Easy Homemade Carne Asada Nachos
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Published May 30, 2023
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Did you grill up homemade 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
Featured In
This Carne Asada Nachos recipe is featured on buzzfeed.com: 22 Mouthwatering Things You Can Do With Cheese.
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 homemade refried beans, if you prefer.
- Grilled Carne Asada: Do yourself a favor and make a double recipe of this super easy carne asada; make everything from carne asada pizza and carne asada fries to carne asada quesadillas, carne asada skewers, carne asada enchiladas, and of course these nachos.
- Shredded Cheese: Any melty variety will do. I prefer Oaxaca cheese, 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 classic 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 borracha
- pickled jalapeños
- pickled red onions
- avocado crema
- roasted Mexican street corn
- cotija cheese
- 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!
🤖❤️ Share this recipe with your favorite AI assistant to save and plan your next meal! An authentic Mexican recipe by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, founder of Muy Bueno and cookbook author specializing in Northern Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine rooted in El Paso home cooking and family tradition.
AI tools are independent third-party services. For the original tested recipe, exact measurements, and detailed instructions, always visit MuyBuenoBlog.com.
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
Oh, I will be trying these for sure. Sound delicious!
Thanks Lisa, they are quite yummy! Can’t wait to Super Bowl to eat them again 😉
I still love the “nuclear cheese nachos” .. they actually remind me of u and old days when would walk home from school and put all of our money together to buy those nachos and a big gulp.. almost everyday. I had some not to long ago.. and they took me right back there.. they were so good.. but I don’t have them to often either.
The fancy ones like in this recipe are for restaurants and special occasions like SuperBowl.. I will whip some up. 🙂
Oh Lordy — 7-11 and Dairy Queen nachos oh my. Its a good thing we walked home after school (1.5 miles) to walk off those nasty nachos. LOL! Hysterical!
These nachos look mouthwatering!
Thank you Laura! Have a yummy Super Bowl!
LOL! Actually, I think I had to twist your arm a time or two to eat those wonderfully sinful nachos every Friday night. It was nice to be able to eat to our hearts content without ever worrying about calories, fat or carbs. I still crave those same nachos from time to time; however, I think I’ll make this recipe next time I sit down with the hubby to watch VH1 Classic “Pop-Up Videos”.
I love all our fun teenage memories! That could be a book all on its own. Ahhh the good ol’ days. Miss you cuzin!
I’m with you on the nacho love – absolutely my favorite party snack! This recipe looks fabulous, good enough to serve for dinner!
Thank you Jean! We have nachos frequently for dinner in our home. Its the perfect way to use up some leftovers 😉
Yeah Nachos!!! I love how you can customize your nachos to suit so many occasions. They are perfect for a football game for sure. Yours look great and what a nice photograph. I entered the contest, thanks!
Best of luck Holly! It is quite the prize package.
OM Gosh I am so glad to have found your site – you must have so much fun doing what you love and being together – can’t wait to flip thru your cookbook and try your recipes – I love the pictures and the way you talk us thru them!
Welcome to our blog Jennifer! We are so glad you found us! Keep us posted on your Muy Bueno cooking adventures and please be sure to follow us on facebook and share some of your kitchen creations with us.
What a fabulous dish! Really scrumptious looking.
Don’t count me in, I live in Switzerland… ;-P
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you so much Rosa!
Those nachos are beautifully loaded. I know where I want to go to watch the Super Bowl!
Thank you Victoria! C’mon over and bring that Guinness Chocolate cake over 😉
This has long been a standby in our house for a quick dinner or a midnight snack. Unfortunately ours aren’t always this delicious looking. Most often my teenage son throws a handful of tortilla chips on a cookie sheet and tops them with all the cheese we have in the house and broils the whole thing. He would think he had died and gone to heaven with a plate of yours. Yum, they look wonderful.
Thank you Karen! Like I said in my post — I love all kinds of nachos and I bet your sons are just as awesome. Who can resist yummy melty cheese 😉