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These are the ultimate steak nachos loaded with tender steak bites, black beans, and melted cheese. Pile them with your favorite nachos toppings like sour cream, avocado, black olives, jalapeño, and more. They clock in at 30 minutes or less, and they’re even faster if you use leftover steak!
Serve them up with a pineapple jalapeno margarita or skinny spicy margarita!
There’s nothing like a tray overflowing with nachos on a weeknight to get the kids excited about a weeknight meal, or to impress your friends when you host a party. This is the ultimate game day food, so pile them high with toppings and get ready for the compliments.
About once a month we do nachos on a Friday and eat it straight from the sheet pan around our coffee table while we watch a movie. This was inspired by my daughter because she loves steak and wants any excuse to eat sour cream. They’re so good she said, “Mom, I’m smashing this!” I have a feeling you’ll agree.
Why You’ll Love These Steak
- Layers of texture and flavor.
- Delicious way to use up leftover steak.
- Creative and easy weeknight dinner.
- Kids love them (even picky eaters)!
- Perfect for entertaining.
- Full of protein (a 3oz serving of beef has 25g protein)
Beef is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, from traditional Mexican favorites like carne asada, birria tacos, and shredded Mexican beef to modern creations like one pot taco pasta and birria ramen.
Ingredients You Need
The base of these easy steak nachos require three ingredients, then you can get creative with your favorite toppings. Jump to the recipe card for exact measurements.
Steak Nachos
- Steak: I used ribeye for it’s marbling and flavor. It’s can be pricey, so try some of the steak options as an alternative.
- Taco seasonings: a mix of homemade spices give the steak flavor.
- Chips: Avoid thin and crispy chips—they won’t hold up to the toppings. I like a good restaurant-style corn tortilla chip. We also make nachos all the time with Siete grain free tortilla chips.
- Beans: I love steak with black beans, but you could use refried beans or pinto beans.
- Cheese: the melted cheese holds all the steak and beans in place (easy scooping). Use fresh grated cheese for the best nachos. I like monterey jack cheeses or sharp cheddar cheese
Nacho Toppings
- Avocado, guacamole, or avocado crema
- Red onion, green onions, or pickled Mexican onions
- Fresh jalapeno or pickled jalapeno
- Sour cream (I stir in a little milk to thin it out like Chipotle’s)
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced tomatoes or pico de gallo
- Lime juice
- Shredded lettuce
- Store bought salsa or homemade corn salsa
- Hot sauce, jalapeño ranch, or taco sauce.
What Steak to Use
The best steak is going to be one that cooks quickly and has a lot of marbling and flavor. I used ribeye for its marbling, but a similar steak would be sirloin (preferably top sirloin). Skirt steak and flank steak are great options. Make sure to cut them both against the grain and into cubes before cooking.
Time Saving Tip: This is the perfect recipe to use up leftover steak. No need to sear, just cube it and add it to the nachos with the beans. Any kind of leftover steak works (like these affordable steak options).
Did you know? I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a number of Ohio beef farms and workshops to learn about our cattle and the best way to prepare it. There are over 17k farming families here! It’s why I love developing beef recipes!
How to Make Steak Nachos
Follow these step-by-step instructions or jump to the recipe card for the printable recipe.
- Prep the chips: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the chips out evenly (it’s cool if some overlap)
- Season the steak: Toss the cubed steak in a large bowl with olive oil and all of the taco seasonings.
- Sear the steak: Heat another Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. I recommend a cast iron skillet! Work in two batches to sear the steak for 2-3 minutes. Overcrowding the pan results in steam steak instead of crispy.
- Add steak to nachos: Arrange the steak on the nachos with black beans.
- Bake: Top the nachos with shredded cheese and bake for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese melts on the crispy tortilla chips. Be careful not to over bake so you don’t overcook the steak.
- Top and enjoy: load the nachos with all of your favorite toppings to take these sheet pan steak nachos to the next level. The more the better!
This post is sponsored by The Ohio Beef Council. Visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for beef nutrition facts, cooking tips, recipes and to meet Ohio’s beef farming families.
Important Tips
Avoid soggy nachos by making them right before serving. As the tortilla chips sit under the cheese and juicy meat, they’ll slowly soften, so get your toppings ready before you put them in the oven and serve quickly.
Spread the toppings evenly so each bite of nacho has toppings.
Complete Your Mexican Spread
Whether it’s Cinco de Mayo or taco night for dinner, I’ve got tons of Mexican recipes to complete the spread. You can’t go wrong with some of my favorites:
- Black bean and corn dip
- Mango margaritas
- Blood orange margaritas
- Grilled corn with elote seasoning
Steak Nachos Recipe
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Ingredients
Steak Nachos
- 1 (14-ounce) bag tortilla chips
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 lbs ribeye cut into 1/2-inch cubes (strip loin or strip steak work too)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces fresh grated monterey jack or cheddar cheese
Toppings
- Pickled red onion
- Diced tomatoes or pico de gallo
- Sliced black olives
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Sliced Jalapeno rounds
- Avocado
- Fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Prep the chips: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and spread the chips out in a single layer. It’s okay if some overlap.
- Season the steak: Toss the cubed steak in a large bowl with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and all of the seasonings.
- Sear the steak: Heat another Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, work in two batches to sear the steak for 2-3 minutes. It doesn't need to be cooked through because it will continue to cook in the oven. Transfer the first batch directly on top of the nachos and repeat with the second half of the steak.
- Bake: Spread the black beans on top of the chips and steak. Top the nachos with shredded cheese and bake for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Be careful not to overbake so you don’t overcook the steak.
- Top and enjoy: Gather all of your toppings while the nachos bake. Arrange your favorite toppings on top of the nachos and serve right away. I don't recommend storing these nachos after eating, but you can store leftover steak and beans in an airtight container.
Notes
Beef alternatives to steak: try shredded Mexican beef or ground beef.
Alternatives for black beans: swap in pinto beans or refried beans.
Alternatives for tortilla chips: use cassava chips, Siete grain free chips, or plantain chips. *Nutrition information is based on nachos with sour cream, cilantro, 1 sliced avocado, tomatoes, and olives.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
