These easy Shredded Beef Nachos are loaded with tender slow-cooked shredded beef, melty cheese, and all your favorite nacho toppings. Let the crockpot do the work during the day and assemble the nachos in minutes before serving for an easy crowd-pleasing appetizer or meal.
What we love about Sheet Pan Beef Nachos
What we love most about the nachos is, first and foremost, the yummy shredded beef. It is so flavorful and tender. The green chiles add such great flavor. We use this beef with a variety of meals, including our Shredded Beef Enchiladas
Everyone loves nachos. I love how easy this is to put together, and that everyone is happy with dinner and can customize their own. You can heat up the chips and cheese on a sheet pan, and let everyone take some cheesy chips and top with their favorite toppings, or make the nachos with the toppings on the sheet pan and let people dig in. It’s a fun dinner or appetizer and always a crowd pleaser.
For another crockpot recipe, check out our Shredded Beef Sliders or our Crockpot Southwest Chicken and Rice! I’m doing a series of our favorite crockpot recipes this fall, so more crockpot recipes to come!
What you need to make this Shredded Beef for Nachos
You will need the following ingredients:
- Chuck beef roast
- Salt
- Pepper
- Granulated garlic powder
- Dried minced onion
- Granulated sugar
- Beef broth
- Lime juice
- Green chiles
- Tortilla chips
- Colby Jack or Cheddar Jack Cheese (freshly shredded is best)
- Optional toppings: guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, sliced olives, cilantro, jalapeño sliced, queso, refried beans, black beans, green onions, pickled red onions, diced avocado, crema, shredded lettuce, cotija cheese
Pulled Beef Nachos Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You could substitute something else acidic, like vinegar for the lime juice.
- In place of the green chilies, you could try 1/4 cup of green chile salsa or canned diced jalapeños for more of a kick. I have tried the salsa once, but not the jalapeños.
- You could add more veggies, like a chopped red bell pepper, or corn.
- You could use all cheddar, Pepper Jack, or all Monterey Jack, a Mexican blend, or your choice of cheese.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. In a small bowl, stir together the dried minced onion, salt, coarsely ground black pepper, granulated garlic, and sugar. Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Put the roast in the slow cooker, sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the roast, and rub it into the meat. Turn the roast over and repeat on the other side. Pour in the beef broth and lime juice. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
Step 2. Use tongs to remove the roast from the slow cooker; it may slightly fall apart in pieces. Remove all the pieces and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat, discarding any pieces of fat. Place the meat in a medium-sized bowl and stir in the green chiles. Add a little cooking liquid from the crock pot, a tablespoon at a time if desired. You don’t want the meat too wet, or it will make the tortilla chips soggy.
Step 3. If making sheet pan nachos, cover a sheet pan with an even layer of tortilla chips. Spread 1 1/4 cups cheese on top, and the desired amount of shredded beef. Repeat the layers, but finish with the remaining cup of cheese on top. Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes, checking to make sure the cheese is melted and the chips don’t get too brown. Add the desired optional cold toppings on top and serve immediately. If serving nacho bar style, prepare the chips and cheese the same, but set out the toppings for people to serve themselves. I keep the beef in the crockpot with just a little juice on low when doing this.
Tips
- I’ve used a 7-quart and 8-quart crockpot for this recipe. We have a few crockpots of different sizes at our house. This is one that I use and like.
- I highly recommend freshly grating your cheese. Pre-packed grated cheese is coated with starch or cellulose, which makes it more grainy when melting instead of creamy.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store Shredded Beef Nachos? |
| a. Once the beef has cooled, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours. The USDA recommends that cooked beef be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for 2-3 months. Cooked beef does not last as long in the freezer as raw beef. b. Store all the nacho ingredients separately. Don’t store the cold or wet toppings on the tortilla chips. Assemble the nachos right before serving, or the chips will get soggy. b. I do NOT recommend storing the shredded beef in the ceramic insert of the crockpot in the fridge. Never put the electrical base in the fridge. The ceramic inserts are very hot, hold onto heat, and take a long time to cool down. Food can end up being in the “danger zone” for too long, especially in the center, if stored in them in the fridge. It’s best to transfer the food to a smaller container to cool and store. |
| How to reheat Shredded Beef Nachos? |
| Arrange the chips in a single layer on a baking sheet or in an air fryer, cover with beef and cheese and reheat at 350 for 5 minutes or so, checking if the cheese is melted. Wait to add any salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, etc. until after reheating the chips, beef and cheese. You can reheat in the microwave, but the chips won’t stay as crispy. |
Shredded Beef Nachos
These Shredded Beef Nachos are loaded with tender slow-cooked shredded beef, melty cheese, and all your favorite nacho toppings. Let the crockpot do the work during the day and assemble the nachos in minutes before serving for an easy crowd-pleasing appetizer or meal.
15
minutes4-5
hours on high heat6-8
servingsIngredients
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon granulated white sugar
1/4 cup beef broth
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
4 ounces can diced mild green chiles
2 large bags tortilla chips (17 ounces each or 40 ounce Costco bag, get a sturdy tortilla chip, not thin)
3 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Jack or Colby Jack cheese
Optional toppings: guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, sliced olives, cilantro, sliced jalapeño, queso, refried beans, black beans, green onions, pickled red onions, diced avocado, crema, shredded lettuce, cotija cheese
Directions
- In a small bowl, stir together the dried minced onion, salt, coarsely ground black pepper, granulated garlic, and sugar.
- Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Put the roast in the slow cooker, sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the roast, and rub it into the meat. Turn the roast over and repeat on the other side. Pour in the beef broth and lime juice. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use tongs to remove the roast from the slow cooker; it may slightly fall apart in pieces. Remove all the pieces and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat, discarding any pieces of fat.
- Place the meat in a medium-sized bowl and stir in the green chiles. Add a little cooking liquid from the crock pot, a tablespoon at a time if desired. You don’t want the meat too wet, or it will make the tortilla chips soggy.
- If making sheet pan nachos, cover a sheet pan with an even layer of tortilla chips. Spread 1 1/4 cups cheese on top, and the desired amount of shredded beef. Repeat the layers, but finish with the remaining cup of cheese on top. Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes, checking to make sure the cheese is melted and the chips don’t get too brown. Add the desired optional cold toppings on top and serve immediately.
- If serving nacho bar style, prepare the chips and cheese the same, but set out the toppings for people to serve themselves. I keep the beef in the crockpot with just a little juice on low when doing this.
- However you serve the nachos, serve immediately when the cheese is melted because it hardens quickly and the toppings soon cause the chips to soften. Just have everyone dig in!
Notes
- The size of the chuck roast is flexible, it can honestly be 2-4 pounds. I try and get between 2.5 and 3 each time. I try and wait to buy roasts when they are on sale, I have seen them as cheap as .99 a pound.
- You can include as many toppings as you would like and apply them after you take the cheesy chips out of the oven or serve them on the side for people to choose their own toppings. I always serve guacamole, sliced olives, pico de gallo and sour cream, sometimes beans and salsa.
- I highly recommend freshly grating your cheese. Pre-packed grated cheese is coated with starch or cellulose, which makes it more grainy when melting instead of creamy.
