Bricklayer-Style Nachos Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Michael

What does "thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced" mean?

L Allen

Make the meat mixture, divide into four portions and freeze three. Pull one portion out at night for the next night. Microwave thawed mixture briefly, use a glass pie pan of chips, top with meat, cheese, etc and bake. Work night dinner, hot and salty and indulgent.

Dan

Definitely drain the tomatoes (and use half of what the recipe says) or you’re going to have soggy chips that can’t hold any weight. Use only half the onions and dice rather than slice.Garnish with lime juice and cilantro.

Margie

Cheese on chips first, then meat on top. Meat will get crispy in the oven, cheese melts under, helps save the chips from getting too soggy. Or just melt the cheese on the chips separately from the meat & have the meat as a 'topping' after. Ditto spritzing with lime juice while hot out of the oven, along with large flaky salt.

LXV

There's Spanish and Mexican chorizo.Spanish is cured hard, like a pepperoni, and doesn't crumbleMexican is like a bratwurst or Italian sausage: highly seasoned raw meat in a casing. It crumbles.

CC Baker

Yum! Instead of cooking bacon, I used bacon grease to cook the meat & veg. I also used a combo of fresh chorizo & ground chicken breast, and added blobs of refried pintos (also cooked with bacon grease) amidst the meat sauce. Fun, flexible recipe, regardless of how you chop your bacon, ha!

Kelly R.

This recipe is SO different from previous nacho recipes that I just had to try it. We loved it! However.... The tortilla chips turned out pretty soggy and couldn’t withstand all the juicy deliciousness of the sauce. Next time, I’ll serve the chips on the side

Kathy

Thin cross-wise slices, I believe.

Sarah

Meats used: bacon and ground chicken. Perfect combo. Cheeses: seaside cheddar and feta. Yum!Handmade tortillas? Yup!1/2 the tomatoe? Done.Did I listen to the feedback about putting the chips on the side. Nope. And that was the biggest mistake! You go through all this trouble and make handmade tortillas only to have them soggy. It’s a bummer. Heed the warning of the soggy chips. You’ll be glad you did!

Jessica

Made this switched out the beef for some diced up chicken because that’s what I had. Delicious. The whole family loved it. Great for the football game. Will make again.

Brian

Try this with roasted squash instead of chorizo/top sirloin! delicious...s is the original.

Val

Best nachos ever! But not a weeknight-friendly dish as it takes many steps and significant time to prep. Also quite decadent with so much fatty meat (in a good way). The bacon and chorizo make the sirloin look like spa food (ha!) Glad to have read the comments and thus froze half the meat-salsa topping for a future meal. Used drained, fire roasted whole tomatoes, which I roughly chopped. Glad I drained the tomatoes as am not fan, unlike other posters, of partially soggy nachos.

Sherry1950

I just cooked the sauce down until it was very dry before putting on the chips and they were not soggy.

Wendy

By mistake, I used thin-cut bacon, thinly sliced. Ruined the entire dish. Next time, I'll use thin-sliced bologna, coarsely chopped.

Bree LaFin

Intended to follow the recipe, until I discovered my chorizo was mostly "pork salivary glands" with the consistency of cat food. Total trash, but hey, sausage will be sausage, so I improvised. 1/3 the chorizo, 1lb ground beef instead of sirloin to hide the texture, less bacon because the ground beef was fattier. 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, added spices. Melted cheese on the chips and baked for 4 min to avoid sogginess. Refried beans with the meat mix to cut the funk from the offal. No fresco.

Paul

Fire-roasting the tomatoes makes a big difference. After adding tomatoes to meat mixture, it begs for some spice. Adding cumin, ancho chili, and smoked paprika really rounded out the flavor. Whole Foods sells sirloin flap, which has a nicer texture than top sirloin, and this worked beautifully in this recipe. A delicious, versatile filling for all things Mexican.

betsey

I didn’t drain the tomatoes, and that blew the whole dish if you’re going to pour the mixture over the chips. They were super soggy.

Cornell92

For those asking for a vegetarian version (despite the note asking - and I paraphrase “What the heck?” - do check the link at the top of the age here in the NYT article! It offers right at the beginning a discussion/recipe/suggestions for vegetarian versions.

cooked

Not very good. Don’t need to make again.

Island Cook

Worked out great even with our little toaster oven! Decided to cook the taco chips separately and serve the sauce along side as someone recommended. Would also cut the recipe next time as there was too much for two people. Might make the sauce and freeze to use as needed. Easy to make and delicious!

Scot F. Martin

Some cumin kicks the flavor up a bit.

Jen

this is a go-to in our house, especially when we're hosting. Always a hit

JH

It was okay. Only make what you'll eat straight from the oven. It doesn't hold for a next day leftover.

Jane S

After making the meat mixture I let it cool completely so it firmed up. So when I baked it over the chips they were not soggy. That said, I was still very disappointed with this recipe - it lacks heat, it lacks flavor, it just doesn't deliver. I do however like the concept so will try and create my own version of this - I think chorizo, ground beef or chicken together would work with more of a salsa style tomato base and cheese sauce, sour cream, avocado and plenty of spices!

Kathleen

Did anyone find the sirloin to be tough and/or dry? I like everything about this recipe except the sirloin; it’s Always been overly chewy or downright tough to me.

Melissa

Is sirloin steak the same as just sirloin?

Biel

Great recipe! Very yummy but the chorizo is too much to I didn’t add it

bem

Very adaptable to changes based on what is available. Took about 25 minutes start to finish. Delicious, quick & easy!

latenac

Fun idea for making nachos a more substantial meal but really too wet of a mixture and so much stuff that nothing really came through flavor wise.

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Bricklayer-Style Nachos Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to crispy nachos? ›

Limiting the number of ingredients baked with the chips is the key to crispiness. Top chips with no more than two or three toppings. Choose from items such as black beans, refried beans, chopped grilled chicken, seasoned ground beef (browned and drained), or chopped jalapenos.

What are the proper layers for nachos? ›

Arrange half of tortilla chips onto prepared baking sheet in single layer, overlapping chips slightly. Top with half each of meat mixture, corn and black beans. Top with 2 cups cheese. Repeat Step 3 to create second layer with remaining beef, corn, beans and cheese.

How do you make loaded nachos not soggy? ›

Instead of putting the nacho toppings on top of the chips, you could put the toppings (meat, cheese, beans, etc.) in the middle and just put the chips around it. This way the chips don't get so soggy. Warm up the tortillas chips in the oven prior to dumping on the toppings at the last minute.

Do you put cheese or salsa on nachos first? ›

Scatter your choice of shredded cheese on top and pop them into a preheated oven at about 220°C for roughly 5 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. Next, layer on your selected toppings – drizzle your favourite salsa, sprinkle your choice of meat or vegetable fillings and scattered jalapeño peppers.

What is the best cheese to melt for nachos? ›

Sharp cheddar gets my vote for nacho cheese. It melts smoothly without being stringy, while having a nice flavorful punch. You can use mild or medium cheddar if you prefer, but the flavor will be a bit blander. Monterey jack and pepper jack also melt really well into sauces and make a great white nacho cheese sauce.

How to build the perfect nachos? ›

Spread out a layer of chips, followed by an even distribution of meat and beans, then lots--I mean lots--of cheese. Complete coverage guarantees you don't commit the cardinal sin of nacho making: the sad chip with no topping. Repeat until you have an impressive tray a few layers high, then bake.

Are nachos better in the oven or grill? ›

The cooking method

Drummond "nukes" the nachos in a microwave and the NYT grills them, but the best results, I find, come from baking, which heats the dish all the way through without making the base layer soft and chewy.

Why are my nachos always soggy? ›

Control the Moisture. Moisture is the enemy of crispy nachos, so it's important to choose your toppings wisely. Avoid using watery vegetables like tomatoes or cucumbers, as well as overly saucy ingredients.

What's the difference between loaded nachos and nachos? ›

Loaded Nachos: These nachos take the classic version to the next level by piling on an assortment of toppings. Common additions include seasoned ground beef or chicken, refried beans, diced tomatoes, onions, black olives, and sour cream.

Do you put toppings over or under cheese on nachos? ›

For better coverage, spread a single layer of tortilla chips, then scatter a minimal layer of your melting cheese of choice, making sure to coat the chips on the edges. Bake in a 300-degree oven until the cheese has melted, then scatter your beans or meats and vegetable toppings over the cheese.

Is it better to make nachos in the oven or microwave? ›

Here's a fact: If you put a plate of tortilla chips topped with cheese in the microwave and zap them until the cheese melts, the cheese will melt way before the tortilla chips have the chance to take on any color or toasted flavor. With nachos baked in the oven, the chips toast while the cheese melts.

What is the best order for nachos? ›

Don't overcrowd your nachos. Build them on a cookie tray in layers--first tortilla chips, then grated cheese, followed by a two or three minutes in a very hot oven to quickly melt the cheese on the first layer. Then take it out of the oven and repeat with more layers.

What temperature should I cook nachos at? ›

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the onion, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread tortilla chips in a single layer onto a baking sheet, and spoon about 1 teaspoon of the tomato salsa onto each chip.

How to make old nachos crispy? ›

On the stovetop

Make sure your layer of nachos isn't too thick, and be sure not to overcrowd the pan — two moves that can lead to soggy nachos. Place a layer of aluminum foil over the top of the pan, then replace the pan's lid. Heat the pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the nachos are crisp and warm.

How to make soggy chips crispy? ›

Try spreading them out on a cookie sheet and baking them at low heat for 15 minutes or so. I warmed mine in an iron frying pan for about two minutes on each side. They turned out nice and crunchy. I have dried chips by leaving them in open in the freezer.

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