Loaded Vegetarian Nachos

Are you a huge Nacho fan or just in the mood for a Nacho night? If so, rejoice!

Here is the perfect crowd-friendly recipe that is great as an appetizer for a large gathering. From their crunch to the toppings display, everyone drools over the sight of a nacho tray. 

Besides the exquisite flavors, this drool-worthy recipe is also high in nutritional value.

Packed with a dose of fiber (from veggies and black beans), protein (from beans), and healthy fats (from avocados), these cheese-loaded vegetarian Nachos help you feel satiated for a long.

The final garnish furnishes the dish with mouth-watering ecstasy that outstays the fascinating flavors!

Whip up a batch of this crispy creamy Mexican delicacy this game season and enjoy it with family and friends.

What is Loaded Vegetarian Nachos

Vegetarian Nachos are a healthy and hearty snack from Mexican cuisine and are loved by adults and kids alike for their entrancing deliciousness.

This versatile and meatless recipe contains tortilla chips, beans, veggies, pico de gallo, jalapenos, and loads of cheese. Made crispy at the base with chips and loaded with an assortment of toppings, this dish is baked until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

A sprinkle of homemade Queso over the freshly prepared Nachos adds an oomph factor and takes the recipe to an entirely different level, making it mouthwatering and comforting.

Altogether, these vegetarian Nachos are an exciting combination of ingredients that makes it an explosion of flavors (sweet, spicy, crunchy, fresh, and cheesy), all in a single bite!

Reasons You’ll ♡ Loaded Vegetarian Nachos

This Mexican delicacy excites the taste buds with its ambrosial flavors. Other reasons that will make you fall in love with these Sheet Pan Nachos are —

• One sheet-pan meal that is addictively delicious and filling
• Packed with healthy veggies and fiber that keep you from the guilt of eating all chips
• Surprisingly easy to customize according to ones liking.
• Kid-friendly recipe – loved for the chips and their cheesiness!

This healthy and hearty Vegetarian Nacho that is beaming with myriad textures and Mexican flavors delights every palate and soul.

Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, weekend snacking, family-sharing platters, or munching on a movie night, this dish is vibrantly textured and can be devoured over any meal of the day.

Loaded Vegetarian Nachos Ingredient List

Tortilla chips — A primary ingredient of this recipe, tortilla chips are the absolute addition to this recipe. A nacho isn’t a nacho without tortilla chips! You can choose from flavored, unflavored, spicy, or lime-flavored corn tortillas for your recipe. Each of these has a specific flavor, but the result is similar as they make a delicious dish!

Beans — This vegetarian dish comprises black beans as a source of protein and fiber. You can use canned or refried black beans for this recipe; both work great. However, when using canned beans, make sure to drain the beans and rinse them thoroughly. Any remaining moisture will spoil the nachos and make them soggy. 

Corn — The tender crunch of the corn makes them another favorite ingredient of this amazing recipe. It adds an excellent texture and a pop of color to the delicious nachos. You can use fresh or frozen corn kernels or even canned ones, drained well and rinsed. However, note that the frozen corn kernels heat up well in the oven.

Veggies — There are diverse and some great choices that make the nachos colorful and filling. Feel free to add any combination of veggies you like that go well together. You can use bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange) and tomatoes to render vibrancy to the dish. Add jalapenos for a hint of exotic hotness. 

Cheese — I have used a combination of cheese for this recipe. Mexican blend and Monterey Jack cheese combo work the best, but you can use any of your favorite shredded cheese, and that would be just great. Sharp cheddar cheese or tex mex cheese blend is another great choice that delivers the recipe’s ultimate creaminess and luxuriousness.

Spices — A generous sprinkle of taco seasoning adds an extra flavor. It’s a perfect blend of seasoning for our nachos. I recommend not adding salt as the tortilla chips, and pico de gallo already contain salt. Adding any extra salt will make the recipe overly salty.

Queso — Homemade queso prepared with a cheese blend makes this recipe irresistible. Sprinkle it just before serving and surrender to the delicious creaminess of queso in every bite! Store-bought queso can also be used, and it works great too.

Garnishes — Embellishment adds more fun and flavors to this already unique dish. I have opted for cilantro, Pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, jalapeños, and Guacamole for my drool-worthy recipe. Adding them to the freshly baked nachos makes them taste fabulous. But again, these add-ons are optional and can be adjusted according to taste.

Loaded Vegetarian Nachos tips and Varaitions

Use fresh and best-quality tortilla chips —Quality ingredients for any recipe make it a blockbuster dish. So always use the best quality tortilla chips for this recipe as well. Watch out for the thick, heavy, and sturdy tortillas which are not crushed in the bag.

At times, when you open a bag of tortilla chips, you end up with all crushed chips at the bottom. Therefore, it is best to check the bag before buying. Additionally, buy a freshly prepared bag of tortilla chips as the old tortillas may have a different crunch and freshness than the newly prepared ones, which will affect the taste and texture of the recipe.

Stay moderate with the veggies — I prefer my sheet pan nachos piled up high with colorful veggies and beans, but be mindful when adding veggies. Adding more vegetables will weigh down the nachos and make them squishy. So, staying moderate with the veggies is preferable without going overboard. 

Add veggies as per your liking — This recipe is versatile; you can add veggies of your preference and completely omit the ones you don’t like. Vegetables with a crunch and different textures make the recipe more exciting and fun to indulge in. Vegetables like bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and jalapeños add different flavors and textures, making nachos more appealing and filling. 

Protein variations — This is a meatless dish layered with veggies, beans, and cheese, but consider substituting the beans with the meat of your choice, as extra protein is always welcome.

Choose the spice level freely — The added jalapenos make these delicious loaded vegetarian Nachos moderately spicy. If spicy food is not your thing or you are serving this Mexican delight to little kids, you may altogether leave them out. Alternatively, you can use pickled jalapenos, making this recipe less spicy. 

To eliminate the rawness of veggies — Some of us may not like the taste of raw veggies being used in this recipe. Grilling them will do the trick! The grilled veggies’ smokey flavor and aroma will make the nachos more delicious and mouth-watering. Another way to do away with the rawness is to sauté the veggies and sprinkle them on top. 

Substitute for black beans — This recipe is adorned with healthy and tasty black beans, but if you don’t have an affinity for black beans, you can always swap them with pinto beans, refried beans, red kidney beans, or a mix of beans for a super delicious treat.

Making the nachos — This dish can be prepared in a sheet-pan and a cast iron pan. Since the iron pan is deep, you can create multiple layers of toppings in your pan to make a luscious loaded vegetarian nacho dish.

Layering in a shallow tray — If your tray is not too deep, add a single layer of chips and top it with your choice of toppings. 

Experiment freely with toppings — This recipe for loaded vegetable Nachos is super easy to customize according to ones liking. Feel free to prepare it exactly as shown in the recipe, or keep it plain and straightforward with your choice of veggies and protein. The resulting dish will be delicious either way. 

Broiling for added delightfulness — I like to broil my nachos as it melts the cheese fast and adds a nice crunchy and golden touch to the tortilla chips, making the recipe more delightful. However, keep vigilant while broiling the nachos because slight negligence may end up burning the recipe. 

Cheese selection — Thickly shredded Mexican-style cheese forms a gooey, melted layer when heating and turns out super indulgent. If shredding your own cheese, use the thick side of the box grater for best results.

Add queso last — I prefer adding queso in the last as a topping as it tends to crumble without getting super melty, and neither does it glue the toppings together as the cheese does. Therefore, I reserve it for the last. I heat it up slightly and drizzle it on top of the assembled vegetarian nachos, which turns it into a fabulous creation.

Layering cheese — Besides adding a delightful cheesiness to the recipe, the cheese also acts as a buffer between the tortilla chips and the toppings. Consider adding the cheese layer before the toppings and watch the melted cheese prevent the tortilla chips from turning soggy. 

For a faster clean-up — Always line your sheet-pan with parchment paper before adding nachos for a quicker clean-up.

DIY option for guests — Instead of adding all the toppings at once, you can arrange them in separate bowls and set them on the serving counter. Allow the tempted guests to garnish their nachos as per their choice and indulge in their creative treats. 

Not a microwavable recipe — These loaded vegetarian nachos crisp up perfectly in an oven, so the microwave is not a good choice for this recipe. The microwave will turn the nachos squishy. 

Using store-bought salsa — When using store-bought salsa or pico de gallo, make sure to drain the excess liquid as it may turn the nachos soggy. 

Transform into a vegan treat — You can use any plant-based cheese and queso to turn this vegetarian nacho recipe vegan. 

Serve immediately — Nachos tend to turn soggy and unappetizing really fast and, therefore, let it not rest for too long. Serve it immediately after assembling. Remember that it cannot be reheated once assembled; therefore, serve it instantly and dig into the deliciousness before it is lost. 

Let me know what you think!

If you are on this blog, sure you have loved Nachos all your life! So are you now ready to prepare them like a pro?

If yes, keep following the steps until you end up with a fantastic Loaded vegetable Nachos recipe right in front of your eyes. And I guarantee you will love the result!

So, are you ready to dive in? Let’s begin.

Should you make this recipe or any other variations of it, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. 

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

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