
  • Use a deep baking dish or an oven-safe casserole.
  • Spread half of the tortilla chips as the first layer.
  • Spread half of the cooked ground beef as the second layer.
  • Top with half of the chopped onions, green pepper, and green onions.
  • Add 1/2 of the salsa, and spread some pickled jalapenos.
  • Sprinkle grated cheese over it.
  • Again layer with tortilla chips & repeat the other layers and sprinkle cheese as the topmost layer.
  • Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes till the cheese has melted.
  • If you want the cheese to turn golden brown you can broil it. After 10 minutes of baking, take the pan out of the oven. Turn on the broil setting at high temperature. After the heating element turns red hot, place the pan under the heating element in the oven & broil for 2 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble & turns golden brown.
  • Don’t broil for more than 2 to 3 minutes, the cheese & chips will burn.
  • Enjoy the nachos while it’s hot.
Tips:
  • You could make it with just one layer of chips, beef, salsa, and cheese.
  • Instead of ground beef, you could use diced or shredded chicken.
  • Vegetarians can add mixed beans instead of meat.

 

Ground Beef Nachos
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 6 People
Ingredients
For cooking ground beef
  • Ground beef- 1 Lb or ½ kg
  • Ground cumin- 1 tsp
  • Chili powder- 1 tsp
  • Salt- 1 tsp
For layering
  • Tortilla chips- 1 bag
  • Salsa, medium- 1 jar, 430 mL
  • Onion, chopped- 1
  • Green pepper, chopped- 1
  • Green onions, chopped- 2 stalks
  • Jalapeno, pickled
  • Cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
  1. Combine ground beef with chili powder, cumin powder & salt.
  2. I cooked the ground beef in the Instant Pot, pressure cook for 5 minutes at high pressure, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes & then do a quick pressure release. There will be some liquid in the pot, discard the liquid & just use the ground beef.
  3. Or cook the ground beef in a saucepan, cover with a lid & cook for a few minutes till the ground beef has cooked through.
  4. Preheat the oven to 400 F or 200 C.
  5. Have chopped onions, green onions, green pepper ready.
  6. Use a deep baking dish or an oven-safe casserole.
  7. Spread half of the tortilla chips as the first layer.
  8. Spread half of the cooked ground beef as the second layer.
  9. Top with half of the chopped onions, green pepper, and green onions.
  10. Add ½ of the salsa, and spread some pickled jalapenos.
  11. Sprinkle grated cheese over it.
  12. Again layer with tortilla chips & repeat the other layers and sprinkle cheese as the topmost layer.
  13. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes till the cheese has melted.
  14. If you want the cheese to turn golden brown you can broil it. After 10 minutes of baking, take the pan out of the oven. Turn on broil setting at high temperature. After the heating element turns red hot, place the pan under the heating element in the oven & broil for 2 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble & turns golden brown.
  15. Don't broil for more than 2 to 3 minutes, the cheese & chips will burn.
  16. Enjoy the nachos while it's hot.
Notes
You could make with just one layer of chips, beef, salsa and cheese.
Instead of ground beef, you could use diced chicken.
Vegetarians can add mixed beans instead of meat.
If you don't want your nachos to be spicy, don't use jalapenos.

AboutThas

Thas is the author of Cooking with Thas, a popular food blog with recipes from Indian, American and Fusion Cuisines. She has been blogging since 2009 and been featured in several magazines. Read more...