Save

This nacho toppings bar really ups the party snack ante! I know it’s hard to imagine that nachos can get much better than they already are, but what if I told you that everyone could customize their own plate of nachos based on what they think are the best toppings?

All you have to do is round up all your favorite nacho toppings and arrange them on a board for the ultimate snacking experience! Just be sure to have a big supply of chips on hand––and a whole lot of cheesy nacho cheese.

For more top-notch(o) app ideas, try my Rotel Cheese Dip, Taco Toppings Board, Fish Taco Toppings Bar, Chili Toppings Board, and Quesadilla Toppings Bar.

What Are Nachos?

We tend to think of nachos as a classic Tex-Mex dish, but they’re actually Mexican! It’s true that the way we typically serve them with nacho cheese and other Tex-Mex flavors is not authentically Mexican, but nachos can be traced back to Piedras Negras in Northern Mexico.

In 1940, Ignacio Anaya (aka Nacho), the maître d’ of a restaurant called Victory Club, whipped up a quick, after-hours appetizer to impress some guests. This appetizer, later called Nachos, was made with just three ingredients: salted chips, melted cheese, and pickled jalapeno slices. 

Since then, nachos have exploded in popularity and flavor variations! 

Save

How To Host a Nacho Bar Party

It’s nearly impossible to host a bad nacho party–nachos are just always good! But I do have some tips for setting yourself up for success:

1. Prep your ingredients in advance. Be sure to save the veggies for right before serving because they can get yucky, but char the corn, cook the meat, and make the nacho cheese in advance–just reheat it before serving!
2. Serve microwave-safe plates so guests can warm up as needed! This can be washable tableware and flatware, or disposable plates and utensils.
3. Offer multiple tortilla chip styles, like thin, lime-flavored, blue corn, extra salty–you get it!
4. Depending on the size of your party, group topping types together! For instance, if you have enough food that it can’t comfortably fit on one board, group the toppings on a serving table or board by category: meat(s), veggies, sauces, and garnishes like lime and cilantro.
5. If you plan to serve outside, serve the temperature-sensitive toppings, like guacamole, pico, and sour cream, over ice baths to keep them as cool as possible. These platters on ice are great for keeping items cool. 

My Nachos Toppings Ingredient List

• Nacho cheese dip
• Salsa verde
• Salsa roja
• Pico de gallo
• Sliced Black Olives
• Black beans, drained and rinsed
• Charred corn
• Diced jalapeño
• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Lime wedges
• Mexican Cheese Blend
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Pulled pork
• Fresh cilantro
• Tortilla chips
• Hot sauce

Note: This board serves about 4-8 people, but feel free to increase amounts based on the number of guests–it’s always safer to have too much than too little.

Directions

• Place the nacho cheese, salsa verde, salsa roja, pico de gallo, olives, beans, corn, jalapeño, guacamole, and sour cream in separate bowls.
• Arrange the beans, corn, jalapeño, and olives in one corner of the board. Arrange the pico and salsas in the opposite corner of the board. Add lime wedges to the two top corners.
• Add the guacamole and sour cream to the short side of the board beneath the salsas. Arrange the cheese in a line along the bottom edge of the board. Add the onion in a line above the cheese, being careful to leave the center of the board open.
• Place the nacho cheese in the center of the board. Arrange the pulled pork (or other protein of your choice–see below for ideas) in the open space along the top of the board. Add the cilantro to the top corner along with the limes.
• Serve the chips and hot sauce on the side. (I recommend using these extra-small baking sheet pans so guests can build their nachos and warm them up!). 

Pro-tip: serve the nacho cheese in a microwave-safe bowl so you can reheat it as needed! (Or grab one of these food warming mats! If you use one, keep it separate from the board.)

Best Proteins for a Nacho Toppings Bar

• Carnitas
• Chicken
• Carne Asada
• Chicken Tinga
• Ground Beef
• Ground Turkey

Best Vegan & Vegetarian Nacho Toppings

If you or some of your guests don’t eat meat and/or dairy, there are plenty of delicious swaps or additions to serve as alternatives! 

Meat

Just be sure to season and cook them to your liking–I like to use fajita seasonings!

• Roasted portobello mushroom slices
• Shredded jackfruit
• Barvecue Carnitas
• Seitan strips
• Plant-based Chick’n Strips
• Tofu

Nacho Cheese

I like homemade vegan nacho cheese, but you can also try store-bought queso!

• Primal Kitchen No-Dairy Queso-Style Plant-Based Dip 
• Siete Vegan Cashew Queso

Shredded Cheese

The shredded cheese subs are widely available at most grocery stores!

• Violife Mexican Style Shreds
• Daiya Mexican Blend Shreds
• Chao Creamery Mexican Style Blend

Pro tip: If you aren’t serving a fully vegan board, serve the proteins in separate bowls to avoid cross-contamination! 

Save

Creative Nacho Topping Flavor Variations

My favorite thing about nachos is that you can customize every bite with all your favorite flavors! They don’t just have to be the classic Tex-Mex flavors; you can riff on the concept with flavors and toppings for other cuisines too (or use it as a fun way to enjoy leftovers!):

• Irish-inspired nachos: corned beef, cabbage, potato wedges, cheddar, sour cream, pickled onion, crumbled bacon
• Italian-style nachos: Pita chips, sliced banana peppers, crumbled Italian sausage and/or diced salami, red sauce, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil
• Asian-style nachos: Wonton chips, shredded chicken, edamame, sriracha or gochujang, cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced scallions
• Indian-ish nachos: papadum or tortilla chips, sharp cheddar or paneer cheese, tomatoes, onion, shredded chicken or potatoes, tamarind sauce, cilantro 

Dessert

• Caramel apple nachos: sliced apples, melted chocolate, peanut butter drizzle, caramel sauce, honey, chocolate and/or yogurt chips
• S’mores nachos: Graham crackers, toasted marshmallows or marshmallow drizzle, chocolate, peanut butter cups (take inspo from my S’Mores Dip Recipe!)

Save

Beverage Pairings for Nachos

The obvious choice is margaritas, but here are some other favorites:

Alcoholic

• Palomas
• Ranch water
• Mexican lager (like Corona or Modelo Especial)
• Pisco sour
• Mojito

Non-Alcoholic

• Limeade
• Lime sparkling water
• Topo chico
• Jarritos
• Coconut water

Save

How To Reheat Nachos

There’s nothing worse than heating up food only for it to get soggy! For starters, be sure to store all the leftover ingredients in separate containers. From there, there are two different ways to heat up those leftovers to keep everything crisp and delicious: 

You can reheat all the toppings individually in the microwave and then build your nachos–this way each topping can have its own reheat time (i.e. the pork probably needs longer than the cheese!). Plus, the chips never get warmed up, so they stay crispy!

Alternatively, you can build your nachos before warming them up and then reheat them in the air fryer or oven to keep the chips from getting gross. For the oven, arrange them on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet and heat them up at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes. In the air fryer, heat them at 370 degrees for about 7 minutes.

Show Me Your Nacho Party Bars

I hope this post inspires you to make this nacho toppings board. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the snacks and apps you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share! 

And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.