The Ultimate Loaded Nachos, but Fresh off the Grill

Over the years, we’ve written definitive articles and recipes on just about every major nacho component, including our editorial director Daniel’s recipe for refried beans and his take on loaded nachos, as well as former editor and culinary wiz Kenji’s recipes for cheese sauce, guacamole, pico de gallo, home-fried tortilla chips, and even vegan nachos. We undeniably have just about everything you’d need to put a big plate of nachos together.

Even so, I’m throwing my hat into the ring with my fresh take on this staple with this grilled fully loaded nachos recipe. And I’ll dare say, these nachos can hang tough with the best of them. Most of the vegetable components—red onion, tomatoes, and a combination of poblanos and jalapeños—are cooked directly on the grill, which gives them a wonderfully charred flavor, and a wood chip packet imparts a smoky flavor. 

The grilled veggies are quickly chopped and tossed with hearty black beans and seasoned with a glug of olive oil, fresh cilantro, and lime juice before being layered into a cast iron skillet (or disposable aluminum foil pan) with tortilla chips and mounds of cheese, then finished on the still-hot grill until the cheese is melted and the smoky flavor infuses every bite. They’re the perfect outdoor party appetizer, and they’re even substantial enough for a fun summer meal. I love them served with an ice-cold margarita. Here’s how to make them.

The Grill Set-Up

The most intimidating part of this recipe might be getting the grill set-up just right. But let me assure you, it’s actually pretty simple, and I’ve provided detailed (maybe even too detailed) instructions for every step of the process in the recipe below. Here’s a bit of additional insight into setting up your grill for the nachos.

For a Charcoal Grill

If using a charcoal grill (which I recommend for best flavor here), you’ll start with a full chimney’s worth of charcoal briquettes—about seven quarts of charcoal. Once the coals are properly lit and the top coals have a thin layer of gray ash around their edges, you’ll want to pour about two-third’s of the coals over one half of the grill, and the remaining one-third of the lit coals on the other half of the grill. You’ve now created a two-zone fire, with one side very hot for grilling the vegetables directly over, while the other side is cooler for “baking” the assembled nachos until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through. Baking the loaded skillet on the cooler side of the grill minimizes the risk of scorching or burning the bottom from too much direct heat. Just remember that it takes 30 to 40 minutes to properly ignite a full chimney of charcoal briquettes, so plan accordingly.

For a Gas Grill

If you’re using a gas grill, you will still set up two distinct heat levels by preheating the covered grill with all the burners on high until the grill is hot and you can begin to see plumes of smoke coming off the grill. This will take about 15 minutes. Once the grill is properly preheated, you’ll want to create a similar indirect cooking zone as with a charcoal grill. On a gas grill this is achieved by lowering the heat level on the primary burner to medium, while leaving the other burner(s) on high. (The primary burner on a gas grill is the burner that is connected closest to the gas source; it is the burner that is lit first on the grill and that regulates the gas flow to the other burners. Without the primary burner on, the other burners will burn out, as the connection to the gas source is cut off if the primary burner is turned off.) You’ve now created a piping hot side for direct grilling and a slightly cooler side for “baking.”

Adding the Smoke

What sets these nachos apart is their deep smoky flavor. The smoke itself is arguably one of the most important ingredients in this recipe. Whether using a charcoal grill or gas grill, the best way to achieve the smoke is to make a foil packet with wood chips and place it directly over the heat source—for a charcoal grill, this is in the center of the grill, and for a gas grill this is over the primary burner that’s reduced to medium heat. Enclosing the wood chips in a foil packet is just a neater, easier way to add the loose wood—just make sure to cut a few vent slits roughly two inches in length on the top so the smoke escapes in a steady flow.

The Nacho Toppings

OK, let’s address the elephant in the room. Some of you are probably wondering “Where’s the chili, or shredded chicken, or at least ground beef?!” And yes, I hear you. I sometimes love meat on my loaded nachos. But the truth is, there is so much big, smoky flavor from the charred vegetables and hearty layers of cheese that once they’re garnished with some good guac and sour cream I just don’t see the need for the meat. Plus, sometimes I find juicy meat can weigh tortilla chips down and cause nachos to turn soggy and the chips to break easily. But if you want, you could add a few ladles of this amazing chili, or some pulled pork, or even some of this shredded chicken tinga. Just be sure whatever toppings you add are not too wet.

To load these nachos, I love the combination of aromatic red onions, juicy charred tomatoes, and blistered poblanos and jalapeños for a mild kick of heat. Grilling all of these ingredients until they’re browned and tender elevates their flavor. Depending on the size of your grill, you might need to grill the vegetables in stages. If this is needed, start with all of the peppers, and while they rest, cook the onions and tomatoes.

Chopping and tossing all the vegetables together ensures the toppings are evenly distributed across the tortilla chips in easy to eat bite-size pieces. I like to add hearty black beans to the grilled veggies for the fully loaded effect, then season the mixture with oil, lime juice, and cilantro for the best flavor possible.

Assembling the Nachos

There is absolutely nothing worse than reaching into a plate of nachos expecting a loaded tortilla chip, grabbing one, and realizing the chip is almost completely dry. Meanwhile those center chips are probably so soggy and overloaded you need a spoon to eat them. The ideal plate of fully loaded nachos has plenty of toppings on all of the still-crisp tortilla chips, but not so much that you have to whip out the cutlery to eat them.

Now while Daniel’s solution with his loaded nachos recipe was to spread the tortilla chips into a thinner layer on a rimmed baking sheet to optimize surface area for the toppings, I take a different approach, and instead I go deep and stack high. The key to creating evenly coated, evenly delicious nachos is adding all the components in multiple layers. Start with a solid foundation of chips, but use just one third of the total amount, then top with a similar proportion of the grilled vegetable mixture, then a healthy sprinkling of the shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. And then repeat three times, with cheese as the top final layer. You’re then guaranteed the ideal balance of chip to toppings to cheese in every bite.

Once cooked through on the smoky grill until the cheese is melted and everything is hot, the nachos take on an incomparable complexity that’s so good, this is bound to become your new go-to nacho recipe (sorry Daniel and Kenji!).

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