Nachos

Name: Nachos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexico
Ingredients: 10 corn tortillas (about 10 oz / 280 g), gluten-free; 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable oil, for frying; 1 tsp (5 g) fine salt; 2 cups (225 g) shredded Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese (or Monterey Jack); 1/3 cup (80 ml) sliced pickled jalapeños (jalapeños en escabeche), drained; 1/2 cup (120 g) refried beans, warmed (optional)

Nachos Say it: NAH-chohs

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 8, 2026.

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Nachos are Mexico's simplest, most sociable snack: crisp fried corn tortilla chips covered in melted cheese and pickled jalapeño slices. They were created in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, in the 1940s, and the original is still the best — no sour cream, no guacamole, nothing that would soften the chips. Each chip stays crunchy under a blanket of cheese that stretches when you pull it away. Serve them hot from the oven, in the middle of the table, for everyone to share.

Nachos

Pronounced NAH-chohs

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 35 min
Level: Easy

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

For the chips

10 corn tortillas (about 10 oz / 280 g), gluten-free
3 cups (720 ml)720 ml (3 cups) vegetable oil, for frying
1 tsp (5 g)5 g (1 tsp) fine salt

For the toppings

2 cups (225 g)225 g (2 cups) shredded Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese (or Monterey Jack)
1/3 cup (80 ml)80 ml (1/3 cup) sliced pickled jalapeños (jalapeños en escabeche), drained
1/2 cup (120 g)120 g (1/2 cup) refried beans, warmed (optional)

Method

Cut each tortilla into six wedges. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot to a depth of about 2 inches (5 cm) and heat to 350°F (175°C); a tortilla wedge dropped in should sizzle at once and rise to the surface.
Fry the wedges in batches of 12–15 for 60–90 seconds, stirring gently, until they turn pale gold and feel rigid — they crisp further as they drain. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels and salt them while hot. Repeat with the rest.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) or turn on the broiler. Spread the chips on a baking sheet in a single loose layer, overlapping only slightly.
If using the refried beans, warm them with a splash of water until spoonable, then dot small teaspoons over the chips.
Scatter the shredded cheese evenly over the chips, letting some fall between them but keeping the layer thin enough to melt fully.
Bake for 6–8 minutes, or broil for 3–4 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted, glossy and bubbling at the edges — watch closely under the broiler so it does not brown too far.
Pull the sheet out and press the jalapeño slices into the hot cheese at once. Slide the nachos onto a warm platter, or serve straight from the sheet, immediately.

Regional variant: Nachos de picadillo (Piedras Negras style)

Brown 8 oz (225 g) ground beef with 1/2 chopped onion and 1 garlic clove, then add 1 chopped tomato, 1 tsp ground cumin and salt and simmer for about 10 minutes until thick. Spoon the hot picadillo over the chips before adding the cheese, then bake as above. Finish with the jalapeños and a scattering of finely chopped white onion.

Cook's notes

Day-old or slightly dry corn tortillas absorb less oil and stay crunchier.
Shred the cheese yourself from a block; pre-shredded cheese is dusted with starch and melts grainy.
Never pile nachos more than two chips deep — the ones underneath steam instead of crisping.

Serve with

Cold beer, a michelada or agua fresca; in Piedras Negras they are eaten as a shared snack before the main meal.

Make ahead and storage

The fried chips keep for 2 days in an airtight tin; assemble and melt the cheese just before serving, as nachos do not reheat well.

Nachos