If you’re like us, nothing gets us much more excited than a big platter of nachos. Or in this case, a sheet pan!
We can honestly say that these nachos are truly some of the best we ever made or eaten. We use our incredible Black Bean Vegetarian Chili to round out the taste. Homemade Guacamole hits these out of the park! Make the chili in advance and these nachos come together in a snap!
How To Make Sheet Pan Nachos
Besides the epic flavor of these nachos, they are also easy to bring together, especially last minute.
The chili can be made days in advance, or even weeks in advance if frozen. The chips can be fried up 24 hours in advance.
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The Ingredients You Will Need
Once you’ve gathered all of the components for this incredible appetizer, the assembly is super easy.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Tortilla chips – Fry your own, they’re better!
Chili– Black beans and veggies are the way to go
Cheese – Shredded from a block of cheddar
Guacamole– Homemade is the best
Sour cream – or Mexican crema
Jalapenos – Pickled or fresh
EXPERT TIP: Frying the tortillas is easy and fun. Simply pick up a bag of corn tortillas and use a knife or pizza cutter to quarter them. Bring a sturdy skillet halfway filled with vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry until golden and crisp! Hit with a little salt for the perfect nacho chips!
Tips for Perfect Sheet Pan Nachos
Fresh is Best – Making the handful of the nacho components from scratch really does make all of the difference. For the cheese, pick up a good-quality block of cheddar cheese and shred it with a box grater or with the shredding attachment with your food processor. Other than the guacamole, everything can be prepared in advance.
Two Layers are Better Than One – People love to dig deep into a big platter of nachos. Spread about half of the chips on the pan and then cover with half of the chili and then half of the cheese. Then repeat. This makes for a “mile-high” pan of nachos. Layers and layers of chili and cheese flavor!
Serve Immediately – The nachos are absolutely best when served right out of the oven. If they sit for even 30 minutes, the chips will start to get soggy and lose their crispy appeal. Wait until your guests are ready to eat, and then assemble, bake, and then serve with your favorite toppings. Don’t worry, they’ll go fast.
EXPERT TIP: A sheet pan (15-inch) is large than most baking sheets and therefore holds more nachos and will feed 4 to 8 people. You can easily cut the recipe in half to serve 2 to 4 folks. Layering is still recommended even if you halve the recipe.
How To Serve
These nachos are perfect for serving at a party, game day gathering, or even just a fun Sunday afternoon day watching movies. They are very filling and really feed a crowd all by themselves!
You can certainly serve them right on the sheet pan, or you can use a large spatula to transfer them to a platter.
Here are some other classic toppings that you can serve over the nachos or on the side:
Guacamole
Sour cream
Pickled or fresh jalapenos
Freshly chopped cilantro
Pico de Gallo
Salsa
Chopped onions
EXPERT TIP: Melty gooey cheese is a key ingredient for nachos. More is better than less. We usually pick up a little more than a pound to cover both layers. Go with sharp or medium sharp cheddar for the best and most classic taste.
Other Classic Game Day Appetizers
These appetizers truly make for amazing dishes to serve at parties or any kind of gathering of hungry friends and loved ones!
Best-Ever Chicken Quesadillas
Classic Nachos
Fried Mozzarella with Marinara
Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms
TexMex Queso
Loaded Potato Skins
Fried Pickles
In the meantime, check out these epic nachos!
You can trust us when we say when you place these nachos out, fresh from the oven, people will be in awe.
It is a big serving, no doubt.
But it is always amazing and so wonderful to see them get devoured by everyone who digs in.
Ready to make the best pile of nachos in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Sheet Pan Nachos
Equipment
- 15-inch pan sheet or a baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 bag corn tortilla chips quartered
- vegetable oil for frying the chips
- 5 cups Vegetable & Black Bean Chili
- 4 cups cheddar cheese shredded, or Monterrey Jack, or combo
- 1 jalapeno seeded and sliced
- ½ cup cilantro fresh, chopped
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup fresh guacamole
Instructions
Do Ahead
- Prepare the chili and fry the tortilla chips
Assemble and Make the Nachos
- Preheat oven to 375°F and gently heat the chili in a pot on the stove or medium heat.
- On a large baking sheet, place a layer of half of the tortilla chips.
- Ladle half of the chili (about 2 to 3 cups) over the tortillas, and top with half of the cheese. Make another layer of chips, chili, and cheese.
- Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove and top with dollops of sour cream and guacamole. Sprinkle the cilantro over the top and scatter with sliced jalapenos (if using). Serve at once!
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in August 2015, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in October 2022.
