Nachos are always a great crowd-pleaser and frankly, I make these often and have never thought to share the recipe for them on the blog. The silver lining is that they’re super customizable, so you can make these nachos however you see fit. Don’t want to have chips and do a salad with all of the fixings instead? Sure. Rice and/or grain bowl? Go for it. Want to super carb it up and do fries instead of tortilla chips? Go crazy.

The protein option is completely up to you! During the week, I typically go with shredded rotisserie chicken when I don’t really feel like cooking and would rather assemble things. For this particular pan of nachos, I used the amazing a leftover batch of birria (Mexican stewed shredded beef). If you want to do ground beef or turkey, use my picadillo-style recipe. Going the seafood route? Make my criolla sauce with shrimp. Vegetarian and vegan friends, omit the meat and make my beans! The choices are endless.

I’ve made sure to include my favorite black bean and corn salsa recipe for you as well. I’d recommend to make the salsa first so you can let the flavors marry before assembling your nachos. And let me tell you, two of us crushed an entire half sheet pan of nachos in a blink an eye because we don’t play any games, so if you have a very hungry bunch, adjust accordingly and go for a full sheet pan. Let’s get to it!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Yield: ~3 cups

8 roma tomatoes, diced

1 large white onion, diced

1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 small bunch green onion, thinly sliced

1 can sweet yellow corn kernels, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp ground cumin

2 limes, zested and juiced

Cholula hot sauce, to taste

Toss the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and green onion in a medium mixing bowl like photographed above. Next, fold in the drained corn and rinsed black beans. Season with kosher salt, black pepper, ground cumin, lime zest, and lime juice. Taste and adjust any seasonings to your liking. Hit it with a few shakes of the hot sauce. Set aside in the fridge for at least 20 minutes while you assemble the rest of your sheet pan nachos. Any leftover salsa can be eaten with the nachos or turned into ceviche.

Sheet Pan Nachos

Serves: 2-4

Cook time: 15 minutes (if the toppings are already done)

2 bags tortilla chips (restaurant style or rounds works best)

1 small bag of Mexican-style cheese (shredded or crumbled)

2 cups protein (choice of chicken, beef, seafood, or beans)

1 large bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 large bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Black bean and corn salsa, drained

Sour cream or plain greek yogurt, for garnish

Ripe avocado, sliced, for garnish

Fresh limes, halved

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat sheet. If you need to heat up your protein (whether they’re leftover from another meal or not), bring it up to temperature and make sure the meat or beans are piping hot for assembly. Set them aside.

Next, add the chips to the sheet pan and spread out in an even layer, making sure you go corner to corner. Then sprinkle your cheese of choice over the chips, making sure to get in the nooks and crannies. Next, add the protein and make sure to spread over all the chips and cheese, layering as you go. Then, do another layer of chips, cheese, and protein, spreading evenly across the chips.

Pop the sheet pan in the oven and bake until the cheese melts and the chips get a little toasty, about 10-15 minutes depending on how high you layered your nachos. I prefer them in a pretty even and single layer for maximum topping-to-chip ratio. No point in piling nachos up really high, because the bottom layer of chips never gets any toppings. No bueno.

Once the nachos are out of the oven, evenly sprinkle the chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and the drained black bean and corn salsa over the warm chips. You don’t want soggy nachos! Then, add a few big dollops of sour cream and add the sliced avocado. Squeeze some fresh lime juice all over and serve immediately directly from the sheet tray. It’s a win-win for a delicious dinner with practically zero clean-up.

¡Buen provecho!