Crispy corn tortilla chips loaded with melted cheese, black beans and tons of veggies make a great meatless main dish or snack. These loaded veggie nachos are spread out and baked on a sheet pan to ensure that each chip is covered in toppings for the perfect bite.
If I had to choose only one type of food to eat for the rest of my life, hands down it would be Mexican food. And more specifically – nachos. To me, nachos are a perfect food. If you’re also huge nacho fan, you’re in the right place. These sharable sheet pan veggie nachos are perfect for game day, cinco de mayo, a casual get together with friends, movie night or really anytime because nachos always feels right.
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Why you will love these meatless nachos
You can create the most delicious combination of flavors and textures and there’s a million different ways to make them! Why you will love this particular nacho recipe:
- It’s easy and flexible with whatever veggies and toppings you have on hand.
- Gluten-free and perfect for casual entertaining or feeding a crowd.
- Veggie nachos make a hearty and satisfying meal or snack. So many toppings, you won’t even notice that there isn’t any meat!
- You get to scoop up a large, healthy serving of veggies on a crispy, cheesy chip – this is winning at life!
Why you should make your nachos on a sheet pan
Nachos, by design, are meant for sharing. However, have you ever been happily picking your way through a pile of nachos with friends and then you both awkwardly reach for the same perfectly topped chip? Even worse, you start at the top of the pile only to realize that under that first layer of toppings lies a mountain of sad, dry chips that never got the cheese they deserved. We can, and will do better. That’s where your trusty sheet pan comes in!
Sheet pan nachos means you can spread your chips out in a single layer and be intentional about evenly distributing the toppings, guaranteeing that every chip delivers the perfect bite. It’s an art and a science. Let’s make some nachos!
Ingredients
The best part about nachos is that you get to create your own adventure with your favorite toppings. This is the exact way I make my veggie nachos and I think you will love it!
- Corn tortilla chips – you want to pick a bag sturdy, thicker chips that will hold up to a lot of toppings. These Donkey Chips are usually my go-to and are available in most grocery stores.
- Whole black beans – Whole pinto beans or refried beans work too.
- Cheese – I usually go for Chihuahua cheese which is a mild Mexican style melting cheese that’s used in quesadillas. Monterey jack, pepper jack and Colby jack are also great melty cheeses. Cheddar cheese will work but make sure it’s not aged as it will have a much sharper flavor and not melt as well.
- Veggies – bell peppers, corn and red onion are my favorites. If it’s summer and you have zucchini coming out of your ears, dice some up and throw it on!
- Salsas – I love using both pico de gallo and a spicy salsa verde for freshness and some heat.
- Avocado – I mash an avocado with some lime juice, salt and cilantro to make a quick guacamole. Diced avocado works too! Avocado adds a rich, creamy texture that just really takes these over the top. This recipe is for two very generous servings and uses a whole avocado because there’s nothing worse than stressing about rationing your guac.
- Pickled jalapeños – a staple fridge item. I always have a jar.
- Sour cream – or I use plain greek yogurt most of the time as I always have it in the fridge!
- Cilantro – some in the avocado mash and some as garnish for a little herby freshness.
- Lime – for the avocado mash.
- Taco seasoning – totally optional but I stir some taco seasoning into my beans just to add more flavor! If you don’t have any taco seasoning, you could season with a little chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and oregano.
Method
Perfect nachos are all about optimal cheese-to-crunch ratio and even distribution of toppings. Baking them in the oven on a sheet pan is a great way to make sure each bite delivers maximum nacho satisfaction. Pretty much foolproof!
Line a quarter sheet pan or small baking dish with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Spread chips in a single layer in the pan. It’s ok if they overlap a little bit. If you’re doubling the recipe, use one of your large baking sheets or you can add a second layer of tortilla chips, cheese and beans like a lasagna to ensure every chip gets some love.
Finely dice red onion and bell peppers. You want to make sure that you the pieces are small so that they soften in the oven. Larger chunks will not have adequate time to soften with such a short cook time. If you’re using frozen corn kernels, make sure to completely defrost before adding to the pan.
Thoroughly drain canned black beans and stir in taco seasoning. Sprinkle the black beans in an even layer over the chips. Evenly sprinkle over little more than half of the cheese. Add the diced bell pepper, onion and corn on top of the cheese. Add remaining cheese on top.
Bake the nachos in a 400 degree oven for 9-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. You can drizzle and dollop the toppings all over the pan or serve them on the side in small bowls so everyone can choose their perfect bites. Serve immediately!
Tips for making the best nachos
- Layering is key. The perfect nachos always have an even distribution of ingredients.
- Hand shredded cheese melts better than the bagged stuff. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents that inhibits its ability to get super melty. If you need that cheese pull, bust out your cheese grater.
- Serve wet toppings like salsas on the side. Whenever I make these, it’s usually just us scarfing down a pan in front of the TV. If you’re making them for guests, serve salsas on the side to prevent the chips from getting soggy. Also, this way people can have a bit more freedom to choose how they like them.
- Nachos are meant to be enjoyed immediately. I’ve never had leftover nachos before but if you happen to, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and then warm them up in the microwave, air fryer or a skillet and top them with a fried egg to win breakfast.
- Variations – add some diced, roasted sweet potatoes to the veggie mix. Skip the pico de gallo and top with diced tomatoes. Make them even more visually appealing and mix in some blue corn chips for a true work of art. And of course, if you really wanted to, you could add in some seasoned, cooked ground beef or ground turkey for extra protein. But really, I promise that you won’t miss the meat in this recipe!
More vegetarian Mexican inspired recipes you will love
Loaded Sheet Pan Veggie Nachos
Ingredients
- 3 oz sturdy corn tortilla chips
- ¾ cup canned black beans or pinto
- ½ tsp taco seasoning optional
- 1 cups shredded chihuahua cheese
- ⅓ cup finely diced red bell pepper yellow or orange work too
- ⅓ cup finely diced red onion
- ½ cup corn kernels fresh or thawed from frozen
- 1 cup pico de gallo
- 1 small avocado
- 1 lime
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro half for avocado mash and half for garnish
- ¼ cup greek yogurt or sour cream
- your favorite salsa verde, pickled jalapeños or other toppings of choice to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f and line a quarter sheet pan or small baking dish with parchment paper.
- Spread the chips out in an even layer. It's ok if they overlap a little bit but if you're making a bigger batch, use a larger sheet pan or layer the ingredients.
- Mix taco seasoning into drained black beans. Spoon them over the chips, distributing evenly.
- Sprinkle about ¾ of the shredded cheese over the chips and beans.
- Sprinkle the corn kernels, finely diced red pepper and onion over the top of the cheese and add the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until cheese melts. It should be bubbly and maybe even a little bit golden brown in spots.
- While the nachos are baking, mash avocado in a small bowl and add cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños, avocado mash, a dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream and serve immediately.
Geo
I love nachos and this quick and easy recipe is now a go-to for me. Making them on the sheet pan is genius and appreciated how filling everything was!
Jazz
I think these are the easiest nachos I’ve ever made and so flavorful! Thank you!
Robin
I have a weakness for nachos and your veggie version did not disappoint. I’m going to make them again for a party I’m hosting at the end of the month.
Marta
I made these loaded sheet pan veggie nachos for my daughter and her study group last night. They said they were some of the best nachos they’ve ever eaten. Thank you on their behalf!