These epic loaded steak nachos are the best appetizer! If you’ve ever wondered how to make nachos, this filling sheet pan nachos recipe makes it easy, with crunchy tortilla chips piled with juicy steak bites, corn, black beans, and heaps of melted cheese.
Serve these steak nachos on Mexican night or game day with a refreshing homemade margarita and a side of the best guacamole!

As a family of sports fanatics and football lovers, we spend most Sundays camped out watching the games. Most days, I make my garlic parmesan chicken wings, a big pot of chili, or my buffalo chicken quinoa bowls to sustain us. Lately, however, we’re all about indulging in these steak nachos baked on a sheet pan! This steak nachos recipe is BIG, BOLD, CHEESY, and the epitome of game day food. They’re made with layers of cheese, steak, veggies, and a drizzle of cilantro lime crema. In a word, they’re addictive! I’m obsessed, and so are my boys. I even made these nachos for dinner the other night.
What Makes This the Ultimate Steak Nachos Recipe
- It’s all about the layers. I mean, these nachos literally have layers upon layers of deliciousness! When you pull one chip away and it’s followed by a string of melted cheese, you know it’s gonna be good.
- Fully loaded. These homemade steak nachos come fully loaded with juicy bites of seared steak, tender veggies, beans, melted Mexican cheese, and a heap of tasty toppings. I include spicy jalapeños, avocado, and a tangy cilantro lime crema, but the options are endless.
- They’re super versatile. I’ve made these steak nachos two times in 3 weeks, and every time they turn out delicious, whether we eat them for dinner, as a game day appetizer, or as an after-school snack.

Ingredients You’ll Need
Growing up, on Sundays it was first church, then food and football, and honestly, not much has changed! I love whipping up a sheet pan of cheesy steak nachos using the ingredients below. I’ve included some quick ingredient notes. You’ll find the printable recipe in the recipe card after the post.
- Tortilla chips – You can make homemade chips if time allows, but I usually just use my favorite brand of tortilla chips (Central Market Red Quinoa & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips, they are the bomb).
- Cheese – I like to use a shredded Mexican cheese blend. Good cheese choices are cheddar, Monterey Jack, queso fresco, and Oaxaca cheese. The cheese is more melty and flavorful if you shred it yourself, but a package of pre-shredded cheese will also work in a pinch. You could also use Velveeta or store-bought nacho cheese.
- Oil – I use grape seed oil for searing the steak, but you can use any cooking oil you prefer.
- Steak – Flank steak is my cut of choice for steak tacos and nachos as it’s tender, easy to find, and ideal for a quick sear. Top round steak, skirt steak, and just about any cut will work, though. Steak nachos are also a great way to use up cooked leftover steak, like carne asada or steak fajitas.
- Black beans – You could also use pinto beans or kidney beans. I’ll sometimes use my easy Instant Pot black beans. If you’re using canned beans, be sure to drain and rinse them first.
- Sweet corn – Canned sweet corn kernels work well here, or you could shave the fresh kernels from grilled corn on the cob.
- Diced onion – I like to use sweet, mild red onion or white onion, but you could also use sliced green onions.
- Toppings – I add sliced jalapeños, avocado, and diced tomatoes to these steak nachos. See below for my easy crema recipe and scroll for more topping ideas.
Cilantro Lime Crema
- Greek yogurt – You could also use plain yogurt or sour cream. Mayo would be another option for crema with a richer flavor.
- Seasonings – Ground cumin and garlic powder, or you can use a blend, like taco seasoning. Add cayenne or chili powder for a spicy kick.
- Cilantro – Freshly chopped.
- Lime – Squeeze the juice from a fresh lime for the best flavor. Bottled works in a pinch, but it’s just not the same!

First, Prepare the Steak
I usually blend the crema in the food processor first, then sear the flank steak on the stovetop while the oven preheats for the nachos. It’s how I can have a pan of cheesy nachos warm from the oven in about 30 minutes or less! To pre-cook the steak:
- Season the steak on both sides.
- Next, sear the steak in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked to your liking. The exact time depends on the thickness of your steak and how done you’d like it to be. I usually aim for medium-rare.
- Rest the steak for 5 minutes off the heat before slicing it into thin strips or small cubes.

How to Make Steak Nachos
Layering nachos is an art, and. these layers are going to blow your mind! Trust me! You want each tortilla chip to have cheesy goodness and toppings, so you get the perfect balance in each bite. While the oven preheats to 450ºF, here’s how to layer nachos the right way:
- The first layer is tin foil. Although it’s not food, it’s equally important! Foil saves time on the cleanup side of things. You’re welcome. Make sure to spray the foil with cooking spray so your nachos don’t stick to the pan. After that, we start the good stuff.
- Add the chips. Start with a layer of your favorite tortilla chips or corn chips.
- Next, add a thin layer of cheese. About 1/3 cup. This is important because it binds your toppings to the chips.
- Add your toppings. In this recipe, I use black beans, corn, red onions, and of course, steak.
- Then, ANOTHER LAYER of cheese. Load it on this time. This is the cover to seal in all that deliciousness.
- Bake the nachos. Pop your sheet pan nachos into the oven and bake at 450ºF for 10-15 minutes. You want the cheese fully melted and the tortilla chips lightly browned.
- The FINAL layer goes on after the nachos come out of the oven. I like to top mine with a fresh pico de gallo or tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, fresh cilantro, and cilantro lime crema (instead of sour cream). See below. Make sure you have everything ready and chopped so that as soon as the nachos are done, you can garnish them and devour them. You want that cheese nice and gooey when you eat it!

Nacho Toppings
These are some more easy topping ideas for homemade nachos:
- Queso blanco or chili con queso
- Roasted tomato salsa
- Avocado salsa verde (green salsa)
- Pineapple salsa (for a sweet-spicy contrast!)
- Crumbled cotija cheese
- Cooked diced bacon
- Grilled vegetables
Of course, this recipe is flexible. Feel free to swap in your family’s favorite Tex-Mex ingredients, and you can even make chicken nachos or ahi tuna nachos instead of steak.
What To Serve With Homemade Steak Nachos
Wash down these steak nachos with frozen mango margaritas or a paloma cocktail, and keep them company with more easy appetizers like grilled shrimp (for a surf-and-turf moment), buffalo chicken wings, and cheesy bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeños. Check out more of my favorite game day appetizers and cocktails.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate the steak and toppings separately. Whenever possible, refrigerate your nachos toppings and the cooked steak in separate airtight containers. The nachos don’t store well once they’re baked, as the chips become soggy over time.
- Store leftover nachos. That being said, if you need to store leftovers, keep the nachos airtight in the fridge for a day or two.
- Reheat. Transfer the nachos back to a lined sheet pan and reheat them in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through. You could also use your air fryer if you have one.
Let’s just say you can’t go wrong with steak, melted cheese, and avocado! You’re gonna love this sheet pan steak nachos recipe. Bon appétit, friends!
More Game Day Appetizers

Steak Nachos Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
These are the best steak nachos with layers of cheese, juicy steak, veggies, and a drizzle of cilantro lime crema. These epic nachos make the perfect easy weeknight dinner or game day appetizer!
Ingredients
- 30–40 tortilla chips
- 8 oz. shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 tablespoons of grape seed oil
- 1 lb. flank steak
- salt & pepper to season
- 1/2 cup low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup no salt no sugar sweet corn (I used corn from can)
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 roma tomato, diced
Cilantro Lime Crema:
- 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- To make the Cilantro Lime Crema, add the following to a small food processor greek yogurt, cumin, garlic powder, cilantro and lime juice. Blend until the cilantro is finely chopped and smooth. Set aside.
- Season both sides of flank steak with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add grape seed oil to the pan and add seasoned flank steak to the pan. Sear each side for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from skillet and place on cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice steak into small cubes.
- Next, line a baking sheet with tin foil. Spray tin foil with cooking spray.
- Spread tortilla chips out on prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of cheese to the tortillas. Then add black beans, corn, red onion and cubed flank steak.
- Add remaining cheese to the top.
- Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Until cheese is melted and tortilla chips are slightly browned.
- Remove nachos from the oven and top with sliced jalapeno, roma tomato, avocado and drizzle with cilantro lime crema.
- Serve!