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Easy Sheet Pan Nachos with ground beef are a fun and quick family dinner! Tortilla chips loaded up with juicy taco meat, refried beans, melty cheese and all your favorite toppings. This meal comes together in 30 minutes and is large enough to feed a crowd.
Crispy, Cheesy, and Loaded: Sheet Pan Nachos for the Win
Nachos are easily in my top two favorite dinners to make for the family—right behind tacos, of course. A big sheet pan loaded with crispy chips, melty cheese, and all the toppings? That’s an automatic win.
They’re ridiculously easy to throw together, perfect for feeding a crowd, and endlessly customizable. Load them up however you like, pop them in the oven, and boom—dinner’s ready.
Why You Will LOve This Recipe
✔ Quick & Easy – Minimal prep, simple assembly, and ready in no time. Perfect for busy nights!
✔Crowd-Pleasing – Whether it’s family dinner, game day, or a casual get-together, everyone loves nachos.
✔Customizable – Load them up with your favorite toppings—extra cheese, spicy jalapeños, guac, whatever you love.
✔Less Mess – Everything bakes on one sheet pan, making cleanup a breeze.
✔Crispy, Cheesy Perfection – The ideal balance of crunchy chips, melty cheese, and flavorful toppings in every bite.
✔Great for Sharing – Just place the pan in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground Beef: Ground beef cooks up quickly for an easy meal, but you can also substitute with our Shredded Mexican Chicken, Shredded Mexican Beef, or other taco filling recipes.
- Taco Seasoning: Use your favorite store-brand or use our Homemade Taco Seasoning blend.
- Refried Beans: These can be a store-bought canned version, our homemade refried beans, refried black beans, or substitute with whole pinto beans.
- Cheese: A combination of grated cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack gives a nice flavoring and both melt nicely. You could also substitute with a queso or cheese sauce if you would prefer.
- Tortilla Chips: Use store-bought or our Homemade Tortilla Chips.
How to make Sheet Pan Nachos
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
- First, heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Cook the ground beef breaking it up while it cooks. Drain any excess grease. Add in the taco seasoning, then pour in the water. Stir to combine.
- Meanwhile, add the tortilla chips to a large baking sheet. Spread into an even layer.
- Spoon on the refried beans. Then, spread the taco meat on top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. If using fresh jalapeno add it now so it roasts. Canned or jarred jalapenos can be added after baking.
- Bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is fully melted.
Tips for the Best Nachos
- Layer Like a Pro – Spread the chips in an even layer and add cheese between layers to avoid the dreaded topping-less chips at the bottom.
- Use Sturdy Chips – Thin chips will get soggy fast. Instead, use thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips for the best crunch.
- Melt Cheese First – Bake the chips with cheese, meat, and beans first, then add fresh toppings like salsa, guac, and sour cream after baking to keep everything crisp.
- Customize to Your Crowd – Serving a group? Use the sheet pan to make sections—one spicy, one mild, one loaded with meat, and one veggie-packed—so everyone gets what they love.
Topping Ideas
There are many toppings that can be included to make these ground beef nachos the perfect meal for your family. Some ideas include:
- More Veggies: Diced tomatoes, diced onion, roasted corn, or fajita vegetables
- Salsas– Try the classic Restaurant Style Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Chipotle style Roasted Corn Salsa, Mango Salsa, Salsa Verde, or Pineapple Salsa.
Leftovers & Storage
Nachos are definitely best fresh, but if you find yourself with leftovers (rare, but it happens!), here’s how to handle them:
- Storage: Nachos don’t store well once assembled, but if you have leftover toppings, store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can always build a fresh batch later!
- Reheating: Skip the microwave—it makes the chips soggy. Instead, spread the nachos on a baking sheet and reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the chips crisp back up.
- Avoid Soggy Nachos: If you know you’ll have leftovers, keep some toppings—like sour cream, guacamole, and salsa—off to the side and add them fresh when you reheat.
Watch How To Make
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Sheet Pan Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 easy homemade taco seasoning or 1 taco seasoning packet
- ½ cup water
- 15 ounces refried beans
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
Toppings:
- Guacamole
- ½ cup Sour cream
- 1 tomato diced
- 2 cup lettuce shredded
- ¼ cup olives sliced
- 1 jalapeno sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Heat medium sized skillet over medium heat. Cook the ground beef breaking it up while it cooks. Once browned, drain the grease. Add in the taco seasoning, then pour in the water. Stir to combine.
- Add the tortilla chips to a large baking sheet. Spread into an even layer.
- Spoon on the refried beans. Spread the taco meat on top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. If using fresh jalapeno add it now so it roasts. Canned or jarred jalapenos can be added after baking.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes until the cheese is fully melted.
- Remove from oven and top with desired toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- Ground Beef: Ground beef cooks up quickly for an easy meal, but you can also substitute with our Shredded Mexican Chicken, Shredded Mexican Beef, or other taco filling recipes.
- Taco Seasoning: Use your favorite store-brand or use our Homemade Taco Seasoning blend.
- Refried Beans: These can be a store-bought canned version, our homemade refried beans, refried black beans, or substitute with whole pinto beans.
- Cheese: A combination of grated cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack gives a nice flavoring and both melt nicely. You could also substitute with a queso or cheese sauce if you would prefer.
- Tortilla Chips: Use store-bought or our Homemade Tortilla Chips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Easy Mexican Meals
Recipe first posted March 30, 2018. Updated April 7, 2020 and April 17, 2024.
Photography by KJandCompany.co
It was fast, easy and delicious! Will definitely make again. I made it with the homemade taco seasoning for the Hb meat and it was delicious too.
Everyone loved it and was impressed😊 so thank you! I’ve been craving nachos and this definitely helped my craving and exactly what I wanted
Just a thought…I would also add whole kidney beans and roasted kernel corn for a dinner recipe.
But the original recipe is great “finger food ” for “appetizer menu.
Great ideas! Thanks Patti.