What makes these the Ultimate Steak Nachos and makes them better than any restaurant version out there? Two things really: They’re going to be piping hot and just perfect crunchy cheesy melty delish when you set them on the table and you get to put all your fave stuff on them! Beyond that, if you have peeps that want more of this or don’t like that, you can customize portions. Now that’s nachos for the win!
Ultimate Steak Nachos
There are other things that are pretty great about making your nachos at home. You can load these puppies up! Better than a restaurant. That def qualifies these nachos as Mega Dope ‘Chos! And when you eat them, you can relax and pig out if that’s your style. You can fight over that last cheesy bite. Argue about who got more guac or sour cream (and maybe you have more in the kitchen). And you got no worries about anybody at nearby tables looking at you all judgy like!
About Ultimate Steak Nachos:
When you’re not going out much, it’s fun to mark time by having something fabulous & fun at home now and then. Relax the rules, ok, you can keep some manners if you want, but keep it casual. This is actually probably something many people would think of as an “app” and truly it is, but there’s enough going on here to make it dinner if ya want. I mean, c’mon you have every food group covered. Well, if you classify tomato as a fruit!
There are your grains in the chips, there’s steak. There’s protein in the black beans & cheese (Yes, there are two kinds! And lots of it! Monterrey Jack and Cheddar) and in the Sour Cream, too. And there really is a sneaky amount of veggies! I always seem to choose pretty much the same things on my nachos unless I’m making some kind of specialty nachos like these Barbecue Pulled Pork Nachos.
I love me some black olives, just for the briny saltiness, maybe some kind of jalapeno, like my Easy Refrigerator Pickled Jalapenos and of course, some kind of avocado chunks or Guacamole (maybe this one or that one) along with my Classic Pico de Gallo. Most of the time when I make guac, all I do is toss a little of that pico in with my avocados, add an extra squirt of lime, and a little salt if needed rather than follow a recipe. Boom. And then that pico does double duty!
Mega Dope ‘Chos:
If you’re an upstanding adult, it might be possible that you may not have heard of Mega Dope Cho’s before. I, who don’t understand how my kids don’t get just how hip I am (j/k) even tho I keep telling them, came across the video below by accident one day and it has inspired me to up my nacho game!
And maybe it will inspire you, too. But first, I feel I really must apologize to you should you be brave enough to hit “play!” I know I have to apologize as well to any Michael McDonald fans, to any lovers of the song, “What a Fool Believes” as well as to the entire population of Mexico! (And maybe apologize to those who were subjected to this on my post for those Barbecue Pork Nachos already, lol!)
Just remember, the Wise Man chooses Nachos!! Mega Dope Chos!
Making Ultimate Steak Nachos:
While I think a little leftover steak is ideal for these nachos, if you need to make steak just for them you can make your favorite or check out some of mine on my main menu for Beef Entrees. Ideally, the steak shouldn’t be overcooked and should be well seasoned, tender, and sliced thinly against the grain and then into smaller pieces.
Your steak doesn’t necessarily have to be hot; that could really dry it out and make it tough and chewy, but stiff and ice cold from the fridge isn’t ideal. Take it out, thinly slice, and then let it sit as you prepare everything else. If it’s room temp it should heat through just right with the nachos.
As far as the cheese, use what you want, but I like Cheddar for the most flavor and Monterrey Jack for its great meltiness. And I don’t like to combine them, but layer them on one by one in little dollops. For best melting, grate your own.
Assemble in a skillet (or several) or on a sheet tray, layering chips, a little steak, black beans, olives, jalapenos, and the cheeses. Then repeat. Two layers work best, three at the most, just to make sure it melts all the way through. Even with three, I like to toss the nachos in the oven for a few minutes to heat through, then add the top layer. It’s so important everything be hot and bubbly in the middle before the outside becomes too done.
When finished, garnish to your heart’s content! Lay on that pico, that guac and sour cream! While it looks more dramatic in big piles, it might be more practical to dollop all over! I always save a few of the olives and jalapenos to sprinkle over the top and then serve the lime on the side.
I originally made this before our current crisis! I know some ingredients might be more difficult to find & this is perhaps just a bit extravagant! Please feel free to substitute to your heart’s content if needed; you can’t go wrong with Nachos!
Saving Money on this Recipe:
This is one of my go-to’s if I ever happen to have leftover steak. I love finding recipes that make the most of what can be a tricky leftover to work with once it’s been refrigerated. Do you ever think steak sits in the fridge, mocking you, saying I’ll never be as good as the first night? ‘Sides, if we do have leftover steak it’s usually not much and it seems like fabulous frugality to stretch it in a way that makes a whole meal out of it. I do have other ideas for steak leftovers, too. See my post Inspiration & Recipes for Leftover Beef & my post, Leftover Steak & Roast Beef.
There’s no doubt you’ll stretch your avocado a little further if you just use one or two and chunk them to sprinkle over the top, but there’s nothing like the sheer audacity of a good amount of guacamole to take these nachos next level. And the same with the sour cream. Shop well for avocado and pick up on sale. When you see a great price, buy some at varying degrees of ripeness so you’ll have them in a few days and maybe some the following week.
In some areas, block cheese is cheaper than shredded; it might just depend on what’s on sale. I like to stock up when it’s at a low, it keeps so well and it can be frozen in a pinch. It gets crumbly once frozen, so not so good for eating out of hand but it does melt normally. The sour cream is an item that goes on sale regularly and almost every holiday. Keep it covered while using and always use a fresh spoon. Store (make sure the seal is tight) upside down in the fridge and it will stay fresh for much longer.
If you do any frying, it’s amazingly cheap to make your own tortilla chips from corn tortillas, especially if you can reuse the oil for something else. You can check out my recipe, Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips if you need specifics.
If you have leftover ingredients, have a use for them in mind. Maybe add to a bowl with rice or layer into or on quesadillas or burritos. Extra pickled jalapenos and olives can be stored in their brine in the fridge for months. Don’t drain them and toss the brine if you’re going to have any leftover.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe today and that the song isn’t as stuck in your head as it is in mine! Take care and stay safe (and make yourself some Mega Dope Chos! I can’t think of a better use for those black beans piled in your pantry! 🙂
Mollie
Ultimate Steak Nachos
Ultimate Steak Nachos
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 large bag tortilla chips
- 6 to 8 ounces steak, cooked and sliced thinly across the grain then into small, bite-sized pieces
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup (or to taste) sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup (or to taste) pickled jalapenos
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces sour cream
- about a cup (or more) pico de gallo
- about a cup and a half guacamole
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Using sheet tray (or 2 large cast-iron skillets) assemble the nachos layer by layer. Chips, steak, beans, olives, jalapenos. Dollop the cheese on. Repeat as necessary, ending with cheese. Reserve a few jalapenos and olives for garnish.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling. If making more than two layers, stop at two layers and place in the oven for a few minutes to warm through, then remove and add the top layer. Toss back into the oven until everything is warm and bubbly.
Top with sour cream, Pico de Gallo and guacamole. Garnish with reserved olives and jalapenos.
Notes
These really are Mega Dope ‘Chos! The photo shows 1/2 of the recipe.
Keywords: Appetizer, black beans, cheddar, Cheese, Dried Beans, leftover steak, Lime, Monterey Jack, nachos, Olives, pickled jalapeno, pico de gallo, Red onion, Sour cream, Steak, tortilla chips
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I’ll be sharing this week at Fiesta Friday #327, an ongoing collection of recipes by multiple bloggers. Stop by if you have a chance and check it out.
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