These oven baked nachos are layered with crispy tortilla chips, refried beans, seasoned beef and plenty of melted cheese. Baked in a skillet until hot and cheesy, they’re an easy appetizer or game day favorite everyone loves.

These sheet pan nachos, 7 layer dip and BBQ pulled pork nachos are a few more game day favorites my family loves!

Oven baked nachos with cheese in a cast iron skillet.

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Key Takeaways: Oven Baked Nachos and Cheese

  • Ready in 20 minutes: A quick appetizer or snack with minimal prep and just 10 to 15 minutes in the oven.
  • Extra cheesy: Layering freshly grated cheese between the tortilla chips gives you melty cheese throughout, not just on top.
  • Easy to customize: Keep them simple with beans and cheese or add taco meat, shredded chicken and all your favorite nacho toppings.

Why I Love This Recipe

These oven baked nachos are a step up from homemade tortilla chips with nacho cheese dip. Freshly shredded cheese melts beautifully between the layers, and skipping a cheese sauce helps keep the chips crisp instead of soggy.

Baking the nachos in a skillet gets everything hot, melty and evenly layered. My family loves them as a game day appetizer alongside favorites like my easy taco dip.

XO - Jamielyn

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for oven baked nachos including tortilla chips, shredded cheese, red enchilada sauce, refried beans, salt and pepper.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Tortilla chips: It’s hard to have nachos in the oven without this key ingredient that make it so easy to eat and give the dish it’s necessary crunch.
  • Shredded cheese: I like to use a mixture of mozzarella and fontina, but feel free to use your favorites like a mix of sharp and medium cheddar cheese.
  • Refried beans from canned beans: I love how this adds a heartiness to the nachos and provides a ton of flavor. I love black beans, but pinto beans work, too.
  • Red enchilada sauce: This sauce gives the nachos their kick of flavor with a bit of smokiness that rounds everything out.

Topping Ideas

I’m definitely a toppings kind of girl, so I love to load these oven baked nachos with guacamole, salsa, jalapeños and plenty of fresh toppings. Add shredded chicken or taco meat to make them hearty enough for a meal.

  • Cheese: Mozzarella, Monterey Jack or fontina.
  • Beans: Black beans, pinto beans or refried beans.
  • Salsa: Try restaurant-style salsa or salsa verde.
  • Fresh toppings: Guacamole, pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro, green onions or red onion.
  • Creamy: Sour cream or a drizzle of queso blanco added after baking.
  • More favorites: Jalapeños, diced tomatoes or black olives.

How to Make Oven Baked Nachos

Start by pouring a thin layer of red enchilada sauce across the bottom of a large skillet. Then spread the refried beans on top, followed by a small sprinkle of cheese.

Refried beans spread over enchilada sauce in a skillet with cheese.

Next add a layer of tortilla chips with another layer of cheese (about 3/4 cup). Repeat with the chips and cheese until you have 3 layers. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the final layer of chips and then drizzle a few Tablespoons of enchilada sauce on top.

Nachos layered in a cast iron skillet ready for the oven.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake the nachos until the cheese is bubbly and golden (this usually takes about 15 minutes). Remove from oven and then pile on any additional toppings of choice (check out my favorites above). Then serve immediately while hot!

Oven baked nachos loaded with toppings on the counter.

Recipe Tips

  • Shred your own cheese. Don’t use the pre-shredded bags. Buy a block of cheese and grate your own. The bags of pre-shredded cheese have extra additives that make it harder for them to melt. If you want that ooey gooey cheesy perfection, grate it yourself.
  • Chips. Make sure you use chips that are thick, so that they don’t break and remain sturdy to hold all the toppings. 
  • Bake the base first. Layer on the base ingredients (chips, cheese, beans and enchilada sauce) and bake those first. Then once out of the oven, add the other toppings  (like salsa, guacamole, jalapeños) so that they stay fresh.
  • Sheet pan. If you don’t have a large enough cast-iron skillet or would prefer to bake the nachos on a sheet pan, you can definitely make sheet pan nachos. Just line the pan with tortilla chips and top with cheese, beans and drizzle with enchilada sauce.

Oven Baked Nachos FAQs

How do you make crispy baked nachos?

Use thick, sturdy tortilla chips and layer them with freshly shredded cheese rather than a cheese sauce. Bake just until the cheese is melted, then add wet toppings like salsa, guacamole and sour cream after the nachos come out of the oven.


What temperature should I bake nachos at?

Bake nachos at 375°F for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is hot, bubbly and melted.

Do I need to line the skillet with foil or parchment paper?

No. If you’re using a cast-iron or oven-safe skillet, you can layer the nachos directly in the pan. There’s no need for foil or parchment paper.

How do you keep nachos from getting soggy?

Start with thick tortilla chips, avoid adding too much sauce and save fresh or wet toppings for after baking. Layering shredded cheese between the chips also creates a barrier that helps them stay crisp.

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Baked nachos in a skillet loaded with toppings.

More Mexican favorites we love include these homemade tortilla strips, cinnamon tortilla chips and taco dip.

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Baked nachos with cheese and toppings in a cast iron skillet.

Oven Baked Nachos

5 from 6 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
These oven baked nachos and cheese are layered with crispy tortilla chips, refried beans, enchilada sauce and freshly shredded cheese, then baked until hot and melty.
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Ingredients 

  • ½ cup red enchilada sauce , more or less as needed
  • 1 (16-ounce) can black bean refried beans
  • Kosher salt , to taste
  • Ground black pepper , to taste
  • 3 cups freshly grated mozzarella , Monterey jack, or fontina cheese
  • 1 bag tortilla chips , thick ones work best

Optional toppings: Guacamole, Pico de gallo, Fresh cilantro, Jalapenos, Sour cream

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
  • In the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet, pour 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce. Spread 1 can refried beans over the top and add a little salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle on a little bit of cheese, about 1/2 cup.
  • Add a layer of 1/3 of the tortilla chips with another layer of cheese, about 3/4 cup. Bake for a couple minutes in the oven if desired to melt the cheese.
  • Repeat with remaining chips and cheese so that there are 3 layers of chips and the top layer is cheese. Drizzle 2 to 3 Tablespoons enchilada sauce over the top if desired. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
  • Top with your favorite toppings just before serving. My favorites are guacamole and pico de gallo. Serve immediately.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Variations: To make this a hearty meal, you can add a layer of shredded chicken or taco meat.
Shred your own cheese. Don’t use the pre-shredded bags. Buy a block of cheese and grate your own. The bags of pre-shredded cheese have extra additives that make it harder for them to melt. If you want that ooey gooey cheesy perfection, grate it yourself.
Chips. Make sure you use chips that are thick, so that they don’t break and remain sturdy to hold all the toppings. You can even make your own homemade tortilla chips to take the baked nachos up a notch.
Bake the base first. Layer on the base ingredients (chips, cheese, beans and enchilada sauce) and bake those first. Then once out of the oven, add the other toppings  (like salsa, guacamole, jalapeños) so that they stay fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 1024mg, Potassium: 103mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 569IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 272mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.