Sheet Pan Baked Nachos with Ground Beef

Sheet pan Baked Nachos are the ultimate shareable meal! Super easy to make in just under 15 minutes, they’re so fun for parties, game days, or family gatherings. Layer savory, seasoned ground beef, tender beans, and melty cheddar cheese on tortilla chips before baking them up nice and hot. Choose your own toppings, then dig in!

Baked Nachos

Living in Arizona, we are super lucky to have access to some really amazing Mexican food! 

Chad and I like hitting up our local spots for date night, and our daughter Munchkin is bound to ask for a taco, quesadilla, or burrito over the course of a given week.

And while we love going out, it can get expensive after a while. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to come up with the best homemade baked nachos ever!! 

My air fryer version is great for snacking, but I wanted something that could be served as a main dish if I wanted. So, a sheet pan nacho recipe it would be.

Most of the hard work involves cooking the ground beef, but even that is super, duper easy! Once that’s done, get to layering. 

The finished product will be a savory, cheesy, spicy (if you want), and hearty pile of restaurant-quality comfort food you won’t want to miss out on.

I bet the sheet pan will come back licked clean!!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Lean Ground Beef – The savory protein needed for our oven baked nachos! I use 88% so it doesn’t come out too greasy. 

If you’re not a fan of beef, try shredded chicken, ground turkey, chorizo, or even crumbled tofu instead!

• Taco Seasoning – To add that signature Mexican-inspired flavor to the meat as it cooks. Buy it from the store or make it yourself for a fresher, less processed flavor!

Add some extra cayenne pepper for spicier nachos if you’d like.

• Tortilla Chips – The bottom layer of any good sheet pan nachos recipe. Make sure they’re fairly thick and sturdy so they hold up under the weight of your toppings! 
  
• Black Beans – Bulks up the dish even more. I used canned black beans (drained and rinsed) to make things easier and encourage you to do the same.

Pinto, refried, or kidney beans are all good alternatives!

• Freshly Shredded Cheddar Cheese – For that classic, cheesy nacho topping we all know and love.
  
  Sharp cheddar is my favorite, but a Mexican cheese blend, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack would all be delicious.
  
• Vegetables – You can get super creative with the veggies you add as your toppings — I personally always add Roma tomatoes, avocado slices, shredded lettuce, canned corn, canned black olives, diced red onion, lime wedges… hey, I love my nachos loaded!!

And in case that’s not enough, you can’t forget about the jalapeños and cilantro too!

• Sauces – Same goes for the sauces — I use a bunch! Guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, and some hot sauce all taste great, and are even better if you go the homemade route.

Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect Oven Baked Nachos

• Choose sturdy chips for your base.

Not all tortilla chips are created equal!!

To avoid soggy nachos (the worst), opt for thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips — they need to be able to hold all of the toppings without breaking.

Thin chips may become too soft, especially during the broiling step.

• Layer carefully for the best flavor.

I know you’ll be tempted to dump all of the beef, cheese, and beans on top of the chips and call it a day. But you need to be a bit more thoughtful with this sheet pan nachos recipe than that!

Start with half the chips, beans, beef, and cheese, then repeat the process with a second layer.

This ensures that every bite has toppings, rather than just a cheesy top layer with plain chips underneath.

• Keep a watchful eye on the broiler.

Broilers can turn ooey, gooey, melty goodness into a burnt mess in seconds. Set a timer for about a minute and a half and keep an eye on your nachos the entire time.

If you know your oven runs hot, lower the rack slightly to avoid burning.

• Add cold toppings last.

Be sure to add cold garnishes like tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, and cilantro after baking once the cheese has melted.

Otherwise, they’ll make the entire pan of baked nachos go soggy!

Prep Ahead

• Shred the cheese
• Cook the beef
• Prepare any toppings

Kitchen Tools You Will Need

• Baking Sheet – Used for anything from cookies to roasting, a good baking pan will last for years.
• Skillet – This is my go-to pan that I’ve had for over a decade! It heats evenly and cleans up beautifully with a little baking soda so it still looks brand new.
• Wood Turner – My most used spoon or spatula in my kitchen! It’s amazing for sauteing vegetables and browning meat. 

Serving Suggestions 

I love serving baked nachos as a part of a larger appetizer spread for game day and other parties! 

They pair so well with Mexican street corn, chili lime chicken taquitos, smoked jalapeno poppers… and an extra side of easy blender salsa and homemade healthy guacamole!

Sometimes I’ll even make it a meal for Chad and Munchkin. Paired with Mexican red rice, street corn salad, some roasted bell peppers, and warm flour tortillas, you’ve got yourself quite the spread!

Don’t forget the frozen margaritas for the 21+ in the house too!

Storing and Reheating

My sheet pan nacho recipe is best enjoyed fresh — there’s no denying the chips will start to become soggy under the weight of all of those yummy toppings!

That said, don’t throw away your leftovers. The texture may not be exactly the same, but they will keep well for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Bring them back to life in the oven or air fryer so the chips crisp up and the cheese melts again for a quick snack! Preheat either to 350°F. It will take about 5 minutes in the air fryer or up to 15 minutes in the oven.

I wouldn’t freeze baked nachos, but you can freeze any leftover ground beef for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Sheet Pan Nachos Recipe FAQ

Enjoy!

With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.

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Originally published June 2025

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