These Vegetarian Loaded Nachos are a great party appetizer, and they come together in no time if you have the ingredients ready. Make these for house parties, game nights, or BBQs.
Here are some more homemade appetizer recipes: Kalamata Olive Tapenade, Black Bean Hummus, Cajun Potatoes, Cajun Fried Corn, and Gochujang Wings.
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About Vegetarian Loaded Nachos
Imagine nicely baked tortilla chips topped with refried beans, black beans, corn kernels, guacamole, Jalapeno, sour cream, tomato salsa, and not to forget the generous smothering of cheddar and gouda cheese – well, that’s Vegetarian Loaded Nachos for you!
Loaded Nachos are cheesy, spicy, and crunchy and a favorite among adults and kids.
The good news is that making this yummy appetizer at home is pretty basic. You can make the toppings like salsa, guacamole, and refried beans from scratch or buy them out to save time.
Serve homemade vegetarian loaded nachos for house parties, game nights, super bowl, movie nights, or BBQs.
These delicious loaded nachos are also a huge hit at cinco de mayo parties.
This cheesy nachos recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. Make sure to use a bigger tray for baking if scaling the recipe.
Ingredients
Nachos (Tortilla Chips) – Many flavors and brands are available in the market. Use thicker, sturdy tortilla chips, as the thinner ones will get soggy easier. I used Doritos in this recipe.
You can also go for baked nachos for a healthier appetizer.
Cheese – I like to use two types of cheese to make my recipe, Gouda cheese and Cheddar cheese.
The sweet and nutty taste of Gouda cheese tastes really well with the sharp and pungent flavor of Cheddar cheese.
These days, a special nacho blend is available in many supermarkets. You can use it too.
You can also use processed cheese like Amul or Brittania cheese in this recipe.
Avoid pre-packaged shredded cheeses as they are coated with an anti-clumping agent, inhibiting their ability to melt well.
Tomato Salsa and Guacamole are the star toppings in this recipe. I like to make mine at home as the taste of homemade Tomato Salsa and Guacamole is incomparable and super easy to make. Homemade salsa (pico de gallo) and guacamole are more economical than store-bought jars.
Having said that, you can buy them out if you have a time crunch.
You can also experiment with different types of salsa instead of Tomato salsa. Salsa Verde also tastes excellent over this ultimate appetizer.
Others – You will also need corn kernels, refried beans, sour cream, Jalapeno peppers, and fresh cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
You can check out my recipe for Sour Cream and Refried Beans here.
You can sprinkle some homemade taco seasoning or drizzle a little hot sauce on top for a spicy kick.
How To Make Vegetarian Loaded Nachos
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Spread 7 oz (200 g) tortilla chips on a 9×13-inch baking tray.
Top with
- ¾ cup of refried beans
- ¼ cup corn kernels
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of shredded gouda cheese.
Top with
- 7 oz (200 g) tortilla chips
- ¾ cup of refried beans
- ¼ cup of corn kernels
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of shredded gouda cheese.
Put the tray in the middle rack of the pre heated oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Take out the tray from the oven and top it with
- ¼ cup sliced jalapeño
- ½ cup tomato salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup guacamole
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro.
Serve immediately.
Pro Tips By Neha
Tortilla chips can burn quickly, so ensure you don’t overbake them. As soon as they start to brown, you should take them out of the oven!
Adjust the Jalapeno as per your taste.
You can also top the nachos with pitted and sliced black olives, green onions, chopped red onions, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, etc.
You can make a nonvegetarian version by topping them with spicy lean ground beef, leftover taco meat, or shredded grilled chicken.
You can choose your favorite toppings and skip adding the ones you are not fond of.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make the basic tomato salsa, finely chop tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro and mix them well.
Add lemon juice and salt, and let the salsa sit for an hour. I have a delicious Roasted Tomato Salsa recipe on the blog which will go beautifully on these nachos. You can try it too.
To make guacamole, remove the skin and seed of the avocado and lightly mash the pulp with your fingers.
Add chopped red onion, tomatoes, minced garlic, cilantro, green chili, salt, roasted cumin powder, and lemon juice, and mix well. Here is a detailed Guacamole Recipe for you all.
I have used cheddar and gouda cheese, but you can also use mozzarella cheese, Monterey jack cheese, Gruyere cheese, Fontina cheese, etc. Any cheese that melts well works in this recipe.
There is a special nachos blend available in some supermarkets these days. You can try that as well.
To make the nachos healthier, substitute the tortilla chips with baked sweet potatoes, zucchini chips, raw banana chips, sweet potato chips, beetroot chips, etc. You can add more salsa, beans, and guacamole and reduce the quantity of sour cream and cheese.
If kept longer, the nachos will become soggy because of the toppings and won’t taste good. Instead, you can prep the ingredients, such as tomato salsa, guacamole, etc., and store them in the fridge.
Assemble everything when you want to serve and bake them fresh.
Tortilla chips are prepared with corn, which is naturally gluten-free. But you should always double-check the labels before buying any nacho chips until you make them home. For a safer option, you can buy certified gluten-free nacho chips. Other ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free too.
This is always an issue while making loaded nachos. To avoid it, always layer the nachos chips with shredded cheese and add the extra toppings. The melted cheese cools down slightly, making a layer between the chips and the topping, thus saving the nachos from turning soggy immediately.
To make vegan nachos, you can use vegan queso made with cashew nuts and nutritional yeast instead of cheese. It gives the nachos a similar cheesy and creamy texture. Other ingredients used in this recipe are vegan-friendly.
Storage Suggestions
Loaded Nachos are best when eaten hot out of the oven.
You can prep all the ingredients the day before (make the salsa, cook the beans, and chop the produce) and store them separately until you’re ready to assemble and bake the Nachos.
If you have leftover nachos, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for no more than a day.
To reheat, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and reheat them in the oven until the cheese has melted. Make sure you watch, so the tortilla chips don’t burn!
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Recipe Card
The Best Vegetarian Loaded Nachos Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 ounce tortilla chips (400 g, divided)
- 1 and ½ cups refried beans (divided)
- ½ cup corn kernels (divided)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
- 2 cups shredded gouda cheese (divided)
- ¼ cup sliced jalapeno
- ½ cup tomato salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup guacamole
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Spread 7 oz (200 g) of the tortilla chips on a 9×13 inch baking tray.
- Top with ¾ cup of refried beans, ¼ cup of corn kernels, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 cup of shredded gouda cheese.
- Top with 7 oz (200 g) tortilla chips, ¾ cup of refried beans, ¼ cup of corn kernels, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 cup of shredded gouda cheese.
- Put the tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Take out the tray from the oven and top with jalapeño, tomato salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!