Nacho Ideas: Toppings, Sides & Cooking

One of the best things about nachos is they have a seat at the table for almost every occasion: parties, football games, restaurant outings and Friday nights at home. At the bar or kitchen table, nacho dishes can be served as an appetizer, meal or even a side dish. You can dress them up or down with as many toppings as your budget will allow in just about every nacho fusion combination you can think of.

But you can’t experience Mexican cuisine to its fullest potential without having a list of nacho ideas for toppings, sides and cooking methods to aid in your culinary experiments. Whether you’re limited by the ingredients in your fridge or are a restaurant owner looking for a new spin on a classic favorite, you’ve taken the first steps in securing yourself an edible nacho recipe everyone will be out the door for.

Nacho Topping List Ideas

Nachos are one of the most versatile dishes in the culinary world. With four main ingredients: tortilla chips, meat, cheese and a vegetable, there are endless combinations of what to put on nachos. Whether you have BBQ style nachos on your mind or are going more for a Hawaiian vibe, we have a list of taco topping ideas to mix and match or omit at your discretion:

Proteins

• Ground Beef 


• Ground Turkey 


• Chicken 


• Steak


• Pulled Pork 


• BBQ Chicken 


• BBQ Pulled Pork 


• Tofu

Veggies

• Green onions 


• Onions 


• Lettuce 


• Olives


• Chili peppers 


• Jalapenos 


• Peppers 


• Corn

Fillers, Cheese & Toppings

• Sour Cream 


• Refried beans 


• Black beans 


• Tomatoes


• Pico de gallo 


• Avocado


• Hot sauce 


• Queso 


• Lime juice 


• Frito chips 


• Salsa 


• Shredded cheese


• Mango


• Cilantro

Side Dishes for Nachos 

A trick of the trade when cooking for large parties, preparing a restaurant menu or even feeding a family is to cross-use ingredients wherever you can. This not only cuts down on ingredient expenses, but it appeases the picky eaters of the world–you know who you are.

In the nacho sector, this would look like making the toppings into side dishes that pair well with the mainstay of the table. From the above section, you’ll remember that nachos have four core ingredients: the tortilla chips, the protein, the cheese and the vegetable. Compile these as your main course and present the rest as side dishes. 

Black Bean Soup 

Black beans aren’t always used as a topping on nachos, but they can be, and that’s the kind of many-sided dish that makes for the best nacho ideas. 

Making black bean soup takes only a couple ingredients:

• Black beans 


• Olive oil 


• Vegetable broth 


• Tomatoes 


• Onions

Sprinkle on some garnish like sour cream, green onions, avocados or cilantro, and offer up the extras as nacho toppings. If spice is your flavor, you can achieve this by adding jalapenos, chili powder, cumin and chili peppers.

Mexican Rice 

Mexican rice is unique because it can be the sustenance or the seasoning. It’s flavorful, cheap and only takes about 15 minutes to cook. On top of nachos, it would add texture and body for a more rounded dining experience. 

What’s more, you can flavor it with a list of herbs as long as the nacho topping list, including: 

• Oregano


• Thyme


• Garlic


• Parsley 

Sweet Corn 

Sweet corn is another one of those foods that leads a double life. You can eat it as a healthy side or use it to top off your nacho plate with a sprinkle of color. Boil it in a pot, roast it in the oven or cook it over the grill, corn on the cob can adapt to the cooking constraints of any kitchen.

To spice things up, you can use flavored butter, such as Mexican butter, garlic butter or honey butter. Don’t want to spend the money or have the time to make it? Sprinkle a light dusting of popcorn seasoning over the corn for similar results.

Cooking Nacho Ideas

After you’ve gathered your list of ingredients and planned out your sides, there’s only one thing left to do: bring on the heat! If you’re wondering how to cook nachos, you’re not alone. There’s a lot to account for. How do you cook nachos in the oven? Or should they be broiled or baked? Baked or microwaved? Microwaved or grilled? And what temperature should nachos be cooked at? For how long? We’ll answer all your burning questions and more in the section below. 

How To Cook Nachos in the Oven 

Broiling is the best way to bake nachos unless you’ve added a lot of vegetable toppings, in which case baking will ensure they get cooked all the way through. 

For the best results, you should try to cook nachos at a temperature between 350-400℉ for 3-15 minutes. Check the nachos periodically or until the cheese acquires that sought-after golden brown color with slightly crisped edges and a gooey middle. 

How To Cook Nachos on the Grill 

Grilling nachos make for a smokier flavor that pairs with BBQ-style nachos. For cooking nachos on the grill, you’ll want to spread the chips and toppings thinly across any one of these pans: 

• Tin foil sheet (round out the edges)


• Tin foil baking pan 


• Iron skillet 

Next, you’ll want to get the grill to medium or medium-low heat and cook for about 4-10 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is. 

How To Cook Nachos in the Microwave 

Cooking nachos in the microwave isn’t the preferred method because it can often result in soggy chips, but it works in a pinch. Set your microwave on high, and place your nachos on a microwave-safe plate. Cook for 15-30 seconds or until the cheese is fully melted.