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With juicy and tender beef, tortilla chips, cheese and your favorite toppings, these carne asada nachos are perfect as an appetizer or main course.
I'm all about Mexican inspired dishes - from chicken mole enchiladas to enchiladas con carne to chorizo tacos to green chicken enchiladas.
But nachos have a spot in my heart. There is just something about them. The crispy chips topped with gooey and melty cheese and your favorite toppings. I mean who doesn't like nachos?
And instead of my-go chicken, I thought I'd mix it up and use beef. And not just any beef, I used carne asada which actually comes from my carne asada tacos.
Most of the effort of this dish comes from just dicing the flank steak. Once done, you just toss it in the spices and juices and then assemble the nachos and bake. And with that you'll have delicious carne asada nachos.
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Ingredient Notes
- Flank steak - is a tough piece of meat so it needs to be diced small and against the grain so it can be tender.
- Fresh juice - by adding a little bit of fresh orange juice and lime juice, you add some necessary acid that adds brightness and helps tenderize the beef.
- Spices - where a lot of the flavor comes.
- Chips - tortilla chips are always the way to go with nachos. You can even make your own homemade tortilla chips if you want.
- Toppings - when it comes to nachos, you always have cheese but from there you can use what toppings you like, from tomatoes to avocado to onion.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I use flank steak, skirt steak works great as well.
- If you don't have soy sauce, just replace with ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt.
- While not traditional, you can replace the lime juice with lemon juice.
- Pepper jack cheese is my go-to for these carne asada nachos, but Monterey jack or cheddar works too.
Step-by-Step Photos
Use a sharp knife to cut against the grain into ½ cubes. Add to a large bowl and toss with the marinade ingredients. You can let sit for an hour in the fridge or use immediately.
Add olive oil to large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook until it has browned and the marinade has reduced, about 5-6 minutes. Spread half of the chips in an even layer of a baking sheet. Add half of the steak cheese, and tomatoes. Add a 2nd layer and repeat.
Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425°F or until the cheese is melted. Top with your favorite toppings.
FAQs
Carne asada literally means beef that has been marinated and grilled.
Flank steak comes from the cow's belly muscles. It’s a flavorful piece of meat, but is very lean and contains almost no fat. Because of this it can be tough, but it can be a tasty and tender if you learn how to prepare it properly.
Marinating flank steak and cooking over high heat are important. It is super important when slicing the steak that you cut against the grain. You can see step-by-step instructions at The Kitchn.
Skirt steak can be substituted for flank steak with these nachos. It has more fat than flank steak, resulting in richer-flavored meat that’s also ideal for grilling, tacos, fajitas, and stir-fries.
Like flank steak, it must be sliced against the grain in order to be tender.
No. You can toss in everything and use immediately. I personally like to have it marinate for about a hour as it helps tenderize the meat.
Yes. This recipe works just as well in a large cast iron skillet. Just make the layers like the recipe calls for.
Don't turn up your nose on this. If you want something really quick, you can simply make these carne asada nachos in the microwave. To make nachos in the microwave:
1. Use a dinner size plate.
2. Spread one layer of chips.
3. Top with steak, cheese and toppings.
4. Microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the cheese becomes bubbly.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- It is important to your steak against the grain, otherwise it will be tough.
- This recipe makes a mildly spiced carne asada. If you like a spicer meat, add a jalapeño pepper with some seeds to the marinade.
- Don't cook longer than 5-6 minutes or you'll have super tough steak. You want a quick sear on both sides.
- Don't buy pre-shredded cheese. Yes it is easier to buy and use but the quality isn't nearly as good as shredding a block of cheese.
- To me the biggest key with amazing nachos is layering everything. Don't just throw the chips in and then add all of the toppings. Just add half of the chips, then half of the toppings and repeat again. That way you get multiple layers of chips with cheese, which is the best part.
Similar Recipes
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Carne Asada Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs flank steak, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 12 oz tortilla chips
- 12 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup green onions, diced
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced into ½" cubes
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Cut the skirt steak against the great into ½ inch cubes and place in a large bowl or Ziploc bag.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin and oregano.
- Add marinade to bowl or bag with steak. Marinate in fridge for 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and marinade and cook until the steak has browned and the marinade has reduced, about 5-6 minutes. You'll want to stir constantly.
- Spread half of the tortilla chips in even layer over the bottom of a lightly oiled 13x9 baking sheet. Add half the steak, half the cheese and half of the tomatoes. Add a second layer of tortilla chips and top with the remaining steak, cheese and tomatoes. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Top with green onions, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro. Serve with some salsa and sour cream if desired.
Notes
- It is important to your steak against the grain, otherwise it will be tough.
- This recipe makes a mildly spiced carne asada. If you like a spicer meat, add a jalapeño pepper with some seeds to the marinade.
- Don't cook longer than 5-6 minutes or you'll have super tough steak. You want a quick sear on both sides.
- Don't buy pre-shredded cheese. Yes it is easier to buy and use but the quality isn't nearly as good as shredding a block of cheese.
- To me the biggest key with amazing nachos is layering everything. Don't just throw the chips in and then add all of the toppings. Just add half of the chips, then half of the toppings and repeat again. That way you get multiple layers of chips with cheese, which is the best part.
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