Loaded Air Fryer (or Oven) Nachos with Ground Beef recipe
Safira
Loaded Air Fryer (or Oven) Nachos with Ground Beef recipe - These loaded Nachos are topped with ground Beef, a silky Cheese/Nacho sauce and all your favourite toppings. They are very more-ish, are the ultimate crowd pleaser and are perfect for Game day/night, Movie night and make a great snack for any get together!
Cook Onions in Oil till very light golden over medium-high heat. Cook Onions in Oil till very light golden over medium-high heat. Then add Garlic, Ginger and Green Chilli if using. Stir in Beef. Brown and sauté until almost cooked and then add all the Spices and Tomato Puree. Cook for a further 5 - 10 minutes until the mixture is thick.
Cheese Sauce
Add Cheese and Corn Flour to a pan. Coat and mix together with your hands to distribute the cornflour evenly across the Cheese. Pourin Evaporated Milk and Onion Powder and stir until the cheese melts and the sauce has thickened.
Assemble
Add half the Nachos and half the Ground Beef to the bottom of the Air Fryer basket lined with a layer of parchment paper/baking paper and cook at 180 C/350 F and air fry for 3 - 5 minutes till the Nachos are crispy.
Remove from the Air Fryer and spread onto a large platter.
Pour over ½ of the Cheese Sauce.
Spread over the remaining Nachos, cooked Meat and melted cheese Sauce.
Add your desired toppings and enjoy.
Notes
Variations
This recipe is easily adaptable and you can change it up however you like. Add your favorite nacho toppings and really load them up! Here are some other suggestions:Sour creamSour Cream is delicious with Nachos and it cuts through the richness of the other flavours namely the Beef and Cheese Sauce.Guacamole For a cool, fresh addition to Nachos. The Lime and Avocado complement the flavours in this recipe.VeggiesAdd a couple of tablespoons of other Veg such as Corn, Black Olives, Tomatoes, Onions. Add a sprinkling of Spring/Green Onions.BeansAdd some Refried Beans or Black Beans.SalsaAdd Salsa or Pico De Gallo.Add some Hot SauceYou can add this to the Nacho Sauce or just drizzle on top of the Nachos.Add some pink Pickled onionsThese can be store brought but are also easy enough to make at home.Use Ground chicken or Ground Lamb insteadYou can always adda Beef Stock cube if you want a richer more robust flavour.Add shredded Beef insteadSuch as Birria or Brisket.
Tips for the ultimate air fryer nachos with beef and cheese sauce
Use thick Tortilla Chips - The best tortilla chips are thick ones that won't get as soggy as the smaller thinner variety. Alternatively bake/air fry the Nachos on their own without the Beef first for 5 minutes.Have your favorite toppings to hand - If everything is ready, these Nachos then become easier to prep at the end. Nachos are best served fresh. If you choose to add other Veg and have to start chopping it afterwards, it delays the serving of the Nachos.Use evaporated milk in your Nacho Cheese - This stops the Cheese sauce from curdling or setting hard. Make sure you only simmer the Sauce and do not boil it. Just cook it to your desired consistency and then remove from the heat. If it has thickened too much, add a little more evaporated milk.Use fresh grated cheese - pre-shredded cheese has a coating on it to stop it from clumping together. This also however, makes it less melty.
How to prep ahead
Most of the elements of this dish can be prepped ahead. Meaning you can assemble the Nachos just before serving without too much fussing. Here is how:Ground Beef can be made up to 3 days ahead - Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stovetop. You may need to add a little water but not much as you want to keep it thick.Nacho cheese can also be made 3 days ahead - Store in the fridge in an airtight container. To reheat, place in a small pot/pan and reheat gently on the stove. Again, don’t let it come to a boil and add a little evaporated milk if needed.Toppings - Chop any veggies 2 days in advance and store in the fridge in an airtight container.