Beef Nachos with Cheese Sauce Homemade

I make beef nachos when people come over and I want one big plate that everyone can share. It starts with tortilla chips, seasoned ground beef, warm cheese sauce, tomato, and chili peppers. I skip the bottled cheese dip for this recipe. I make the sauce with butter, flour, milk, and real cheese. It only takes a few minutes, and it tastes much better. This whole plate can be ready in under 30 minutes, so it works for snack time, movie night, or a simple get together.

I keep the beef simple. Once it browns, I season it and drain the fat so the chips do not get oily. I also wait until everyone is ready to eat before pouring the sauce because nachos soften fast. If you want a Filipino version, my loaded nachos with corned beef uses the same idea, but with corned beef instead of ground beef.

The cheese sauce is the part that needs attention. Do not rush it. Cook the butter and flour first so the sauce does not taste raw. Pour the milk in slowly while stirring, then lower the heat before adding the cheese. This keeps the sauce smooth. Once the beef and sauce are ready, all you need to do is put everything together.

What Are Beef Nachos?

Beef nachos are a plate of tortilla chips topped with seasoned ground beef, melted cheese or cheese sauce, and toppings like tomato, peppers, and onion. Nachos started as a simple plate of chips, cheese, and jalapenos in Piedras Negras, Mexico. The dish is credited to a cook named Ignacio Anaya, whose nickname was Nacho. From there, people started adding meat, beans, salsa, and other toppings.

The first version was much simpler than what we see now. These days most of us know nachos as a loaded plate with meat, cheese, salsa, and toppings that people add as they eat. This beef one is what I make for sharing, since it eats more like a meal, with chips, meat, sauce, and toppings in every scoop.

For us, nachos usually come out when there are people around. They work for merienda, movie night, or any time you want something easy to put in the middle of the table. I make the sauce from scratch because it is what makes the nachos taste homemade, and it costs less than a jar of queso.

Ingredients

For the beef and toppings:

• Ground beef – I go for the 90/10 lean kind so it does not render too much grease. If all you have is regular ground beef, just spoon off the fat after browning.
• Tortilla chips – Use thick tortilla chips if you can. The thin ones taste fine, but they soften and break fast once the beef and sauce go on.
• Chili powder – This gives the beef most of its nacho flavor. I use more chili powder than cumin so the beef tastes seasoned without turning too earthy.
• Cumin – Just a little, for that taco seasoning flavor.
• Garlic powder and onion powder – These season the beef without making it watery the way fresh onion would.
• Salt and pepper – To taste. Season the beef while it cooks, then taste a cooked piece before you assemble.
• Tomato – Chop it small and add it at the end so it stays fresh.
• Serrano pepper – Slice it thin. Serrano is hotter than jalapeno, so use jalapeno if you want it milder.
• Cooking oil – Just enough to brown the beef.

For the sauce:

• Quick melt cheese – This melts smoother than regular cheese, which is why I use it for this sauce.
• Butter and all-purpose flour – Equal amounts, cooked together into a roux to thicken the sauce.
• Fresh milk – Whole milk gives the sauce more body, but any fresh milk will do. Cold milk blends in slower, so let it sit out a bit first.

A note on quick melt cheese: Quick melt is a processed cheese common in the Philippines, sold in blocks, and it melts down without separating. If you cannot find it, mild cheddar or American cheese works too. Skip the bagged shredded cheese for the sauce, since the coating on it can turn it grainy. For more cheese flavor, stir in a little grated cheddar.

A note on the chips: Thick corn tortilla chips hold up best under the beef and sauce. The thin, salty kind soften fast and snap when you scoop. If you want to fry your own, cut corn tortillas into wedges and fry them until firm, then salt them while they are still warm.

Once the beef is cooked and the sauce is smooth, all that is left is layering everything. Cook the beef first, make the sauce next, then put it together only when you are ready to serve.

1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the ground beef. Break it up and cook, stirring, until browned and no longer pink, about 7 to 8 minutes.
2. Pour off the fat, then add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the beef and cook for 2 more minutes. Set aside.

Cook ground beef to 160°F to be safe, and draining the fat now keeps the nachos from tasting greasy.

1. Melt the butter in a pot over low to medium heat. Add the flour and stir for about 3 minutes, until it smells toasty and turns light gold.
2. Pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring until there are no lumps.
3. Lower the heat and add the quick melt cheese.
4. Stir until the cheese melts in and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, then take it off the heat.

Adding the cheese over gentle heat is what keeps it from turning grainy. Too much heat is the usual reason the sauce breaks.

1. Spread the tortilla chips on a serving plate in an even layer.
2. Spoon the beef over the chips, then pour the warm cheese sauce on top.
3. Scatter the tomato and serrano over everything.
4. Serve right away, while the sauce is warm.

Nacho Toppings to Try

The beef and cheese sauce are already enough. Add these when you want a heavier platter or to stretch it for more people.

• Beans – Refried or black beans make the plate heartier and stretch it for a bigger group.
• Jalapenos or pickled peppers – For heat and a sharp vinegar bite. Pickled ones are milder than fresh.
• Green onion or red onion – Raw onion gives a sharp note and some crunch.
• Black olives and corn – Corn adds sweetness. Olives are optional, but they work if you like that Tex-Mex topping.
• Sour cream and guacamole – Keep these on the side so people can add what they like without softening the chips.
• Cilantro and a squeeze of lime – Add this at the end for a fresher bite. Skip the cilantro if your family does not like it.

What to Serve with Beef Nachos

Nachos are already filling, but I like putting a few things on the side so people can build their own plate.

• Guacamole – On the side, it cools down the peppers and adds a creamy bite.
• Salsa – Spoon it on the side so the platter does not get wet. It adds a fresh, sharp bite.
• Sour cream – Serve it on the side so the hot beef and sauce do not make it runny.
• Game day chili – Spoon it over the chips for a chili and cheese plate.
• Cold drinks – Iced tea or soda works well if you add extra peppers.

Storage

Nachos are best right after you put them together, so I do not really plan for leftovers. But if there is beef and sauce left over, both keep well as long as you store them away from the chips.

• Refrigerator: I keep the beef and the sauce in their own containers for up to 3 days. The sauce firms up in the fridge, but it comes back with a splash of milk when I reheat it. The chips I leave out and just open a fresh bag next time.

• Freezer: The cooked beef freezes well for up to 2 months. I let it cool, then pack it flat so it thaws faster. I do not freeze the sauce though. I tried it once and it separated on me when it thawed, so now I just make it fresh.
• Reheating: I warm the beef in a pan and the sauce on the stove with a splash of milk to loosen it. The microwave works in a pinch, but the sauce comes out smoother on the stove. Then I spoon both over a fresh plate of chips.

More Tex-Mex Recipes

• Cheesy Crab and Corn Nachos – A seafood version with crab, corn, and cheese.
• Ground Beef Tostada – Crispy flat tortillas with the same seasoned beef.
• Easy Chicken Tacos – A quick taco night with shredded chicken.
• Carne Asada – Grilled marinated beef for tacos and burritos.
• Buffalo Chicken Wings – Another easy dish to serve with nachos.

• Ground beef – Ground pork works well if you want richer nachos. Ground chicken is fine too, but do not cook it too long since it dries out faster than beef. Corned beef is a nice Filipino twist.
• Quick melt cheese – Mild cheddar or American cheese can be used for the sauce. I avoid bagged shredded cheese because it can make the sauce grainy.
• Serrano pepper – Jalapeno for milder heat, or leave the peppers out for kids.
• Tortilla chips – Thick corn chips are standard. Sturdy potato chips make an Irish nachos style plate.
• Fresh milk – Evaporated milk thinned with a little water makes a richer sauce.

Make these beef nachos when you want one plate to share. Keep the chips, beef, and sauce separate until serving time, then pour the sauce while it is still warm. That is when this tastes best. Watch the video above if you want to see how thick the sauce should be before you pour it.