Chili Nachos

Homemade chili nachos are crispy, cheesy, delicious, and flavorful. This modern twist on a Mexican classic features tortilla chips layered with cheddar cheese, chili, fresh cilantro, and sour cream for an indulgent, satisfying, and filling experience. They are my favorite way to use up any leftover chili in the fridge (but store-bought chili works too!). Serve this crowd-pleaser on Game Day or on Mexican Fiesta night and watch everyone immediately reach for seconds after their first bite.

Why You’ll Love Chili Nachos

• The best use of leftover chili. I love this chili nacho recipe because it works with any chili. Whether you like your chili with a lot of beans and beef (like in Slow Cooker Beef Chili or One Pot Chili) or with ground turkey and veggies, you can have these chili nachos your way. You can even make them vegetarian with Vegetarian Chili!
• Cheesy nachos with a classic cheese pull. This chili nacho recipe is really a guideline that can be easily modified. I think two cups of shredded cheese for one 12 ounce bag of tortilla chips is perfect — but you can add or subtract to your liking. If you want more cheese, then add more cheese. Less cheese? Go for it.
• Who doesn’t love quick and easy nachos? Seriously. Just like our popular Sheet Pan Nachos, these sheet pan chili nachos are ready in just 25 minutes. They are a quick meal that you can fit into your work-from-home lunch break, on busy weeknights on Fiesta night, or a classic on Game Day.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this easy homemade teriyaki sauce, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):

• tortilla chips - for the best results, you want sturdy, thick restaurant-style tortilla chips for these chili nachos. They’ll hold up better when it’s time to deliver the chili to your mouth!
• cheddar cheese - use any kind of cheddar that you like, whether that's white cheddar, yellow cheddar, or Monterey Jack. You can also use a Tex Mex cheese blend.
• leftover chili - this is a great recipe to use up any leftover chili like Slow Cooker Beef Chili, Vegetarian Chili, or One Pot Chili. You can also use store-bought chili for convenience.
• cilantro
• sour cream
• lime wedges - optional, for serving.

You don’t need to stop here. Get creative with your own toppings and consider adding your own favorite toppings, like:

• Queso Mexican Cheese
• Guacamole or avocados
• Pico de Gallo Salsa or tomatoes
• Mango Salsa
• corn
• jalapeños
• black or pinto beans

How to Make the Best Chili Nachos

1. Arrange chips and cheese. Arrange tortilla chips evenly in a single layer on a quarter sheet baking pan. Top with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat with another layer of chips and the remaining cheese.
2. Bake. Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the melted cheese turns golden brown and bubbly.
3. Add chili. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and spread chili evenly on top. Return the sheet pan to the oven and continue baking for another 6-8 minutes until the chili is warmed through. If your chili is already warm, then you can skip this step.
4. Add cold toppings. Top with cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges (if desired) and serve immediately.

More Tortilla Recipes

• Sheet Pan Nachos
• White Chicken Chili
• Beef Taco Salad
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Shrimp Taco Salad
• Beef Taco Soup

Recipe

Chili Nachos

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

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Description

Homemade chili nachos are crispy, cheesy, delicious, and flavorful. This modern twist on a Mexican classic are the best way to use up any leftover chili.

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Ingredients

• 12 ounces (350 grams) tortilla chips
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
• 1 + ½ cups leftover chili (beef chili or vegetarian chili)
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• lime wedges (optional, for serving)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Arrange tortilla chips evenly in a single layer on a quarter sheet baking pan. Top with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat with another layer of chips and the remaining cheese.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the melted cheese turns golden brown and bubbly.
4. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and spread chili evenly on top. Return the sheet pan to the oven and continue baking for another 6-8 minutes until the chili is warmed through. If your chili is already warm, then you can skip this step.
5. Top with cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges (if desired) and serve immediately.

Notes

Line your pan: You can use aluminum foil to line your sheet pan for easy clean-up. This trick never disappoints.

How to store: Store nachos in a ziploc bag and press out all the air from the bag, and in the refrigerator for up to a day or two.

How to reheat: Remove the cold toppings (sour cream and lime wedges) and place nachos on a quarter sheet baking pan. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and reheat in a preheated 300F oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese it melted and nachos are crispy. You can also reheat a small batch in the air fryer at 300 F for 5 minutes.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Snacks
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Mexican

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