How to Make Nachos

Guide Note: Nachos are a simple and filling dish which can be a great party appetizer, or a simple dinner for one. This guide, How to Make Nachos, will help you make sure that you serve perfect Nachos every time.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Mmm... Nachos! (Creative Commons photo by Michael Cote)
Mmm... Nachos! (Creative Commons photo by Michael Cote)
  • Nachos were invented by and named for restaurateur Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya in 1943. The original nacho consisted of just three ingredients: homemade tortilla chips, which are salted and deep fried, melted Wisconsin cheddar cheese, and jalapeno pepper slices. Over the years, the original recipe has evolved, and nachos now have many variations. At their most basic, they consist of the original incarnation of corn tortilla chips covered with a layer of cheese, sprinkled with jalapeno pepper slices, and served with sour cream and salsa. At their most elaborate a "nacho" may be made on a wonton skin, with an Asian inspired lobster filling. So, while Nachos can be as simple or as fancy as you like, the basic process is incredibly easy. This page will show you how to do it!

Step 1: Gather Your Tools

  1. Heat source: usually a basic oven.
    • Do not use a microwave. The chips will soften, and you'll lose the crispness that is essential to the perfect nacho.
    • You can use a covered grill, if you like a more smokey flavor.
      • Cooking times on the grill will be about the same as in the oven, but you'll need to watch the nachos more carefully.
  2. An oven-safe stoneware tray, ideally 12 by 18 inches, with raised edges.
    • This makes life simpler, as you won't need a separate serving platter for the nachos, and it ensures that the toppings will stay intact when you move the nachos from the oven to the table.
    • A stoneware tray also holds heat well, so the nachos will stay hot longer.
    • If you don't have a stoneware tray, use a jelly roll pan (similar to a cookie sheet, but with sides).
  3. Chef's knife.
    • Using a knife to chop the toppings gives you have more control over the size and uniformity than a food processor provides.
  4. Cutting board.
  5. Cheese grater.

Step 2: Gather Your Ingredients

More toppings mean more flavor! (Creative Commons photo by Pointnshoot)
More toppings mean more flavor! (Creative Commons photo by Pointnshoot)
  • To serve four people as an appetizer, you'll need the following ingredients:

For the Nachos

  1. 1-14 ounce bag of tortilla chips.
    • Make sure they are thick enough to hold up to the toppings you'll be using.
    • If you have the time and inclination, you can also deep fry your own homemade tortilla chips.
  2. 2-3 cups of filling, if desired
    • You can elect to stick with the plain, "naked" nachos that Ignacio Anaya created 65 years ago, or you can add a filling. Filled nachos have an additional layer in between the chips and the cheese. Potential fillings are:
    1. Seasoned Beef
    2. Refried Beans
    3. Chili
    4. Seasoned Chicken
    • Feel free to be creative, and mix and match fillings!
  3. 8 ounces of cheese, which when grated will be about 3 cups.
    • Cheddar or Monterey Jack are both good choices. You can mix the cheeses, if you like.
    • Make sure you use a good quality 100% cheese—not a processed cheese product. Processed cheese has a milder flavor that will be overwhelmed by any other ingredients you had to the nachos.
    • You should also avoid bags of pre-shredded cheeses. They don't melt as well, as most of them have anti-caking ingredients added to prevent clumping in the bag. Grating your own will allow you to better control both the quality and flavor.
  4. 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced.
    • It's best to prepare the peppers yourself.
    1. Slice the pepper down the side, and flick out the seeds with a paring knife.
    2. The seeds contain most of the heat of the pepper.
    3. If you and your guests absolutely adore hot foods, you can skip this step, but in general its best to remove the seeds, and add heat back, if desired, by selecting a spicy salsa as an accompaniment. That way each guest can customize the heat level the prefer.

For the Toppings

  • In addition to the basic ingredients above, there are a number of toppings which will enhance your nachos. These can either be spread atop of the finished product, or served on the side, so everyone can personalize their nachos. If you're serving them on the side, you'll need an attractive bowl for each topping you select. If you're spreading them on the top, plan for about 2 cups in total. If your friends will be adding the toppings themselves, you'll want about 6-8 ounces of each, so that everyone can get enough of their favorite. Some topping ideas are:
  1. Tomatoes, diced in 1/4" squares
  2. Onions, diced in 1/4" squares
  3. Scallions, thinly sliced
  4. Black Olives, thinly sliced
  • You may also want garnishes, such as:
  1. 2 jalapeno peppers, prepared as above
  2. 2-4 T of chopped cilantro

Other Accompaniments

  • Although not included in the original nacho recipe, most people serve some type of sauce with the nachos. You'll need about one cup, or 8 oz. of each sauce you select, assuming you'll be serving them on the side, so that your friends can customize their nachos. If you're adding the sauces to the nachos yourself before serving, you'll need half as much. Here are some typical suggestions for sauces to enhance the nachos:
  1. Pico de Gallo or Salsa
  2. Sour Cream
  3. Guacamole

Step 3: Assemble and Bake

Nachos fresh from the oven. (Creative Commons photo by Gord Fynes)
Nachos fresh from the oven. (Creative Commons photo by Gord Fynes)
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  2. Arrange a layer of tortilla chips along the bottom of a your tray. The layer of tortilla chips can be a couple of chips thick, but you don't want more than 3-4 chips on top of each other. Make sure you spread the chips by hand—don't just dump the bag on the tray. You want to make sure that you don't pour out the small broken pieces of chips onto your pan.
  3. Spread the filling, if desired, over the chips.
  4. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of chips and filling.
  5. End by sprinkling the peppers on top of the chips and filling.
  6. Place the nachos in the preheated oven, and bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Step 4: Serve and Enjoy!

  1. While the nachos are baking, spoon the sauces you're serving with the nachos into small bowls. Garnish the sauces with some chopped cilantro, or scallions, after you've spooned it into the bowl, for a festive look.
  2. Remove the nachos from the oven, and either sprinkle the toppings over the Nachos, or arrange the toppings and the sauces on a table near the tray of nachos.
  3. Provide small plates, spoons for the toppings, and plenty of napkins.

Conclusion

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