24 Toppings for Nachos and Some of Them Will Surprise You
The best toppings for nachos have been on my mind since I was a kid, when my favorite thing in the world was a movie with my mom and my sister and a tray of nachos between us. Back then they scooped you a real serving of nacho cheese sauce served witha. large ladle. It wasn’t whatever most theaters pour now, which depending on where you go tastes like overpriced plastic.
These days my favorite version is in the city. There’s a comedy club right below the Olive Tree Cafe, the Comedy Cellar, and I love going down there and getting their nachos.
I love nachos. I love them loaded with all kinds of things, so I put this list together to help you get creative just in time for football and every other game day or movie night.
What Toppings Go on a Nacho Bar
Five categories and you can skip any of them. Something melted, one or two proteins, beans or corn, a sauce to drizzle, and something sharp and cold at the end.
The one rule I actually follow is that anything wet stays off the tray until it comes out of the oven. Salsa, crema, pickled onions, all of it goes on at the table. That is the difference between nachos people love and a pile nobody can pick up.
The Best Cheeses for Nachos
Cheese is the foundation, not a topping, and the kind you pick changes everything. I use two, always. One that melts and one that does not.
Monterey Jack. Melts smoother than anything else. This is my base.
Sharp cheddar. For tang and color. Half Jack, half cheddar is the classic.
Oaxaca. Pulls in strings like mozzarella and tastes like Mexico.
Pepper jack. If you want the heat built into the cheese itself.
Cotija. Does not melt. Crumble it over the top at the end for salt.
Queso fresco. Same idea, just milder and a little creamier.
Smoked gouda. A small amount mixed in changes the whole tray.
Tip: Shred Your Own Cheese
I know it’s not fun, but keep in mind that pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose and potato starch so it does not clump in the bag. That coating is also what stops it melting smoothly, so you end up with greasy pockets instead of an even blanket. blah.
A block and a box grater take about two minutes and the difference is obvious the second it comes out of the oven.
Cheese Sauces to Pour Over the Top
Shredded cheese melts into the chips. A sauce goes over everything and gets into the corners, and when you’re thinking of toppings for nachos, cheese brings it all together, whether you’re going to a silky nacho cheese sauce, or melty kind like a cheddar and monterey jack, they’re all delicious.
I Made Homemade Nacho Cheese
Smooth nacho cheese with evaporated milk and real cheddar. Drizzle it over the chips before the tray goes in, then again right before serving. Warm it gently if it thickens.
Mexican White Cheese Dip (Queso)
White queso that stays creamy even as it cools. Most queso does not. Spoon it over the hot tray or set it beside as a dip, but do not bake it. It splits.
Protein Toppings for Nachos
Pick one. Two if you are feeding a lot of people. Chop everything small, since a big piece pulls the chip apart.
The Best 30-Minute Cheesy Taco Dip with Seasoned Ground Beef
Seasoned ground beef with roasted cumin and smoked paprika. Scatter it over the chips before the cheese goes on. Everything bakes together that way, and one pound covers a full sheet pan.
Cuban Beef Picadillo
Ground beef simmered with olives and warm spices. Drain off a little liquid first or the chips underneath go soft. The olives are what make it.
How To Make Homemade Beef Birria With Consome
Shredded birria goes on before baking. Keep the consome in a bowl for dipping. Pour it over the tray and you will flood the pan.
The Secret To The Best Carnitas Fajitas In The Oven
Carnitas roasted with peppers and onions. Chop it small and scatter it under the cheese. Crisp the edges in a hot pan first if you want crunch.
Chipotle’s Pollo Asado
Citrusy, charred chicken chopped fine. Lighter than beef. It goes on before baking so the cheese holds it in place.
Carne Asada Plate
Skirt steak seared hard and sliced thin against the grain. Add it after the tray comes out. It keeps cooking in the oven and goes tough.
Chimichurri Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs marinated in chimichurri and baked until the edges catch. Chop it and add it before baking. Save a spoonful of the marinade to drizzle at the end.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
Bright, garlicky chicken with plenty of lime. Chop it small and put it on before the cheese. My default when I want something lighter than beef.
Pick one. Two if you are feeding a lot of people.
Two of these are not traditional toppings for nachos. The rabo encendido and the lechon asado started as leftovers on a Sunday and now I make extra on purpose.
Rabo Encendido (Cuban Oxtail Stew)
Not a traditional nacho topping at all. Also one of the best ones I make. Pull the oxtail off the bone, shred it, and drain it well before it goes on. The sauce will soak your chips otherwise.
Citrusy and Garlicky Roasted Cuban Mojo Pork (Lechon Asado)
Also not traditional. Also very good. Pull the pork apart and crisp it in a hot pan for a minute, then scatter it on before the cheese. Straight from the fridge it goes soggy under all that heat.
Beans and Corn Outside of Your Traditional Toppings for Nachos
The part that fills everyone up, and the cheapest thing on the tray.
20-Minutes For The Best Canned Black Beans
Drained canned black beans straight from the tin work fine here. Twenty minutes with garlic and cumin makes them worth tasting on their own, and you notice it under all that cheese. Drain them well either way.
Elote Air Fryer Recipe
Street corn made in the air fryer, then cut off the cob. Scatter it over the tray after baking. Cotija and lime go on top of everything else.
Irresistible Baked Crack Corn Dip
Baked corn dip with cream cheese and a little heat. Spoon it on in dollops over the finished tray. You want pockets of it, not a layer.
No-Bake Crack Corn Dip
The same corn dip with no oven needed, which matters when every burner is going. Same rule. Dollops, after the tray comes out.
Salsas and Sauces to Drizzle
Every one of these goes on after the tray comes out of the oven. Put them in their own bowls and let people help themselves.
Pickle Pico De Gallo
Pico with pickles stirred in. Sharp, crunchy, the one people always ask about. Lift it out with a slotted spoon, since the liquid at the bottom of the bowl is what ruins chips.
The Perfect Spicy Colombian Sauce (Aji Picante)
Aji picante for anyone who wants real heat. Drizzle it in thin lines over the finished tray, or leave it on the side. A little goes a long way.
Chipotle-Inspired Adobo Ranch Sauce
Smoky adobo ranch, thick enough to drizzle without running off. Squeeze bottle if you have one, spoon if you do not. Ranch belongs on nachos. I will not be talked out of it.
Hogao
Colombian tomato and onion sauce cooked down slow. Spoon it warm over the tray right at the end. Cook it further than usual so it is thick enough to stay put.
Fresh and Pickled Toppings
These all go on last. Cold and sharp against everything warm and rich underneath.
Pickled Onions and Jalapenos
Sharp, bright, ready in about an hour. Lift them out with a fork and shake the brine off first. Then scatter them over the whole tray.
15-Minute Peppers and Onions
Fajita peppers and onions in fifteen minutes. Add them before baking so they warm through with the cheese. Pat them dry first if they look wet.
If You Like This You’ll Love These
Here are a few others I’ve made and loved:
Loaded Cheesy Beef Nachos for the tray all of this goes on.
25-Minute Seasoned Ground Beef since it is the base for most of this list.
40 Super Bowl Recipes for Game Day for everything else on the table.
45 Family Dinner Ideas When You’re Craving Mexican for the nights that are not a party.
If you try any of these toppings for nachos, leave a comment. I love reading your comments and will try to get back to every single one.
