Love appetizers for dinner? These loaded Ground Beef Doritos Nachos are the perfect meal-in-one snack. With a base of boldly cheesy Doritos and copious amounts of savory toppings, this crowd-pleasing dish is a must-make for casual meals or game day gatherings.
For a Doritos-inspired spread, pair these nachos with my Doritos Cheese Ball and Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing.
Abbey's Recipe Twist
Nacho cheese Doritos take the place of plain corn tortilla chips for added bold, cheesy flavor.
TL;DR: Recipe Highlights
What is it: Doritos are topped with savory ground beef, a healthy dose of cheese, and your favorite nacho toppings.
Why you'll love this: You can't go wrong with an extra layer of cheesy crunch. The combination of flavors and textures makes these nachos impossible to resist.
How to make it: Cook the ground beef with seasonings. Layer the Doritos, beef, and cheese, then bake until the cheese is melted. Garnish with various toppings and serve.
Level up your snack game with these Doritos Nachos. When you skip the plain tortilla chips and opt for bold nacho cheese Doritos instead, your taste buds will thank you!
These loaded nachos are everything you crave: savory beef, copious amounts of cheese, and a variety of fresh toppings, all layered on zesty, cheesy tortilla chips. From snack time to dinner time, these nachos never disappoint!
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Ingredient Notes
- Doritos: Cheesy Doritos add more flavor than traditional tortilla chips. Use your favorite variety, such as Nacho Cheese, Cool Ranch, Flaming Hot, Sweet Spicy Chili, or Salsa Verde.
- Cheese: Use good melting cheeses, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Colby. Always use freshly shredded cheese from a block for the best quality.
- Ground beef, chicken, or turkey can be used. For added spice, try Mexican Chorizo.
- Seasonings: Reach into your pantry for chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. For extra spice, add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper. In a pinch, you can use a taco-seasoning packet.
Toppings
I'm topping these nachos with chopped tomatoes, olives, jalapeños, scallions, avocados, and crema (a mixture of sour cream and lime juice).
Other tasty options include corn, guacamole, pickled onions, salsa, shredded lettuce, radishes, and cilantro. Get creative and add your favorites!
See the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations
These nachos can easily be customized to showcase different flavors. Pair ingredients that complement the flavor profile of the Doritos.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Nachos: Top Cool Ranch Doritos with chicken, bacon, pickled onions, and a drizzle of Ranch dressing.
- Loaded Beef and Bean Nachos: Layer refried beans, ground beef, and queso on spicy nacho Doritos.
- BBQ Chicken Nachos: Layer tortilla chips (or BBQ Doritos) with barbecue chicken, Colby Jack cheese, red onions, and corn.
- Spicy Vegetarian Nachos: Top Golden Sriracha Doritos with Monterey Jack cheese, refried or black beans, tomatoes, avocados, and scallions.
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Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Overbaking: Doritos burn more easily than traditional tortilla chips. It's best to bake them at a lower temperature (350-375℉) for 5-10 minutes and watch them closely.
- Uneven distribution of ingredients: Nachos are all about the cheese and other toppings. To ensure every chip is covered with cheese, etc, build the nachos in layers.
- Soggy nachos: To avoid soggy nachos, prepare them right before serving. Drain fat from the meat and excess moisture from toppings like tomatoes, corn, olives, and pickled onions before adding them to the nachos.
How to Make Doritos Nachos
Step 1: Add the ground beef and seasonings to a skillet set over medium heat.
Step 2: Cook until the beef is no longer pink, crumbling the meat as it cooks. Drain any excess fat.
Step 3: On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, layer half of the Doritos, half of the beef, and half of the cheese. Repeat the layers.
Step 4: Bake at 375°F for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Add toppings and serve.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Doritos add bold flavor and are also sturdy enough to hold the cheese and other ingredients.
For best results, nachos should be heated in the oven to melt the cheese. If you are using queso, the nachos do not need to be baked. Warm the queso before assembling the nachos and serve them immediately.
For optimal results, nachos are best eaten immediately after they are assembled. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove fresh toppings, if possible, before reheating the nachos in a 350℉ oven.
For the best texture, nachos should be baked in the oven. Heating Doritos and cheese in the microwave yields a softer, less crunchy texture.
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📖 Recipe Card
Doritos Nachos with Ground Beef
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Ingredients
Nachos
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 14½ ounces nacho cheese Doritos (or any Doritos variety )
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Toppings
- black olives
- tomatoes
- scallions
- avocado
- jalapeño
- crema (sour cream mixed with lime juice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Add the ground beef to a skillet set over medium heat. Season it with chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook the meat until it is no longer pink, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain excess fat. Set aside.1 pound ground beef, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, layer half of the Doritos, half of the beef, and half of the cheese. Repeat with a second layer.14½ ounces nacho cheese Doritos, 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Bake the nachos for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. After 5 minutes, keep an eye on them, since the Doritos can burn more easily than traditional tortilla chips.
- Garnish with your favorite nacho toppings and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use freshly shredded cheese for the best melting quality.
- Build the nachos in layers so that all of the chips are equally coated with cheese and meat.
- Use a sheet pan for easy heating and clean-up. Use a half-sheet pan for larger gatherings or a quarter-sheet pan for small batches.
- To prevent soggy nachos, drain the excess fat from the beef and any excess moisture from the other toppings.
- For optimal results, nachos are best eaten immediately after they are assembled. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove fresh toppings, if possible, before reheating the nachos in a 350℉ oven.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
SeattleGracie says
Been making these for awhile. I think I grew up on these exact nachos but decided to google to see if any other ideas for topping are out there and your recipe seems to be the way our family makes these. We sometimes go all out and add everything from canned chili to refried beans and taco seasoning packets to ground beef to plenty of cheeses to black olives and after of course sliced green onions and cilantro guacamole, dab of sour cream or salsa can be added as well.
We love these.
Abbey says
I love all of the topping ideas! That's what great about nachos - almost anything goes. Thank you for sharing and I'm happy to hear that you love these! Thank you for commenting and rating this recipe.