Sheetpan Beef Nachos are exactly what they sound like—nachos made right on a sheet pan, or baking sheet, so everyone can dig in while the cheese is hot and melty. The best part? The base only needs three simple ingredients: tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and browned ground beef. From there, you can customize with all the toppings you love. This is one of those easy, crowd-pleasing recipes that works for game day, movie night, casual dinners, parties, or those nights when you want something fun without a lot of fuss.
Nachos are also wonderfully flexible. You can keep them simple with just beef and cheese, or you can pile on beans, jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. Around here, I like to set out the toppings and let everyone build their own plate. That way, the jalapeno lovers can go wild, the onion avoiders can stay safe, and nobody has to pick anything off.
Fun fact: Nachos were first created as a quick snack, and they have stayed popular because they are easy to share, easy to customize, and just plain fun to eat. A sheet pan version takes that same idea and turns it into a full platter that is perfect for feeding a family or a group.
How do you make beef nachos?
As far as I’m concerned, there are two main ways to make nachos. The first way is like I did here: bake them in the oven. Layer tortilla chips, whichever type you prefer, on a sheet pan. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the chips, then add your browned ground beef and any other toppings that can handle the heat, such as refried beans, black beans, onions, or jalapenos. Bake for about 10 minutes, give or take, until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through.
The second way is to make individual plates. Add a handful of chips to a plate, spoon your favorite nacho ingredients over the top, and then pour on warm liquid cheese or cheese dip. Add salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or whatever else sounds good. Build your nachos as high as you want. I’m not judging.
Tip: If you are baking nachos, spread the chips out in an even layer instead of making one tall mountain. This helps the cheese melt more evenly and gives more chips a chance to get covered. For extra-loaded nachos, make two thinner layers: chips, cheese, beef, then a second layer of chips, cheese, and beef.
Trick: Line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper before adding the chips. Cleanup is so much easier, especially if a little cheese decides to escape and bake onto the pan.
What did I make Sheetpan Beef Nachos with?
As I mentioned above, the base only consists of 3 ingredients.
- Tortilla Chips
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Browned Ground Beef
I had the nacho toppings on-hand for everyone here to make their own individual nachos. Those consisted of…
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Jalapenos
- Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Refried Beans
Some other ideas would be thinly sliced steak, fajita meat, shredded chicken, pulled pork, brisket, or leftover taco meat. Getting my drift? That’s what I like about nachos. No matter which way you make them, each person can customize their own plate. You can even make a mild side and a spicy side on the same pan by keeping the jalapenos and hotter toppings on one half.
Tips and tricks for the best sheetpan nachos
- Use sturdy tortilla chips so they can hold up under the beef, cheese, and toppings.
- Drain the ground beef well after browning so the chips do not get soggy.
- Add cold toppings, like sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and fresh tomatoes, after baking.
- Warm beans before adding them to the pan so everything heats evenly.
- Serve immediately. Nachos are at their best when the cheese is fresh from the oven.
What to serve with nachos, or what to serve nachos with? Sheetpan Beef Nachos can be the main event all by themselves, but they also make a great appetizer or party snack. If you are turning nachos into dinner, serve them with rice, beans, taquitos, burritos, or a simple salad. If you are serving them for a party, pair them with queso, salsa, fresh guacamole, and a few bowls of extra toppings so guests can add what they like.
- Queso Blanco Rice
- Easy Mexican Rice
- Bean Burritos
- Beef and Bean Burrito Casserole
- Beef and Cheese Taquitos
For a fun serving idea, set up a nacho bar. Keep the sheet pan of beef and cheese nachos warm, then place bowls of toppings nearby. Try diced tomatoes, green onions, sliced jalapenos, black olives, shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, and extra queso. This works especially well when you have picky eaters or a group with different spice preferences.
Storage tips
Nachos are best eaten right away, but you can still save leftovers if needed. The chips will soften after sitting with toppings, so store leftover beef, cheese, beans, and fresh toppings separately whenever possible. Refrigerate the cooked beef in an airtight container and use it within 3 to 4 days. Store chopped toppings like onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos in separate containers so they stay fresh.
To reheat, build a fresh batch with new chips, leftover beef, and cheese, then bake until warmed through. This gives you a much better texture than trying to reheat a fully loaded plate of leftover nachos. If you do have already-assembled leftovers, reheat them in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes instead of the microwave so the chips have a better chance of crisping back up.
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Rock on!
~Bobbi
Sheetpan Beef Nachos
Equipment
- 9 x 13 Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Ground Beef, Browned
- 6 Ounces Tortilla Chips 1/2 of a 12 ounce bag
- 2 1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to Low Broil. I have a low setting and the time is based on that. Please adjust if you only have one (high) setting.
- Layer chips on baking sheet. Try not to overlap too much. Add the browned ground beef over the chips.
- Add the cheese on top of the beef.
- Place in oven on broil for 5-10 minutes. Remember to adjust if you only have one setting for broil. It would be less time.
- Remove from oven and add whatever toppings you would like.
Notes
- Onions, chopped
- Tomatoes, chopped
- Jalapenos
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Refried Beans
- Black Beans
- Fajita Meat
- Thinly Sliced Steak
- Briskit
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