These 30-minute Sheet Pan Nachos with ground beef and no beans are a quick, customizable recipe perfect for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or easy weeknight dinners. The taco meat is the best part (it's soooo good!), but then top it with all your favorite nacho fixings, and the whole thing comes together in minutes for a satisfying meal that's family friendly and drool worthy.
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Recipe Overview
- Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes to prep and 15-20 minutes to cook
- Cooking Method: Stove-top and Oven-baked
- Dietary Info: Primal, Gluten-free and grain-free options (depending on chips)
- Tools Needed: sheet pan
- Skill Level: Easy
What is an ancestral diet? Read my post on what nourishing foods are based on the traditional dietary principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Reasons to Love these Easy Sheet Pan Nachos
Would you believe me if I said that these sheet pan nachos are my go-to when dinner isn't planned? They're so customizable, and I love how quickly they come together—perfect for those days when I need something fast!
I skip the beans for a lighter version, but you can stretch the meat with extra veggies or ingredients. Add all your favorite toppings—creamy guacamole, spicy jalapeños, or extra cheese—and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing, family-friendly meal ready in no time!
Ingredients for Sheet Pan Nachos Recipe
- Taco meat: You can make this recipe using leftover ground beef taco meat from earlier in the week. But if you're making this from scratch, you'll need ground beef (or ground turkey/chicken), taco seasoning, salt, and a little bit of salsa or fire roasted crushed tomatoes.
- Tortilla chips: Use tortilla chips that will withstand all the hearty toppings. I like Late July's chips made with ancient grains like millet, amaranth, and quinoa. But Siete is also a great brand. You can also make homemade baked tortilla chips out of sprouted corn tortillas.
- Cheese: Go with grated hard cheese like Mexican blend or Monterrey Jack cheese. My personal favorite is raw medium cheddar for its beneficial enzymes. And because we're only baking the nachos for 5 minutes, the cheese should still retain its' health benefits.
- Toppings: I usually just go with the favorites like finely chopped lettuce, diced red onion, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and dollops of homemade sour cream.
Make it Ancestral
I skip the beans in my sheet pan nachos since they’re already loaded with toppings. Instead, I focus on making the meat more nutrient-dense. Ground meats are a great way to sneak in a bit of ground organ meats like liver for an extra boost. Force of Nature makes this step easy by creating "ancestral blend" of grinds that already includes beef heart and liver from regeneratively pastured beef. Check out how to make homemade ancestral beef blend for a fraction of the cost!
How to Make Sheet Pan Nachos
The complete printable recipe is below in the recipe card for your convenience. Follow these simple step-by-step instructions for the best results.
Step 1. Brown
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and break it up as it cooks.
Step 2. Season
Add taco seasoning, tomato salsa (or crushed tomatoes), and salt. Stir to combine and gently simmer until slightly thickened.
Step 3. Bake
Spread the tortilla chips evenly on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese, then spoon the taco meat over the top. Add the remaining cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and the chips are warm and crisp.
Step 4. Load
Top the nachos with lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, and avocado. Finish with dollops of sour cream and a spoonful of salsa, if desired.
Helpful Tips
- Layer strategically - I like to start with the cheese as it helps prevent the chips from getting soggy from the meat. Then spoon the meat, followed by all the toppings.
- Shred your own cheese - Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that can prevent it from melting smoothly.
- Broil for extra crisp - Broil the nachos for 1–2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden. The chips' edges will crisp up, adding extra flavor.
- Make single-servings - Instead of a large sheet pan, divide nachos onto extra-small stainless steel baking sheets for individual servings and let everyone pile on their own toppings.
Troubleshooting
- Soggy chips? Too much moisture from toppings can make the chips soggy. To prevent this, layer cheese directly on the chips before adding meat, and drain any excess liquid from toppings like tomatoes or salsa.
- Nachos sticking to the pan? If cheesy chips stick to the baking sheet, use parchment paper to prevent this and make cleanup easier.
💭Make Ahead Suggestion!
These nachos are so great to have in your back pocket for busy Saturday mornings of doing yard chores or especially great after running around kids' sports practice.
While this meal isn't ideal for leftovers, you can cut your time in the kitchen by knocking these things out:
• make taco meat up to 4 days prior to assembling nachos
• make tortilla chips up to 6 days if necessary
• shred cheese and make raw sour cream
• dice everything and store in airtight container in the refrigerator: onions, tomatoes, lettuce, (except skip the avocado - that is best fresh to avoid oxidation)
Serving Suggestions
We love serving loaded sheet pan nachos as a complete meal (it's pretty balanced, after all, right?!). Just grab a large, wide spatula and scoop from the bottom of the nachos and hold the top with your hand (to keep those toppings from spilling over).
Serve them with these tasty sheet pan nacho toppings:
Make it a meal! Serve the sheet pan nachos with these ideas:
Frequently Asked Questions
Sheet pan nachos are best when fresh, as the chips can get soggy when stored and reheated. For the ultimate crispiness and flavor, it's best to enjoy them right after they're made! If you're making them for a group or want to prep in advance, you could always prepare the taco meat, toppings, and chips separately and assemble right before serving to ensure the nachos stay crisp.
Short answer is you can't. These are loaded nachos, after all. But if your toppings are sliding off, try using a bit of melted cheese as a "glue" to help keep the taco meat in place. The fresh toppings will likely be sliding off and that's just the nature of the dish.
Make sure the chips, taco meat, and cheese are spread evenly on the baking sheet before adding toppings. You may want to rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking for a more consistent temperature.
Looking for more sheet pan recipes? Here are some ideas:
Did you make this sheet pan nachos recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ recipe rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚
Printable Recipe
Sheet Pan Nachos
Ingredients
Ground Beef Taco Meat
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup tomato salsa or fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Sheet Pan Nachos
- 10 ounces tortilla chips
- 3 cups raw cheddar or another semi-hard cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup lettuce thinly cut
- ½ cup red onion diced
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- 1 cup avocado diced
Instructions
To Make Ground Beef Taco Meat
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and break it up as it cooks.1 pound ground beef
- Add taco seasoning, tomato salsa (or crushed tomatoes), and salt. Stir to combine and gently simmer until slightly thickened.1 cup tomato salsa or fire roasted crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon sea salt
Sheet Pan Nachos
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread the tortilla chips evenly on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese, then spoon the taco meat over the top. Add the remaining cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and the chips are warm and crisp.10 ounces tortilla chips, 3 cups raw cheddar
- Remove from oven. Top the nachos with lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, and avocado. Finish with dollops of sour cream and a spoonful of salsa, if desired.½ cup sour cream, 1 cup lettuce, ½ cup red onion, 1 cup tomatoes, 1 cup avocado
Video
Notes
- Layer strategically - I like to start with the cheese as it helps prevent the chips from getting soggy from the meat. Then spoon the meat, followed by all the toppings.
- Shred your own cheese - Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that can prevent it from melting smoothly.
- Broil for extra crisp - Broil the nachos for 1–2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden. The chips' edges will crisp up, adding extra flavor.
- Make single-servings - Instead of a large sheet pan, divide nachos onto extra-small stainless steel baking sheets for individual servings and let everyone pile on their own toppings.
