10 Super Bowl Nacho Recipes You Definitely Need
Sunday evening's Super Bowl LVII pits the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs, ending the 2022 NFL season and marking the 57th year of the big game. According to Statista, over 99 million Americans watched last year's game, where the Los Angeles Rams edged out a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. While the game promises to be exciting this year, especially if you're from Philly or K.C., most of us will watch the game for the commercials, halftime show, and the delicious snacks we are promised.
Super Bowl Sunday is historically one of the biggest party days of the year, and for most, the food takes center stage. Along with classics like pigs in a blanket and potato skins, nachos are always a big hit. The combination of salty tortilla chips blanketed in melted cheese and studded with beans and seasoned meat is irresistible, especially when there are cool toppings like creamy sour cream, fresh pico de gallo, and chunky guacamole to dip the loaded nachos into.
While traditional Mexican nachos are delicious, we've rounded up a list of both classic and unconventional nacho recipes, including a few sweet dessert options you can add to this year's Super Bowl menu.
1. Poke Nachos
Sushi lovers will surely appreciate this mashup between ahi tuna poke bowls and traditional nachos. Created by recipe developer Erin Johnson, poke nachos use fried wonton wrappers as the base instead of tortilla chips, and are "spicy, sweet, and savory all in one." Wonton wrappers, sold at most grocery stores or Asian markets, are deep-fried and topped with cubes of marinated ahi tuna, seaweed salad, and spicy mayonnaise for layers of flavor and texture. Poke nachos are best eaten immediately.
Recipe: Tuna Poke Nachos
2. Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos
If you're looking for more of a meal, look no further than these easy-to-assemble sheet pan chicken nachos. Recipe developer Christina Musgrave saves time and adds flavor and protein by shredding store-bought rotisserie chicken to create these nachos. You'll simply layer an entire bag of tortilla chips with shredded rotisserie chicken, a can of black beans, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced tomato, jalapeños, diced red onion, and cilantro for the perfect combination of hot and crunchy with cool and fresh ingredients.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos
3. Irish Nachos
Move over corn tortilla chips and make room for crispy potatoes topped with all the fixings. According to British recipe developer Susan Olayinka, nachos are "mostly an American dish," whereas potato skins are a typical UK pub food. This dish combines both and is perfect for Sunday's big game. Thick slices of potato are cooked in bacon fat before receiving a generous serving of melted shredded cheese. These cheesy "chips" are then topped like traditional nachos with sour cream, sliced scallions, and salsa. Olayinka adds crumbled bacon on top since potatoes, bacon, and cheese are a winning combination. As an alternative, try using thick-cut steakhouse-style French fries as the base.
Recipe: Irish Nachos
4. Sheet Pan Tex-Mex Nachos
Made right, nachos are the perfect combination of textures, temperatures, and tastes with warm salty, crispy chips, hot melted cheese, and tangy toppings like sour cream and guacamole. Recipe developer Melissa Olivieri created this sheet pan recipe that combines all the classic nacho ingredients like taco-seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce, cilantro, olives, and diced tomatoes, although the recipe can be vegetarian. This recipe is simple enough for beginner cooks with the bonus of a quick clean-up.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Tex-Mex Nachos
5. Loaded Baked Potato Totchos
Totchos are nachos that use tater tots instead of tortilla chips, similar to our Irish nachos but even easier to make. Totchos are made by cooking tater tots according to the manufacturer's directions in the oven, stove, or air fryer before layering on the toppings. Melt shredded cheese on top, then add lettuce, diced tomato, or any ingredient on hand to make party food the whole family will love. Liz Capozzoli's recipe takes inspiration from loaded baked potatoes, and piles on bacon, scallions, and sour cream.
Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Totchos
6. Steak Nachos
While your family won't remember the meal you prepared on Tuesday that took three hours to cook, they will be bragging to all their friends when you serve these succulent steak nachos for dinner. Recipe developer Michelle Morey marinates flank steak with taco seasoning before grilling the lean cut. Tortilla chips are layered with diced steak, refried beans, cheddar cheese, and any leftover veggies hanging out in the refrigerator until the cheese has melted and everything is heated. The steak nachos are then garnished with fresh ingredients like diced tomatoes, red onion, guacamole, and cilantro for a complete meal or hearty appetizer.
Recipe: Steak Nachos
7. Breakfast Nachos
Everyone loves breakfast for dinner, so why not try breakfast nachos? Instead of the typical tortilla chips, these breakfast nachos begin with a layer of waffle fries, cooked in the oven or air fryer until crispy outside and tender inside. Waffle fries are thicker and broader than other French fries, making them an excellent option for nachos. The fries are topped with crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, black beans, and shredded cheese and finished with a dollop of salsa and guacamole. Feel free to use other breakfast meat like crumbled sausage or chorizo, or skip the meat entirely and make the dish vegetarian.
Recipe: Breakfast Nachos
8. Dessert Nachos
Next time you're entertaining, whip up a tray of dessert nachos for a creative and memorably sweet ending to your meal. Pita bread is cut into triangles, brushed with vegetable oil, and coated with cinnamon sugar before toasting in the oven. The homemade sweet chips are then used as edible spoons to scoop up the layers of ice cream, hot fudge, raspberry sauce, whipped cream, and whatever candy you have on hand. This dish is great for leftover Halloween, Christmas, or Easter candy.
Recipe: Dessert Nachos
9. Copycat Taco Bell Triple Layer Nachos
Taco Bell's legendary triple-layer nachos are easily recreated at home using just five store-bought items. Mashed recipe developer Lindsay Mattison taste-tested her way through the investigation to uncover the exact brands to use for the ultimate copycat Taco Bell nachos. Thanks to her, we now know a bag of On the Border tortilla chips, Tostitos queso dip, Rosarita organic refried beans, milk, and Ortega taco sauce are all we need for perfect Taco Bell-inspired nachos.
10. Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Nachos
Nutritionist and recipe developer Kristen Carli's slow-cooker creamy chicken nachos combines boneless, skinless chicken breasts, taco seasoning, black beans, a can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, and cream cheese to create a creamy, shredded chicken mixture you can top everything from tortilla chips to baked potatoes or pasta. Simply combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and go about your business for the next four hours. When you return, the crock pot will have done all the work, creating moist and flavorful shredded chicken with minimal effort.