Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (13 oz) bag sturdy tortilla chips
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 lb ground beef (or shredded chicken)
- 1 packet (or 2 tbsp) taco seasoning
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños, sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup guacamole or diced avocado
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment.
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Add taco seasoning and a splash of water, and simmer 2-3 minutes until thickened. Set aside.
- Toss the two cheeses together in one bowl so you have an even blend ready to go.
- Spread half the tortilla chips in a genuinely single layer across the sheet pan. Scatter with half the cheese blend, half the beef, and half the black beans.
- Add the remaining chips in a single layer on top, then finish with the rest of the cheese, beef, beans, and the pickled jalapeños.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is fully melted, then switch to broil for 1-2 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots.
- Remove from the oven and immediately top with cold sour cream, guacamole, diced tomato, red onion, and cilantro. Squeeze lime over the top and serve with hot sauce on the side.
Notes
Use sturdy restaurant-style chips, not thin bagged ones — they hold up far better under toppings. Grate your own cheese if you can; pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch that melts less smoothly. Keep all wet, cold toppings off the pan until after baking, or you’ll undo the whole point of the single-layer method. Leftovers don’t reheat well as ‘nachos’ — repurpose them as taco salad instead.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex