Beef Nachos with Guacamole (Printable)
Tortilla chips topped with spiced beef, melted cheese, and fresh guacamole in a Tex-Mex style.
# What You Need:
→ Beef Mixture
01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 12 ounces ground beef
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
12 - 1/4 cup beef or chicken broth
→ Nachos Assembly
13 - 7 ounces tortilla chips
14 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
15 - 1 small tomato, diced
16 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
17 - 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
18 - Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
19 - Lime wedges, to serve
→ Guacamole
20 - 2 ripe avocados
21 - 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
22 - 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
23 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
24 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
25 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté finely chopped onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet, breaking it apart with a spoon. Cook until browned, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
04 - Stir in ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, ground coriander, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Incorporate tomato paste and broth into the beef mixture. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened, then remove from heat.
06 - Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on a large ovenproof platter or baking sheet.
07 - Evenly spoon the beef mixture over the tortilla chips. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
08 - Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.
09 - While nachos bake, mash avocados in a bowl with lime juice until smooth yet chunky. Fold in diced tomato, chopped red onion, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
10 - Remove nachos from oven. Top with diced tomato, red onion, jalapeño slices if desired, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately alongside guacamole and lime wedges.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- Everything comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can feed a crowd on a whim without stress.
- The beef is seasoned so well that people always ask what your secret is, but it's just the right balance of spices that actually taste like something.
- Homemade guacamole elevates this from ordinary to something you'd actually want to make again and again.
02 -
- Avocados brown quickly once cut, so make the guacamole right before serving—don't prep it an hour ahead or it'll turn gray and taste oxidized.
- If your chips start getting soggy after five minutes, the beef mixture was too wet. Next time, simmer it longer so it's thick enough to coat rather than soak.
- Ripe avocados are everything for guacamole—when you squeeze them gently, they should give way without feeling mushy inside. Hard avocados make grainy guac that never smooths out.
03 -
- Use room temperature ingredients when making guacamole—cold avocado doesn't mash as smoothly and feels dense instead of creamy.
- If you're worried about chips getting soggy, assemble the nachos in two batches instead of one giant platter. It takes an extra five minutes but keeps everything crispy.