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Easy Loaded Nacho Bar with Ground Beef and Queso

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A quick and easy loaded nacho bar featuring seasoned ground beef, creamy homemade queso, and all your favorite fresh toppings. Perfect for game day, weeknight dinners, or any gathering where everyone builds their own plate.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20 works best)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about ¾ cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup beef broth (low-sodium)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
  • 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded
  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 large bag (13–16 ounces) restaurant-style tortilla chips
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup canned corn kernels, drained
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado, diced or sliced
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2–3 green onions, sliced
  • Pickled jalapeños, to taste
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. Prep your toppings: Dice the tomato, slice the avocado, chop the cilantro, and slice the green onions. Drain and rinse the black beans and corn. Set everything out in small bowls.
  2. Cook the ground beef: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add ground beef and cook for 5-6 minutes until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain excess fat if needed. Reduce heat to medium, add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Pour in beef broth and simmer for 2-3 minutes until reduced and glossy. Ke…
  3. Make the queso: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in evaporated milk while whisking continuously. Cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Add shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese one handful at a time, whisking until melted. Stir in drained green chiles and cayenne pepper (if using). Add salt to taste. Keep warm over low heat.
  4. Assemble the nacho bar: Spread a generous layer of tortilla chips on a serving platter or sheet pan. Spoon half of the seasoned ground beef over the chips. Drizzle half of the queso over the beef and chips. Add another layer of chips, remaining beef, and remaining queso. Top with black beans and corn. Let everyone add their own fresh toppings—tomato, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, and pickled jalapeños. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Notes

Shred your own cheese for the smoothest queso—pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can make the sauce grainy. Layer the beef and queso between chips to ensure every chip gets topped. Use sturdy restaurant-style tortilla chips to prevent breakage. For a vegetarian version, swap ground beef for two cans of black beans or crumbled tofu seasoned with the same spices. Leftover beef and queso can be refrigerated separately for up to 4 days; reheat beef in a skillet and queso slowly on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Keywords: loaded nachos, ground beef nachos, queso, nacho bar, game day food, easy dinner, party food, Tex-Mex

Find it online: https://cookdella.com/easy-loaded-nacho-bar-with-ground-beef-and-queso/