Carne Asada Nachos

These loaded carne asada nachos bring restaurant-quality flavors right to your kitchen. The combination of juicy, seasoned steak and melted cheese on crispy tortilla chips creates an irresistible appetizer or casual dinner. Our carne asada recipe makes enough for multiple meals, making these nachos a smart way to repurpose leftovers. Perfect for game day or weekend snacking, these nachos rival our sheet pan nachos and chili cheese nachos for the ultimate crowd-pleasing dish.

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If you love these carne asada nachos, you’ll want to try our carne asada quesadilla and carne asada street tacos for other delicious ways to enjoy seasoned steak. For a complete nacho experience, check out our nacho bar toppings guide and make your own homemade tortilla chips for the freshest base to your loaded nachos.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Carne asada nachos are easy to customize and make the way you like. Besides some good, sturdy chips and cheese, you can add any of your favorite toppings.

In the printable recipe below, you can find a complete list of ingredients and measurements.

• Carne Asada: The star of these nachos is marinated, grilled skirt steak. You can prepare it using our carne asada recipe or substitute it with grilled marinated flank steak for a different flavor profile.
• Tortilla Chips: We recommend using thick, sturdy chips that can hold up to the toppings. Our homemade tortilla chips work perfectly, but store-bought thick chips are fine, too.
• Cheese: Combining shredded quesadilla cheese and cheddar creates the perfect melty texture. Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese makes a good substitute for quesadilla cheese. We suggest shredding your own since store-bought shredded cheese contains additives such as potato starch to keep the cheese from clumping. This can prevent the cheese from completely melting.
• Toppings: Fresh toppings add flavor, texture, and color. We use spicy pico de gallo, grilled avocado guacamole, sliced jalapeños, fresh cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges.

How to Make Carne Asada Nachos

Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.

Pro-tip: Arrange your chips in a single layer with slight overlap rather than stacking them. This ensures every chip gets an even distribution of toppings and stays crispy.

1. Prep the Carne Asada: Slice your pre-cooked carne asada against the grain into bite-sized pieces. These smaller pieces distribute better across the nachos, making them easier to eat.

2. Warm the Meat: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the steak pieces, and cook until heated and slightly crispy on the edges. Season for about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Layer the Nachos: Start with half the chips arranged in a single layer on a sheet pan. Top with half the cheese mixture and warmed carne asada. Repeat these layers with the remaining ingredients.

4. Bake: Place in a preheated 375°F oven for 5-7 minutes until the cheese melts completely.

5. Add Fresh Toppings: Remove from oven and immediately add jalapeños and cilantro. Serve with spicy pico de gallo, grilled guacamole, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can prepare the carne asada up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. The pico de gallo and guacamole can be made several hours ahead.

How to Store: Once assembled and baked, nachos are best eaten immediately. If you have leftover carne asada, store it separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.

How to Reheat: For best results, build and bake fresh nachos with leftover carne asada. If reheating assembled nachos, place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Layer strategically. Build your nachos thoughtfully to ensure every chip has toppings. This improves the eating experience and prevents anyone from getting a plain chip at the bottom of the pile.
• Grate fresh cheese. Preshredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can prevent smooth melting. Taking the time to grate your own cheese results in a creamier, more even melt across your nachos.
• Keep wet toppings separate. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo on the side. This maintains the crispiness of your chips and lets guests customize their portions to their liking.
• Watch the bake time. While your nachos are in the oven, keep a close eye on them. The high fat content in cheese means it can go from perfectly melted to scorched in just a minute or two.
• Use a rimmed sheet pan. This prevents toppings from sliding off during baking and makes it easier to transport your nachos from the oven to the table without spills.
• Get creative with toppings. We added black beans to our nachos, but you could also add refried beans, roasted corn, or grilled chiles and peppers.

Frequently Asked Questions