Steak Nachos Appetizer or Entree
Loaded with steak, cheese and peppers, Steak Nachos are tasty and satisfying. Liven up your snacking—or have a seriously fun dinner!
Gotta love appetizers! They make any event more festive and can even turn an old married couple watching the Superbowl into a party!
Yes, loaded with steak, cheese, peppers and more, Steak Nachos are a tasty and satisfying appetizer or entree. I even call them Steak Fajita nachos sometimes since they bear more than a passing resemblacne to the yummy dinner!
Now, not surprisingly, the dish is always a big hit! In fact, it was deemed my best Game Day food since Italian sausage stuffed mini peppers. Go Mom!
What are Nachos
Per Wikipedia “Nachos are a Mexican culinary dish consisting of fried tortilla chips or totopos covered with melted cheese or cheese sauce, as well as a variety of other toppings and garnishes, often including meats (such as ground beef or grilled chicken), vegetables (such as chili peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and olives), and condiments.”
Now there are a couple concessions I made to practicality in this recipe. First, I don’t pre-marinade the steak, but instead sprinkle with seasonings before “grilling” in my cast iron grill pan.
Then, instead of the traditional flank steak or skirt steak, I used sirloin since I had some left from last year’s quarter of grass-fed beef.
No nacho police in my house, just yum!
Why You’ll Love This!
Tasty. With juicy grilled steak, layers of cheese and flavorful toppings, these Steak Nachos are a taste sensation.
Hearty. I’ll down nachos simply with cheese and jalapenos. But really, nothing compares to this hearty version, topped with so many layers of goodness. Loaded nachos!
Healthy. Even though I (usually) call this an appetizer, it’s practically a balanced meal! That’s why we’ve had it for dinner too (shh).
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil. This is to sautee the steak and peppers. You can also use non-stick spray or another oil.
- Flank Steak. This is the steak fajita meat. You can also use skirt steak or sirloin. Even round steak might work in a pinch, though it may be a little tougher.
- Cumin, salt, pepper. This seasons the steak.
- Tortilla chips. This is the base for the nachos. Look for relatively unbroken chips for best results.
- Cheese. Use Monterey Jack or other mild, meltable cheese like cheddar or colby.
- Garlic, peppers, lime juice. Add flavor and nutrition.
- Cold Toppings. Cilantro, tomato, red onion, avocado, sour cream. You pick!
Special Tools
- No special equipment is needed.
Step by Step Directions
Heat frying pan and oil. Add steak to the pan and sprinkle with cumin, salt and pepper. Fry on each side.
Slice steak into strips.
Place a layer of chips in a 9 x 13 pan. Top with half of the grated cheese.
Add another layer of chips. Top with steak strips and remaining cheese, then place in preheated 400 F oven.
In the pan the steak cooked in, heat remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil. Add peppers and cook on medium high until limp. Add garlic and lime juice and cook for another minute.
When cheese is melted and chips are crisp, remove nacho pan from the oven. Top with sautéed peppers and remaining cold toppings (tomatoes, avocados, onion, cilantro, sour cream).
Enjoy!
How to Serve
Most of my family avoids hot food, so I skipped the hotter toppings in this. But if you’re feeding heat lovers, consider adding some jalapeños or serving a spicy salsa on the side!
Now, these nachos as already loaded with cheese, steak, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, onions and peppers. But other toppings and accompaniments that you can consider include:
- olives,
- lettuce,
- beans,
- corn,
- pickled red onions,
- guacamole,
- a variety of salsas,
- lime wedges,
- homemade queso
All yum!
For a beverage I’d serve a Mexican beer or a local craft beer. Or even a nice lime fizzy water or refreshing Mango Agua Fresca.
Variations and Special Diets
Now even though they are Mexican in origin, nachos are tasty and versatile enough for people to get creative! I’ve made Middle Eastern Nachos and a restaurant near us serves Irish Nachos!
See more ideas below from some of my blogging friends!
Preparation and Leftovers
To make preparation easier, you can cut everything up ahead of time.
This is not the best for reheating, but we popped our leftovers into a convection oven at 400 for a few minutes and it did get some crispness back. This is not suitable for freezing.
Tips & FAQs
To get my sour cream drizzled evenly, I like to put it into a squeeze bottle. And if you’re out of sour cream, you can substitute plain yogurt or omit.
A cast iron frying pan works well as a cooking and serving pan. You can also use a 9 x 13 baking pan.
Did you know that peppers freeze easily? I cut out the stem end, remove the seeds and cut them into 2-3 pieces to lie flat. Then it’s into a freezer bag until needed!
What kind of cheese is good for nachos? You definitely need a good melting cheese for your nachos. I used Monterey Jack. But cheddar and pepper jack are also good options and a combination can work well too.
Steak Fajita Nachos
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound Flank Steak or skirt steak or sirloin
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 bag tortilla chips
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or other mild meltable cheese
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups sliced peppers
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
Cold Toppings:
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro more or less to taste
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1 small red onion chopped or a jar of pickles red onion
- 1 avocado peeled, seeded and cubed
- Optional: pickled jalapenos spicy salsa, sour cream
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add steak to the hot pan and sprinkle with cumin, salt and pepper. Fry on each side until steak is about medium rare* (or just below desired doneness), knowing that it will cook about another level in the oven. Slice steak into bite-sized strips.
- Place a layer of chips in baking pan. Top with half of the grated cheese, then add another layer of chips. Top with steak strips and remaining cheese, then place in preheated 400 F oven.
- In the pan the steak cooked in, heat remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil. Add peppers and cook on medium high until limp. Add garlic and lime juice and cook for another mintue. Remove from heat.
- When cheese is melted and chips are crisp, remove nacho pan from the oven. Top with sautéed peppers and remaining cold toppings (tomatoes, avocados, onion, cilantro, sour cream if using).
- Serve immediately, perhaps with a side of spicy salsa or jalapenos for heat lovers.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published Nov. 10, 2019.
Loaded Nacho Recipes
- Breakfast Nachos by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Italian Meatball Nachos by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Loaded Vegan Nachos by Veggies First, Then Dessert
- Mexican Street Corn Nachos by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos by Sweet Beginnings
- Steak Fajita Nachos by Art of Natural Living
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Wow, this recipe sounds delicious! Such a great combination of juicy steak, melted cheese, and flavorful toppings. I love how this recipe is versatile and can be a hearty meal or a tasty appetizer. And with options for added toppings, there’s endless possibilities for a customized experience. Can’t wait to try it out!
I want this for dinner!! I never would have thought to put steak on nachos. I’ll have to start doing it!
Oh my goodness! These look off the charts delicious. We grew up cooking flank steak before it became expensive. It’s still one of my fave cuts of beef for it’s flavor.
I think you could make these regardless of the Green Bay Packers winning schedule… No one would complain! And, don’t tell the nacho police, but I would’ve use the steak you had in the freezer, as well.
Oh gosh, my family would be pretty happy with this meal too! And I love that it’s all healthy and so colourful. Great idea!
Ooo, I just realized that this is one of those rare dishes that will tick the boxes for both healthy and un-healthy eaters 😉 . How fun is that!
My family members are huge steak lovers, so this would be devoured at my house!
My husband was pretty happy!
I love nachos, and this one especially with the steak in it…looks delicious Inger.
Have a wonderful week!
Those look killer good. Love the shallow layer so no chip is an orphan!