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    Recipes » Main Course Recipes » Mexican Main Courses

    Carne Asada Nachos

    Published: Jul 2, 2019 · Modified: Feb 12, 2021 by Marissa Stevens · 26 Comments

    Gluten FreeQuick Meals

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Carne Asada Nachos are decadent delicious and easy to make with melted cheese, juicy bites of grilled Carne Asada, fresh Pico de Gallo, guacamole, and sour cream. I'll share four simple secrets to make sure that your nachos are perfect every time (never soggy or boring!).

    Carne Asada Nachos served in a rimmed baking sheet with guacamole salsa and sour cream.

    The first secret to perfect Carne Asada Nachos is to get the ratio right between chips, cheese and steak. Cheese is key here: too much and you have a goopy mess, too little and you have boring nachos.

    Jump to:
    • 4 Secrets for Making the Best Nachos
    • The Best Cheese for Nachos
    • The Best Chips for Nachos
    • How to Make Carne Asada Nachos
    • Carne Asada Nachos Recipe Video
    • Carne Asada Nachos
    • 💬 Comments

    4 Secrets for Making the Best Nachos

    Fortunately the best ratio is easy to remember - 1:1:1. So if you want to make enough nachos for 4 to 6 people on a quarter sheet pan (13 by 9 in), use 8 ounces of tortilla chips, spread out in an even layer with chips overlapping, but not stacked. Top with 8 ounces of shredded cheese and 8 ounces of steak in bite-size chunks. For a half sheet pan (18 by 13 in), you would double these amounts to serve 8 to 12. (I use the same ratio in these amazing Pulled Pork Nachos.)

    I like to assemble these nachos with half of the cheese directly on the chips then the Carne Asada, finishing with the remaining cheese. That way some of the steak bites have cheese melted over the top!

    carne asada steak bites in a skillet

    Secret two is to reheat and lightly crisp your steak bites in a skillet before sprinkling over your chips. This is only necessary if you're making these nachos with leftover steak (as I typically am - also great for making Carne Asada Fries). If you're making nachos with Carne Asada that you've just grilled, you can skip this step.

    The third secret is to bake the chips before you add any toppings, a genius tip I learned from this recipe over at Simply Recipes. It's well worth the 5 minutes to ensure that your chips stay crisp.

    Which brings me to the fourth secret: serve your nachos hot, straight from the oven. Top with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños, but serve Pico de Gallo, guacamole, and sour cream (or Chipotle Crema, Lime Crema or Jalapeño Ranch) on the side with spoons for topping chips individually. Though delicious (and essential in my opinion!), piling these toppings on your nachos can make them soggy.

    picking up a chip with hot melted cheese on it

    The Best Cheese for Nachos

    A couple of notes on cheese: shred your own and use cheese that melts well, like Monterey Jack (my favorite) or cheddar. Pre-shredded cheese is convenient, but is coated with potato starch and/or cellulose powder which inhibits smooth melting.

    The Best Chips for Nachos

    Choose thick tortilla chips. Use chips that are sturdy enough to hold all of those toppings and melted cheese without breaking.

    How to Make Carne Asada Nachos

    Step 1: Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet until hot. Add bite-size pieces of grilled Carne Asada (or Carne Asada made in the oven); cook and stir until heated and lightly browned on one side. Remove from heat and set aside.

    reheating carne asada steak pieces in a cast iron skillet

    Step 2: Spread tortilla chips in a quarter sheet pan in a slightly overlapping, single layer. Bake just the chips for 5 minutes at 375˚F.

    pre-baked tortilla chips

    Step 3: Top hot chips evenly with ½ of shredded cheese, then steak pieces, and finish with remaining cheese.

    topping chips with shredded cheese

    Step 4: Bake 5 to 7 minutes until cheese has melted.

    baked carne asada nachos

    Step 5: Sprinkle cilantro and slices of fresh or pickled jalapeño (optional). Serve immediately with Pico de Gallo, guacamole, and sour cream on the side.

    Carne Asada Nachos Recipe Video

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    Carne Asada Nachos served in a rimmed baking sheet with guacamole salsa and sour cream.

    Carne Asada Nachos

    Marissa Stevens
    Carne Asada Nachos are a decadent delicious way to enjoy leftover Carne Asada steak!
    5 from 11 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 424 kcal

    Equipment

    • Quarter Sheet Pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 ounces grilled Carne Asada leftover or just grilled (see recipe note #2)
    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 8 ounces tortilla chips ideally thick and sturdy
    • 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese or a mix of Jack and cheddar
    • thinly sliced jalapeño fresh or pickled, to taste
    • chopped fresh cilantro to taste
    • Pico de Gallo to taste
    • guacamole to taste
    • sour cream to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375˚F.
    • Slice cooked Carne Asada steak across the grain into slices and then into bite-size pieces.
    • Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until hot. Add steak; cook and stir until heated through and slightly crisped, 3 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
    • Spread chips onto a quarter sheet pan in a single layer with chips overlapping, but not stacked. Bake 5 minutes until lightly crisp and fragrant.
    • Top hot chips evenly in 3 layers: ½ of cheese, followed by Carne Asada pieces, finishing with remaining cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes until cheese has melted.
    • Serve hot, topped with jalapeño slices and cilantro (optional) and Pico de Gallo, guacamole and sour cream on the side.

    Notes

    1. Note that preparation time does not include making Pico de Gallo or guacamole from scratch, but I recommend that you do! 🙂
    2. If you've just grilled your Carne Asada, you can skip the step of heating it up in a skillet. You can also make these nachos with my recipe for Carne Asada in the oven.
    3. It's worth it to shred your own cheese. Skip the bagged stuff that's coated in potato starch or cellulose powder as it doesn't melt well.
    4. Feel free to adjust the amount of shredded cheese. I've seen recipes with much less than I suggest and up to twice as much - the amount is definitely subjective. I encourage you to make these your own!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 424kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 20gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 484mgPotassium: 229mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 320IUVitamin C: 1.1mgCalcium: 352mgIron: 1.9mg
    Keyword 4th of July, cheesy, Cinco de Mayo, comfort food, cravings, decadent, game day, kid friendly, party food
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.

    More Mexican Main Courses

    • Birria Ramen
    • Slow Cooker Birria de Res
    • Shrimp Tacos
    • Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

      August 08, 2019 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a delicious way to use up leftover carne asada (if we have some and didn't eat it all in one sitting. Wink wink)! I love all your tips and tricks for the best nachos!! I definitely need to get these in my belly! Pinned!

      Reply
    2. Mimi says

      July 16, 2019 at 5:28 am

      Fabulous. I would honestly have to do 1:2:1 for chips, cheese, meat!!! I’d use two baking sheets and spread the chips out more. That’s just me. Did I tell you I made your carne Asada? It was wonderful. I loved the citrus juices in the marinade. Thanks for that recipe! I used them for tacos but I didn’t take any photos.

      Reply
    3. Liz says

      July 08, 2019 at 2:46 pm

      5 stars
      What a terrific idea for leftovers!! I adore nachos I could make a meal out of these!! Brava!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 09, 2019 at 12:02 pm

        Thank you, Liz! xo

        Reply
    4. Valentina says

      July 06, 2019 at 11:35 pm

      5 stars
      YUM! We are a nacho loving family. Seriously, my 15 yr old probably makes himself nachos (at least!) twice a day. This recipe looks and sounds amazing and will be made over here for sure!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:16 am

        Twice a day? Wow! He is a serious nacho lover, lol! Hope you and your family enjoy these as much as we do, Valentina!

        Reply
    5. annie@ciaochowbambina says

      July 05, 2019 at 5:07 am

      5 stars
      Don't even come near me with a soggy nacho! These look incredible, my friend! T'will be hard to share! 😉

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:17 am

        Agreed! No soggy nachos please... Thanks so much, Annie!

        Reply
    6. Kevin says

      July 04, 2019 at 7:43 pm

      5 stars
      You sure do know how to make someone seriously hungry by posting one photo! These look absolutely delicious!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:17 am

        Thank you, Kevin!

        Reply
    7. Kelly | Foodtasia says

      July 03, 2019 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      Marissa, these look AMAZING! Love all your tips for nacho perfection!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:17 am

        Thank you, Kelly! That pre-bake is a game changer for super crisp, fresh nachos!

        Reply
    8. Ambar Tovar says

      July 03, 2019 at 7:07 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so yummy!!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:17 am

        Thank you, Ambar!

        Reply
    9. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

      July 03, 2019 at 4:06 pm

      5 stars
      These would disappear faster than fast at out house Marissa! Delicious work!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:18 am

        Love it! Thank you, Mary Ann!

        Reply
    10. Karly says

      July 03, 2019 at 9:29 am

      Sooo delish! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:18 am

        My pleasure! Thanks, Karly!

        Reply
    11. David @ Spiced says

      July 03, 2019 at 4:37 am

      5 stars
      I see that your previous posts were all building up to this thing of beauty here! I love nachos, and I love steak, so of course this recipe is going to race right up to the top of my list. That ratio is super helpful, too, although I might have to bump up the steak portion...that carne asada just looks too good!!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:18 am

        We've been known to bump that carne up a bit too, David! 😉 Hope you love these!

        Reply
    12. Ben|Havocinthekitchen says

      July 02, 2019 at 4:48 pm

      5 stars
      I rarely eat nachos/tacos etc, but I would not be able to ignore this beauty. It's a perfect balance of chips, cheese, and succulent meat. Did you say it's enough to feed up to 6 people? Well, I'll probably can easily finish the entire tray all by myself 🙂

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:19 am

        Full disclosure, I think that Keith and I could devour the whole thing too. 😉 Hope you'll give these a try, Ben!

        Reply
    13. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

      July 02, 2019 at 2:33 pm

      5 stars
      As if I don't already crave nachos 99.9% of the time, now this has put me over the top and I reeeeeeeally want nachos! These look SO good, Marissa! Like, seriously, would one have to share?? Asking for a friend 😉

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:20 am

        haha...nah, you don't have to share! 😉 Thanks, Dawn...

        Reply
    14. angiesrecipes says

      July 02, 2019 at 10:09 am

      It looks so good with those crisp steak bites!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 08, 2019 at 11:20 am

        Thank you, Angie!

        Reply

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