Easy Homemade Carne Asada Nachos
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on May 30, 2023
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Did you grill up Carne Asada this weekend and have leftovers? Make these Easy Carne Asada Nachos, piled high with deeply flavorful bits of steak, hearty black beans, melty cheese, spicy jalapeños and – the pièce de résistance – creamy homemade guacamole.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Carne asada nachos are the ultimate snack-meal—crispy tortilla chips piled high with juicy grilled steak, melted cheese, and fresh toppings. They’re crunchy, cheesy, savory, and perfect for sharing (or not!). Unlike store-bought or concession stand nachos, making them at home means better ingredients and serious flavor. Once your carne asada is ready, these nachos come together in minutes!
What Are Carne Asada Nachos?
Carne asada nachos are a delicious twist on a classic, layering crispy tortilla chips with tender grilled carne asada, black beans, gooey cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. Every bite is the perfect mix of savory, creamy, and crunchy. You can use store-bought marinated carne asada or make it from scratch (my go-to recipe is also in Muy Bueno Fiestas). Either way, these nachos are quick, easy, and totally irresistible!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Making homemade carne asada nachos is a snap, and as an added bonus, you get to customize them exactly to your liking.
- Tortilla Chips: Homemade tortilla chips are a nice touch, but not necessary. For ease of use, feel free to pick your favorite bagged variety at the store.
- Beans: If you have some homemade black beans left in the fridge, feel free to use them! Canned beans will do just as well, and you can absolutely swap in frijoles de la olla or refried beans, if you prefer.
- Grilled Carne Asada: Do yourself a favor and make a double recipe of this super easy carne asada; you’ll want to put it on everything from pizza and fries to quesadillas, skewers, enchiladas, and of course these nachos.
- Shredded Cheese: Any melty variety will do. I prefer Oaxaca, Quesadilla, or Monterey Jack cheese, but you do you. As a side note, I should mention that pre-grated cheese will work here, but grating your own will result in better cheese pulls.
- Onion, Tomato, and Jalapeños: This trio makes for a sort of deconstructed pico de gallo.
How To Make Carne Asada Nachos
Grill and cut carne asada into bite-sized pieces.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place your tortilla chips across the bottom of your cast iron skillet or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add beans evenly across the chips; sprinkle the grilled carne asada, shredded cheese, onions, tomatoes, and jalapeño slices across the chips evenly.
Repeat to build layers if you’re feeding a crowd. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and veggies are warm, about 15 minutes for a single layer or 20 minutes for multiple layers.
When the nachos are nice and melty, pull them out of the oven, top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Optional Variations
Homemade nachos come in about a gazillion different ways, which is yet another reason to love them! Feel free to change out the ingredients at will to make your perfect plate. Here are a few ideas:
- Swap out the protein, using Chicken Tinga, Slow Cooker Pasilla Pulled Pork, Chorizo Chili con Carne, or even a vegetarian option like grilled vegetables.
- Switch up the cheese! You can get some of those old school vibes by swapping in homemade chile con queso for shredded cheese.
- Change your base! If corn is out of the question, try using flour tortilla chips. You can also go off script and use any number of different potato varieties like tater tots, french fries, or sweet potato fries.
Nacho Toppings Suggestions
I love topping my baked sheet pan nachos with classic toppings like guacamole, pico de gallo, and crema Mexicana.
However, there are so many toppings that you could put on these nachos, so get creative and have some fun with it! Here are a few suggestions for inspiration:
- salsa
- pickled jalapeños
- pickled red onions
- avocado crema
- roasted Mexican street corn
- cotija
- queso fresco
Storage & Heating Instructions
Reheat leftover nachos in the oven the same way you baked them – about 6 to 8 minutes at 350 degrees F. or until they’re heated through.
Muy Bueno Nachos
- Brisket Nachos
- Classic Nachos
- Kettle-Chip Nachos
- Chicken Mole Nachos
- Sheet Pan Spicy Shrimp Nachos
- Ground Turkey Nachos
More Game Day Recipes
- Spicy Baked Hot Wings
- Roasted Chile, Cheese, and Bacon Mini-Tamale Pies
- Chorizo Chili con Carne (Frijoles Enchilados)
- Queso Fundido Mexican-Style Pizza
- Easy Spicy Michelada (Mexican Beer Cocktail)
- Carne Asada Spinach Quesadillas
- 7 Layer Dip
Frequently Asked Questions
*Sort of.* Nachos are best served hot from the oven, and don’t really make for great leftovers. That said, you can do ALL of the prep work ahead of time – cooking the carne asada, chopping and grating the remaining ingredients – so all you have to do is layer and bake.
Oops, sounds like you broke the cardinal rule: don’t overcrowd your nachos. Be sure that you are working with a single layer of chips, and don’t be stingy with the toppings. The perfect ratio in my book is composed of equal parts chips, cheese, and meat/beans by weight.
If you have a large crowd to serve, build the nachos in layers. This is a bit more time consuming – you’ll need to remove the nachos from the oven every 3-5 minutes to keep adding more layers – but the results will be well worth it.
Also, be sure to serve creamy dips like sour cream and guacamole, plus salsas or hot sauce on the side. If you end up with any naked chips (gasp!), these powerhouses will solve the problem for you.
I am personally fond of using the oven – the heat is even, and my cookie sheet fits. In a pinch, you can microwave a plate of nachos if you’re only serving yourself, but this is not a recommended method.
If you come up with a particularly amazing plate of nachos, be sure to tag me in your Instagram so I can see (and cheer) your creativity! If you tried this recipe for my Easy Homemade Carne Asada Nachos, please be sure to rate and review it below!
Carne Asada Nachos with Guacamole
Ingredients
- Tortilla chips
- 1 ½ cups black beans, drained and rinsed
- Grilled carne asada, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Oaxaca, Quesadilla, or Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
- 1 roma tomato, chopped
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, sliced
Topping Options:
- Guacamole
- Crema Mexicana or sour cream
- Chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place your tortilla chips across the bottom of your cast iron skillet or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add beans evenly across the chips; sprinkle the grilled carne asada, shredded cheese, onions, tomatoes, and jalapeño slices across the chips evenly.
- Repeat to build layers if you’re feeding a crowd. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and veggies are warm, about 15 minutes for a single layer or 20 minutes for multiple layers. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings and don’t forget the guacamole.
- Add the garlic, onion, jalapeño (optional), salt, and tomato (optional). Squeeze the lime juice over all the ingredients and give everything a gentle stir, but don’t overdo it.
Notes
- Swap out the protein, using Chicken Tinga, Slow Cooker Pasilla Pulled Pork, Chorizo Chili con Carne, or even a vegetarian option like grilled vegetables.
- Switch up the cheese! You can get some of those old school vibes by swapping in homemade chile con queso for shredded cheese.
- Change your base! If corn is out of the question, try using flour tortilla chips. You can also go off script and use any number of different potato varieties like tater tots, french fries, or sweet potato fries.
- More topping options:
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography: Jenna Sparks
Yvette, I made these last night and thought they were delicious. I used a flank steak and your marinade is easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.