Carne Asada Nachos

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These craveable carne asada nachos are loaded with pico de gallo, jalapenos, and avocado crema for fresh flavor in every bite. Make them for an appetizer, snack, or dinner!

A sheet pan of steak nachos.

If you know us, you know we love nachos. We’ve made recipes for all kinds of nacho platters, from BBQ pulled pork nachos to high protein chicken nachos to even beer cheese nachos. Which is why we couldn’t believe that we haven’t done a steak nachos recipe yet – until now!

These carne asada nachos are super fresh and flavorful. Inspired by our carne asada street tacos recipe, they’re loaded with plenty of cheese, tender bites of carne asada, fresh pico de gallo, jalapeno slices, and zesty avocado lime crema. 

Is your mouth watering yet? Because mine is.

Make them for an easy weeknight dinner (yes, we’re big fans of eating nachos for dinner), game day appetizer, or party snack – they’re easily shareable for holidays like Cinco de Mayo!

What This Recipe Entails

If you already have carne asada prepared, you can easily make these nachos in about 15 minutes. Otherwise, you’ll need to factor in time to marinate and grill the steak.

  • Marinating time (if making carne asada): 4 to 6 hours
  • Prep time: 5 to 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
Steak nachos with avocado crema.

Ingredients

  • Carne asada – The best steak for nachos is a flavorful marinated and dry-rubbed carne asada, which is typically made with skirt steak or flank steak. You can easily make this yourself (we have a delicious carne asada recipe on our site) with about 4 to 6 hours of marinating time and 10 minutes on the grill. Or, use restaurant leftovers to make this super easy!
  • Tortilla chips – Thick, sturdy corn tortilla chips work best for these loaded steak nachos since there are so many toppings! We love the Mi Nina brand chips here in New England.
  • Cheese – We recommend Mexican blend cheese for classic nacho flavor, but you can also use pepper jack or Monterey jack if that’s what’s in your fridge.
  • Fresh veggies – We always recommend making pico de gallo from scratch using fresh ingredients for the best flavor! We also like to add sliced jalapenos to these nachos for extra kick, but you can skip these if you have a low spice tolerance.
  • Avocado crema – Instead of sour cream and guacamole, we like to make a flavorful avocado crema with Greek yogurt and lime juice. It’s a bit healthier and tastes so good! Plus, we love how you can drizzle it across the entire plate of nachos, so there’s creamy avocado in every bite. It really ties all the flavors together.

How To Make Steak Nachos

  1. Prep the carne asada. If you’re making carne asada from scratch, make sure to marinate it ahead of time (it needs about 4 to 6 hours). Grill the steak and slice it into small, bite-size strips.
  2. Assemble the nachos. Spread the tortilla chips out into a single layer on a sheet pan, making sure they overlap slightly so there’s no gaps. Sheet pan nachos are our favorite because it means every tortilla chip gets plenty of toppings! Top generously with cheese, carne asada, pico de gallo, and jalapeno slices.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the toppings are warm.
  4. Serve. Drizzle the nachos with avocado crema and serve immediately. The contrasting temperatures of hot, cheesy nachos and the cold crema are a delight to bite into.
Carne asada nachos.

Serving Suggestions

  • Weeknight dinner – Believe it or not, steak nachos are surprisingly nutritious! They’re a super satisfying comfort food dinner that you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in. We love making them for a date night in and eating around the coffee table with our favorite TV show on.
  • Game day appetizer – Sheet pan nachos are perfect for sharing with friends and family while watching the big game. Whether it’s football, basketball, or baseball, we’re always happy to have a beer in one hand and nachos in the other.
  • Cinco de Mayo party food – What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with a shareable party platter of carne asada nachos? Serve these alongside your favorite tacos and a batch of spicy mezcal margaritas for a delicious fiesta.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

It’s hard to end up with leftovers when you’re eating nachos that taste this good. And nachos are definitely best enjoyed fresh! But in case you do, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days and simply reheat in the oven. Warm the nachos at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes and enjoy. (Pro tip: if you have extra crema in the fridge, give the nachos a fresh drizzle after they bake!)

Expert Tips

  • Prep a large batch of carne asada ahead of time, then have it ready to go for steak nachos (and other recipes like carne asada street tacos) throughout the week.
  • Make pico de gallo from scratch for the freshest flavor. It’s so easy and tastes better than store-bought!
  • For a professional-looking drizzle of avocado crema, use a piping bag or make one yourself out of a zip-top plastic bag. Simply cut off a small section of one corner to squeeze the crema through.

Try these fresh and flavorful carne asada nachos for a fun weeknight dinner or game day snack and let us know what you think by rating, commenting, and sharing below!


Love this recipe? You may enjoy these other nacho recipes, too:

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A sheet pan of steak nachos.

Carne Asada Nachos

Nicole Langdon
These craveable carne asada nachos are loaded with pico de gallo, jalapenos, and avocado crema for fresh flavor in every bite. Make them for an appetizer, snack, or dinner!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 servings
Calories 444 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Spread the tortilla chips out into a single layer on a sheet pan, making sure they overlap slightly so there’s no gaps. Top generously with shredded cheese, carne asada, pico de gallo, and jalapeno slices.
  • Bake the nachos for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the toppings are warm.
  • Drizzle with avocado crema and serve immediately.

Notes

Carne asada: The best steak for nachos is a flavorful marinated and dry-rubbed carne asada. Make some yourself using skirt steak or flank steak, or use restaurant leftovers to make this recipe super easy! Note that you’ll need about 4 to 6 hours to marinate and grill the steak if you make it from scratch.
Avocado crema: For a professional-looking drizzle of avocado crema, use a piping bag or make one yourself out of a zip-top plastic bag! Simply cut off a small section of one corner to squeeze the crema through.
Serving suggestions: Steak nachos are a great weeknight dinner, game day appetizer, or party snack! They’re super shareable and great for holidays like Cinco de Mayo.
Storing and reheating leftovers: These nachos are best enjoyed fresh, but if you do end up with leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days and simply reheat in the oven. Warm the nachos at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 444kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 26gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 502mgPotassium: 359mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 359IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 340mgIron: 2mg
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Keyword avocado crema, carne asada, cinco de mayo, game day, jalapeno, mexican cheese, pico de gallo, tortilla chips

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5 from 1 vote

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Recipe Rating




One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    When we want nachos for dinner, this is the perfect recipe! It feels more substantial and healthier than a lot of nachos because of all the fresh toppings. It’s like having carne asada tacos but in nacho form!