Whether you’re throwing a Super Bowl party or just craving something cheesy, nachos are on the menu. But tonight we’re going beyond the usual ground beef and shredded cheese situation. Have you ever tried Korean barbecue tacos? What about Mexican street corn or chicken shawarma? The options are nearly endless, so start with any of these 25 combinations of nacho toppings and your inspiration lead you from there. Happy snacking, y’all.
25 Nacho Toppings You Haven’t Tried Yet (But Totally Should)
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Published Feb 10, 2023
1. Cranberry, Brussels Sprouts and Brie Skillet Nachos
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, skillet recipe
If you’re like, “OK, fancy,” hear us out. When you pair these flavors with melty Brie and a bit of sharp white cheddar, you get the best salty-sweet combination imaginable.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Don’t forget to end your meal on a sweet note. These nachos are made with homemade cinnamon-sugar dusted tortilla chips, but you can use store-bought if you want a shortcut.
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
It all starts with frozen waffles, and when the toppings include bacon and runny fried eggs, what could possibly be bad about that?
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, gluten free, <500 calories
The spicy flavors of shawarma are just too delicious to not toss onto a tortilla chip. Add feta and a drizzle of tahini and you’re in for a Mediterranean-inspired treat.
5. Chipotle Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Even if you’re not quite ready to reinvent the wheel, you can still spice up the traditional nacho toppings a bit. These have corn, spicy chicken and a combination of queso and shredded cheese for maximum gooiness.
- Time Commitment: 17 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
It simply wouldn’t be a game watch party without this iconic flavor combination on the menu. Even better, they come together with less than ten ingredients.
7. Spicy Lentil Nachos with Three Cheese Sauce
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Even meat eaters will have a hard time resisting seconds of these vegetarian nachos. The obsession comes down to either the homemade enchilada sauce or the creamy queso, but we can’t tell for sure.
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes
Speaking of vegetarian, these loaded nachos put veggies in a starring role and manage to avoid being bland. Chalk it up to pickled jalapeños, crumbled feta and plenty of salsa.
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly
If you have leftover beef bulgogi, this is the ideal time to use it up. However, these nachos are tasty enough that we’ll go out of our way to make a batch of bulgogi just for the occasion.
10. Tofu Vegan Nachos with Cashew Cheese Sauce
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, crowd-pleaser, vegan
Something magical happens when you pair crispy seasoned tofu with a creamy, dairy-free cashew sauce. Don’t believe us? You have to try it first.
11. BBQ Nachos
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Refried beans, corn and shredded chicken are all invited to the party. The recipe doesn’t call for it, but we could see barbecue sauce or ranch (or both) being a welcome addition.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd, pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Think of them as deconstructed fish tacos. They sound kinda fancy, but they’re ready to eat in all of 30 minutes.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
We’ve never served nachos at brunch before, but there’s a first time for everything, right?
14. Carnitas Sheet Tray Nachos
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <30 minutes
Make a giant batch of beer-braised carnitas and keep some in the freezer. That way, you’ll be ready to make these decadent nachos at a moment’s notice.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, sheet pan recipe
What makes ’em so special? It could be the quick chili, the fresh guac or the fact that they’re ready in 20 minutes. We’re guessing it’s a combination of all three.
16. The Best Damn Vegan Nachos
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, <30 minutes, gluten free
Sure, you could slop some vegan cheese and chopped vegetables onto a pile of chips and call it a day. Or you could go the extra mile and make a luscious plant-based queso—the crowd goes wild!
17. Hot Honey Chipotle BBQ Nachos with Mango Pico de Gallo
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <30 minutes, gluten free
You had us at “hot honey” and again at “barbecue sauce.” This nacho topping hits all the right sweet and savory notes.
18. Texas Nachos
- Time Commitment: 22 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Each chip is lovingly topped with the perfect amount of beans, cheese and jalapeño, so each bite is guaranteed to be delicious.
19. Mexican Street Corn Nachos
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, vegetarian
These nachos were inspired by elotes, the creamy-cheesy roasted corn snack that’s ubiquitous to Mexico. Whatever you do, serve them up with plenty of limes.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Here’s a smart way to make sure everyone gets their fill: Craft mini trays out of aluminum foil, then divvy up the nachos and their toppings inside each one. Sharing? No one wants to do that.
21. Ground Pork Nachos with Spicy Mayonnaise
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, skillet recipe
This one-skillet wonder has a similar flavor profile to one of our favorite sammies, the bánh mì. What can we say? We’re suckers for spicy mayo.
22. Roasted Salsa Verde Chicken Nachos
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
There’s something about swapping boring ol’ seasoned ground beef for shredded chicken that feels so elevated (even though it’s very little extra effort to do). Top yours with radishes and cilantro to brighten everything up.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
They’re the ideal balance of light and fresh plus cheesy and indulgent. Would you believe they’re ready in 30 minutes, too?
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, sheet pan recipe
Chinese takeout, meet nachos. One bite of the sweet-spicy sauce (not to mention the crunchy peanuts) and you’ll be hooked.
25. Tater Tot Nachos
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
OK, they’re more like “tatchos” than nachos…but all the more reason to make them, no? We’re suckers for a quick pickled onion and avocado topping, but anything goes.
Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
