Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo

Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo is not your average nachos recipe nachos It has flavorful Mexican Chorizo, creamy melted cheese and all the toppings. Plus! a surprise ingredient that I am sure you have never seen on nachos before.

Throw in step by step photos of how to build sheet nachos layer by layer PLUS a homemade chorizo recipe (you can always swap with the store-bought version in a pinch). There are also lots of ideas fresh toppings, the best melted cheese and delicious fixin's that will make people dig in non-stop. Add this to your list of favorite Mexican Recipes.

What are Sheet Pan Nachos?

Sheet Pan Nachos are a fun way to make nachos for a crowd of friends and family. You spread your chips out on a large sheet pan and layer the ingredients like chorizo, taco ground beef, beans, Texas Chili or chicken on top. Then, sprinkle with grated cheese, diced onion or pico de gallo, jalapenos or any topping you would like.

Next, You side the sheet pan into the oven and heat until the cheese is melted and very thing is heated through. Keep an eye on you tortilla chips so they don't burn (I like mine very toasted ).

Serve in the middle of the table to turn nachos into a meal or put out on game day. The sheet pan will stay hot and keep the nachos warm while everyone digs in.

TIP For Easy Sheet Pan Nachos: Place a piece of parchment paper on the sheet pan before you layer on the tortilla chips. The parchment paper will keep the ingredients from sticking to the pan (no need for oil or baking spray) and make for a very easy clean up.

Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo are perfect for game day! They also make a great family meal that will pull people together around your table.

Ingredients for Homemade Chorizo

For the Homemade Chorizo

• Ground pork: the fattier the better here. A 20–30% fat ratio keeps the chorizo juicy and flavorful once cooked, never dry or crumbly. Here is a link to our low-fat chorizo recipe.
• Smoked and sweet paprika: Smoked paprika gives it that deep, almost wood-fired flavor while sweet paprika rounds it out.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: these provide some subtle heat to the chorizo; adjust them to taste. For spicy lovers, include cayenne pepper as well.
• Ground cumin and dried oregano: these two provide the earthy flavor so characteristic of Mexican cuisine.
• Salt and pepper: add them to enhance the flavor of the spices.
• Garlic cloves: fresh only. It gets worked right into the meat, making the whole mixture fragrant and bold.
• Red wine vinegar: the secret ingredient. Just a splash tenderizes the meat and adds the subtle tang that makes homemade chorizo taste like the real thing.
• Olive oil: we used it to cook the chorizo; you can omit it if your meat already has enough fat.

Tip: Make extra chorizo for easy Chorizo Tacos and Breakfast Burritos.

TIPS: Best Cheese for Nachos-

A cheese blend that is creamy, but not greasy is best for nachos. You also want a cheese with a little "tang" to stand out from the spicy chorizo, onion and jalapeno. I avoid Monterey Jack cheese because it can be very greasy and leave little puddles of oil on your nachos. It is also too mild for nachos (in my opinion).

Here are some of the cheeses I use for nachos.

Start with a sharp cheese cheese in the cheddar family. Longhorn cheese is good if you can find it, Colby is a good alternative. If you don't see either, start with your favorite cheddar cheese.

Next, add a creamy, mild white cheese that melts well to your Mexican Cheese blend. Try Queso Oaxaca, It is my favorite for quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, etc... Queso Oaxaca melts very well. Or, if you don't find it, you can do what I sometimes do, use a low moisture, low fat mozzarella or fontina cheese. I know, it's not an authentic choice but it works! Shhhhh.... it will be our secret.

Ingredients For Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo

• Tortilla Chips are the crunchy base of this recipe. You can choose your favorite kind. Be sure they are thick enough to hold the chorizo, cheese and toppings. I like thin chips for some things, but this requires a hearty chip.
• Mexican Chorizo: I love the homemade chorizo included in this recipe It is easy to control how spicy the chorizo is. But, store bought chorizo is great, too. it's your choice.
• Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese: Choose a cheese (or cheese blend) that will melt nicely without being greasy. Here are a few choices:
• Longhorn cheese (a type of cheddar) is very authentic to Southwest and Mexican recipes. It can be hard to find.
• Colby cheese is a good, authentic alternative to Longhorn. Colby melts well but does not have that cheddar "bite" so I like to mix Colby and Cheddar cheese together.
• Asadero Cheese is a Mexican cow's milk cheese that is soft and creamy with a smooth finish when melted.
  Queso Quesadilla: A smooth, mild cow's milk cheese that is slightly tangy and highly stretchy when melted
• Queso Fresco: I like to sprinkle crumbles of queso fresco at the very end, AFTER the chorizo nachos come out of the oven. It is a less salty, but still creamy alternative to Cotija cheese.
• Garnishes like pico de gallo, etc... Many garnishes are listed below.

Garnishes for Chorizo Nachos

• Pickles? This is the secret ingredient I mentioned at the top of this post. Trust me, the acidic touch of the pickles is delicious with the fatty chorizo and cheese. I like to dice my pickles so they are in disguise- no one has to know.
• Pickled jalapenos - if you like things hot, throw in some pickled jalapenos with your pickles. I leave them sliced, not diced, so people can avoid them if they wish.
• Cilantro- optional, as always. Some people love, some people don't. I don't.
• Pico de Gallo or Diced fresh Roma tomatoes and onions.
• Awesome Salsa! Try one of my favorite salsas recipes or use a bottled salsa of your choice.
• Avocado slices or guacamole - optional
• Sour Cream ( a must for me)
• Lime wedges

How to Make these Easy Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo

Mix all ingredients for homemade chorizo in a shallow bowl. Use your hands to combine evenly.

Let it rest for 30 minutes to overnight in the fridge to let the seasonings absorb some of the juices..

Cook ground chorizo in a skillet with olive oil until browned.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cover the base with the bag of nachos. Then arrange cooked chorizo on top and shredded cheese. Bring it to the oven until the cheese melts and gets lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Finally, add the fresh toppings of choice over, just before serving.

How to store leftovers

Nachos are best eaten right out of the oven. Once they sit, the chips soften, and the toppings make everything wet. That said, if you have leftovers, store the chips and chorizo separately from the fresh toppings and reheat in the oven at 375°F for a few minutes to crisp them back up. Avoid the microwave as it turns the chips soggy.

Can I make Chorizo Nachos ahead?

The chorizo is the best part to prep in advance. Mix it and let it marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking, as it actually gets better the longer it sits. You can also cook it ahead and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. When you're ready to eat, just assemble and bake.

If you're making these for a crowd and want to keep them warm, hold off on the fresh toppings until the last second and serve straight from the pan.

Tools You Will Need for Sheet Pan Nachos

Sheet Pans or should I say ½ sheet pans. The average sheet pan you use for cookies is great. That is usually a half of a sheet. A whole sheet pan is much larger and does not fit in many ovens.

Parchment Paper- great way to save time on clean up. You can also slide the nachos off the sheet pan using the parchment paper and put another batch of nachos in the oven.

Skillet (also called a sauté pan or frying pan)- you will need to cook the chorizo BEFORE you make your nachos.

Cheese Grater- May want to make your own cheese mix by grating your favorite cheeses.