The Best Griddle Nachos with Ground Beef
This griddle nachos recipe gives you the best cheesy, beefy nachos with ground beef taco meat and perfectly melted cheese – my foolproof method for making nachos on the griddle!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef 80/20 or 85/15
- 2 1-oz packages taco seasoning like Old El Paso Original Taco Seasoning
- 1-1½ cups nacho cheese sauce or substitute Mexican-style white queso dip
- 12 oz tortilla chips
- 2 cups shredded cheese like Mexican blend
- nacho toppings: pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, taco sauce, pickled jalapenos
Instructions
- Heat griddle or flat top grill on medium heat to about 375-425℉.
- Spread the ground beef out a bit and let cook undisturbed until browned and slightly crispy on the bottom, about 4-5 minutes. Then use your griddle spatula to break up the beef into small crumbles, mix so that it cooks evenly, and finish browning.
- As the beef cooks, add the cheese sauce to a small saucepan. Place the saucepan on the side of the griddle to warm the cheese dip, stirring occasionally.
- When there's no more pink in the beef crumbles, use two spatulas to scoop up piles of the beef, and hold the spatulas in a “V” shape for the excess grease to drain out. As you drain it, move the beef to the side of the griddle. Scrape excess grease into the grease tray, and then move the beef back to the center of the griddle.
- Season the beef crumbles with taco seasoning, according to package instructions. *Most taco seasoning packets call for adding a good bit of water to the drained beef. Stir the beef so the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Spread the seasoned beef into a large even rectangular shape on one half of the griddle. Sprinkle evenly with the shredded cheese. Add a few squirts of water around the ground beef to create steam, and immediately place a dome on top for the cheese to melt. *You can also cover the griddle with the lid if you have one.
- Once the cheese has melted, turn the griddle off - there should be enough residual heat to finish the nachos.
- Spread the tortilla chips out over the half of the griddle that doesn't have the beef. Pour the melted cheese sauce over the chips.
- Use your spatula to scoop up the nacho meat with melted cheese, and transfer to the tortilla chips. *See notes.
- Add nacho toppings like pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and taco sauce. To serve, simply use your spatula to remove a portion of the assembled nachos from the griddle and transfer to a plate.
Notes
- Transferring the beef and cheese to the chips - It’s easiest to use two spatulas to transfer the ground beef to the top of the tortilla chips. Use one spatula to scoop up a bit of the beef, and use the other spatula to push the beef off and on top of the chips. This method helps to keep your melty cheese in tact.
- Add black beans to stretch the meat – Want to use less ground beef and save some money? Mix in a can of drained black beans with the ground beef before adding the taco seasoning. We do this often!