Easy Oven Baked Nachos Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good homemade nachos? ›

One layer of chips and toppings is good. A double layer is better. For maximum crunchy-to-gooey texture, start with a layer of chips that completely covers the bottom of your tray. Then, slather it with any toppings that need to be hot and/or melted, like beans, shredded meat, and cheese.

* 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. * The chips should to be heated evenly and the cheese well melted.

How Do You Bake Nachos In The Oven? I bake my nachos in the oven at 350 degrees for anywhere between 3-15 minutes. A quarter sheet or half sheet baking pan works perfectly for this recipe.

Monitor the Oven Temperature

Another common culprit of soggy nachos is baking them at too low of a temperature. To achieve maximum crispiness, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) or higher. This high heat will help to quickly melt the cheese and crisp up the edges of the chips.

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.

To make sure every chip is covered in cheese, lay down the cheese on the chips first. The cheese will serve as a blanket, protecting the chips from liquidy, sog-inducing toppings.

For better coverage, spread a single layer of tortilla chips, then scatter a minimal layer of your melting cheese of choice, making sure to coat the chips on the edges. Bake in a 300-degree oven until the cheese has melted, then scatter your beans or meats and vegetable toppings over the cheese.

Method. Tip tortilla chips on to a baking tray, pour over salsa and scatter over a few sliced spring onions.

To achieve this, put one layer of chips on a baking sheet, then cover with cheese and toppings. Repeat until you've used everything up so that every bite is the same from beginning to end. Sprinkle on fresh toppings like cilantro, scallions, tomatoes, and pickled jalapenos on after the nachos come out of the oven.

Nachos are best prepared with fresh, simple ingredients – you don't need to work in your kitchen for hours. For optimum results, bake your nachos in the oven, but if need be, you can also whip them up in the microwave.

Is it better to bake or broil nachos? ›

Bake, don't broil. Some nacho recipes will call for broiling, but we usually recommend baking instead. It may take a bit longer, but the cheese will melt more evenly, and the toppings will warm up thoroughly this way. If you do choose to broil, be sure to keep a close eye on the nachos, as they can burn quickly.

But Not Too Much Heat: The melting point of classic cheddar cheese used to make nachos is about 150°F (66°C). In an article titled The Rules of Melting Cheese, Fine Cooking points out the importance of melting the cheese slowly and gently to yield the loosey-goosiest results.

Place them in a metal pan, whether you've layered them or made separate little nacho bites with round chips. Place them in a 300F oven to crisp up, keeping a careful eye on them so they don't burn. After they're hot all the way through, turn the heat up to 350F for about 5 minutes.

Best for Nachos: Santitas Tortilla Chips

When it comes to baking a tray of nachos piled with lots of toppings, you are going to need a chip that has a nice even surface area and enough sturdiness to hold everything. That's where this chip shines.

Heat oven to 350°F. Pit, peel and cut avocado into ¾-inch pieces; reserve. In 10-cup baking dish, layer tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, beans, tomatoes, yellow pepper, olives and red onion. Bake until cheese is melted and tips of tortilla chips are lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.

Top tip: While buying pre-shredded works for nachos, I always recommend grating your cheese yourself. It's the key to getting the ultimate cheesy meltiness that I crave in a good nachos recipe. The beans: Both canned refried beans and black beans are the stars of these nachos.

A: While you can technically use any type of cheese for nachos, some cheeses work better than others. The best options include Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, and Queso Blanco.