Foil-Pack Baked Nachos Recipe
Baked Nachos in foil packs are easy to make and serve with minimal cleanup. These nachos are loaded with Tex-Mex flavored ground beef, melted cheese, and all the best toppings.
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These baked nachos are always a hit for Superbowl Sunday and game days along with our Air Fryer Chicken Wings, our beefy Cheeseburger Sliders, and of course Jalapeno Poppers.
Why we love this Baked Nachos Recipe
Baking your nachos in foil packs is brilliant because the beef stays really tender, juicy and cheesy, while the edges of the chips crisp up in the oven.
We love using heavy-duty foil for cooking because it is produced using a food-safe coating and quality standards. The non-stick feature makes cleanup really easy, which is especially convenient for a party. If you’ve ever had to pick baked cheese off of a platter or baking sheet, you will appreciate this method.
The Best Meat for Nachos
We used lean ground beef (90/10) for these homemade nachos. You could easily substitute with a very lean 93/7 ground beef on up to an 80/20 ground beef with higher fat content. While we love the flavor of ground beef, these nachos are also great with ground turkey or ground chicken.
The process is the same: Cook the meat until no longer pink, add taco seasoning, add water and cook another 3-5 minutes.
How to Make Nacho Foil Packs:
Start with four sheets of aluminum foil measuring 16″ long.
Pro Tip: With Non-stick foil, make sure the non-stick side (the dull side) always faces up and should be the side touching the food.
- Place a handful of tortilla chips in the center of the sheet, top with a heaping 1/4 cup Mexican cheese then cover with 1/4 of the ground beef mixture followed by another 1/4 cup of cheese.
- Bring up and double-fold the long ends, leaving room for air to circulate. Bring up and double-fold the short ends to close your foil packet.
The Best Toppings for Nachos:
We love setting up a nacho bar where guests can load up their own nachos and customize their foil packet nachos. Some of our favorite toppings include:
- Diced Avocado or Guacamole
- Pico De Gallo
- Diced tomato
- Green onion or chives
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno (fresh or canned)
- Black Olives
- Black beans
- Sour Cream
Between the taco seasoning and all of the toppings, these baked nachos have a delicious Tex-Mex flavor profile.
Making restaurant-quality homemade nachos is easier than you think and they are great for parties, Superbowl game day, or just an easy weeknight meal. I hope these easy foil packet nachos become a new favorite for you!
Can I Make Grilled Nachos?
Heavy-duty foil is a great tool for grilling because it is made of a heavier gauge (heavy duty) aluminum foil which is why we love it for Grilled Corn in Foil. You can put foil pack nachos on a preheated grill for a tailgating party and heat on medium until the cheese is melted.
More Superbowl Foods:
- Fish Tacos – with the best fish taco sauce
- Sausage Queso – creamy and made with 100% Real Cheddar
- Spinach Artichoke Dip – this has been a favorite for years
- Cheese Ball – shape it into a football for game day!
- Crockpot Chili – easy and make-ahead
- Homemade Pizza – our best pizza dough
Foil Pack Baked Nachos
Ingredients
For the Nacho Meat:
- 1 lb lean ground beef, (We used 90/10 beef)
- 4 Tbsp taco seasoning, (or 1 packet)
- ½ cup water
- 4 sheets Aluminum Foil, (16" each sheet)
Nacho Toppings:
- 8 oz Mexican blend cheese, divided
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, Chopped
- 1/4 cup green onion or chives chopped
- 4 Tbsp sour cream, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. In a large skillet on medium heat brown your beef, when there is no pink add 4 Tbsp taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water, and cook for an additional 3-5 min, stirring occasionally.
- Tear off four 16" long pieces of Aluminum Foil. Place a handful of tortilla chips in the center of the sheet, top with a heaping 1/4 cup Mexican cheese, then cover with 1/4 of the ground beef mixture followed by another 1/4 cup of cheese. Bring up and double-fold the long ends, leaving room for air to circulate. Bring up and double-fold the short ends to close your foil packet.
- Just before serving, place on a baking sheet and bake at 350˚F for 10 minutes. Prep all of your toppings so they are ready to serve over hot nachos. Open the foil packs, add desired toppings and serve immediately.
Nutrition Per Serving
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Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Natasha this sounds pretty easy and delicious. However you did not list what type of tortilla chips you used because this would be where it would be important for me because I try to do low carb if I can. The carb content you list on the nutritional label I assume it’s for one packet so the carb count you have is at 8 with fiber being 4 which mean your net carbs would be only 4 so that’s very low carb. How many tortilla chips approximately do you use in each foil packet?
Hi Caitlin! The nutrition label is computer generated. I try to look it over to make sure it looks accurate but sometimes there can be mistakes. This recipe specifically does not account for tortilla chips on the nutrition label, just the ones mentioned in the ingredient list. You can use whichever brand of chips you prefer. If you are on a strict diet, I recommend double-checking these values yourself as well for complete accuracy by using a calorie tracking tool such as an app or website. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha, I have tried this Nachos so many times.It’s very very yummy. Ineed to make this for a party, I want to make ahead and how long can I keep them. thanks for sharing so yummy recipes.
Hi Sanari! I’m glad you are loving the recipes! These nachos are best when they are fresh. You can prep all your ingredients before hand and then bake them when you are ready to eat.
I think this will be the 40th (or so) recipe I’ve made of yours. The best! I recommend your page to everyone!! Thanks again.
Hi Mark! That’s amazing! Thank you for trusting and trying my recipes. I’m so glad you love them.
Can you add beans for topping? If so what kind?
Hi Debi! I haven’t tried that substitution, but I bet that would be delicious! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I didn’t have nachos so I use the Fritos and it turned out really good. It’s an easy dinner recipe. Less work and 🤤
That’s a good alternative, thanks for sharing your good comments with us!
Great idea on the Fritos Raji. Thanks
Natasha , Natasha , been cooking 71 years ,,,DA why did I knot think of this. ??????? Go Girl. ” Good Eating ” Joseph
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Joseph! Thank you for sharing that with me.
OMG, this adds new meaning to a GREAT Friday night dinner.
Hi Dave, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Thank you for another great recipe, everything I have tried has been awesome.
Jeanne
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha,
What’s the brand nachos do you use?
Hi Nina, I love the Juanitas brand but also the organic tortilla chips from Costco.
Can this be baked (covered with foil) in a 9×13 pan or dish instead of individual packets?
Would like to put out on buffet — to be spooned onto a dish and put toppings on. Also having other picking food.
Hi Margaret, yes that would be a great idea to make these into sheet pan nachos. I would bake just until the cheese melts.
We make these every Friday night. Such a yummy dinner and so easy to clean up.
I’m obsessed with nachos. I can’t wait to try these!
Super good! Super fun! These would be awesome for the Super Bowl!
HI Betsy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the nachos!
Natasha, do you have some good gluten free, recipes? I love all your recipes, and you make it fun! I love watching you.
Thanks Camile, have you already tried my Almond Cake Recipe?
Hi Natasha, you are my go to chef for my recepies. Every recepie I have tried have turned out so yummy.
Question on the tin foil nachos…how do you keep the chips from being soggy wrapped up in tin foil?
I’m in the process of gathering recepies for harvesting. I think this would go over big with my cowboys!
Hi Marianne, I recommend following all the tips we shared and not overbaking! The ships stay nice and crispy!
If the words are red what does it mean. Also I and my family make lots of your recipes and loved ever one also i’m also from Ukraine and I love all of your recipes I hope that you have an amazing day !
Hi Eliana, wording highlighted in red usually means you can click into them. I’m so glad you’re all enjoying our recipes! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Just curious, what brand nachos do you perfer? I never buy em, and would like to make this
Hi Olga, my 2 favorites are Kirkland organic tortilla chips and Juanita’s brand are delicious.
I put all the toppings on before barbecuing, and it was so good!
Yum! That sounds like a great idea! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me!
Do you have a taco seasoning recipe yet? I usually like to mix mine instead of the packets, but would be nice to have a consistent recipe to turn to 😉
Hi Inna. I don’t have a taco seasoning recipe yet but you can check my beef tacos recipe.
Can you cook the meat and put it in the nachos and leave it in the refregator a few hours before baking it?
Hi Margaret, I worry that will make the chips soggy. Without testing that I cannot advise.
These are dangerously addicting!! Nachos are one of my go-to appetizer/snack! These are so easy & you can add or take off anything you like, which makes them perfect for anyone!
Hi Natalie, isn’t that the best & the flavor is amazing!
This is such a fantastic idea! I love cooking in foil packs. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I’m happy you liked that, Katerina! Thank you for that great review!
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
I’m so glad to hear that, Katie! That’s the best when the entire family enjoys the meal!