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If you are having a party (especially if there are teenagers as part of the mix) and want a surefire hit, you will be hard-pressed to find something more crowd-pleasing than a build-your-own-nachos bar. My sister-in-law did this for one of her son’s graduation parties, and I knew then, and there it was going to become part of my repertoire. It’s also perfect for game day parties.

The very first time I did a test run of these was when my younger son, Charlie, had a bunch of friends over for a movie night. (I will pause to mention that two of the attending friends were named Linus and Lucy. Yes, it’s freaking adorable. No, they didn’t watch Peanuts.)

Linus, amazingly, had NEVER had nachos! Isn’t that crazy? He kept repeating this fact with wonder and anticipation as the nachos baked. He lives a rich and full life otherwise, with much exposure to all of the wonders of the world, so this oversight is an anomaly. I was so happy to show him the light — how often do you get to provide a person with their first nacho night experience?

Table of Contents

Woman lifting a nacho from a plate of nachos with lots of toppings.

Most recently, I put this out for a Super Bowl party, and it reminded me of watching a zookeeper feed the lions. Throw in the food, snatch back your hand as quickly as possible, and don’t get between the beasts (in this case, about half a dozen teenage boys) and the food.

Also, yes, there are Instagram versions where this is all pulled together right on your table, with the cheese going everywhere, but honestly, who wants to clean that all up!?

How to Make a Nacho Bar: Letting your friends top their own plate of cheesy nachos is one of the best possible ways to kick off a party.

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How to Set up a Nacho Bar

  1. Leave space at one end of the table to place the tray of hot nachos with melted cheese. Put down a trivet or hot plate where the tray with the nachos will go.
  2. Place the plates at the end of the table just before where the nachos will be.
  3. Arrange the bowls for the toppings on the table. I like to put post-it notes in each bowl, reminding me of what will go into each bowl (e.g., sour cream, sliced jalapeños, diced onions, guacamole, etc.).
  4. At the far end of the table, you’ll want to have the napkins (lots of napkins) and forks (if you’re using forks), so people can grab them after they assemble their nacho plates.
  5. Then fill the bowls with the toppings just before putting the nachos into the oven.
  6. Make sure to heat any toppings that should be hot, like chili, browned ground meat, or taco meat.
  7. Have plenty of chips and shredded or crumbled cheese on hand, so you can make new trays of nachos as the one on the table gets inhaled. When you see the nachos running low, assemble another tray and pop it onto the preheated oven.
  8. Keep an eye on the toppings and replenish as needed.
Nachos on a foil covered baking sheet surrounded with various toppings in small bowls

What to Put on a Nacho Bar

The list of possible ways to personalize nachos abound, and while a number are listed below in the nacho bar topping list, you can get very creative — or stick with the basics. Then stand back and let everyone make their own version of loaded bar nachos.

Nacho Bar Toppings

Stirring ground beef chili in pot with wood spoon.
Game Day Ground Beef Chili

Chili is one of the suggested toppings, and you can make any kind of chili, from chicken to turkey to beef to vegetarian. Here are some recipes to try:

Or, instead of chili, you can also serve up cooked taco meat (ground beef or turkey) taco meat, or shredded slow-cooked pork, beef, or chicken.

Woman taking a nacho from a baking sheet with nachos on it, surrounded by various topping choices.

FAQs

What toppings go on a nacho bar?

That’s a loaded question! (Pun very intended.) Think about jalapeños (fresh or pickled), olives, chili or taco meat, various salsas or pico de gallo, sliced scallions, Guacamole, Avocado Crema, or diced avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro leaves, diced fresh tomatoes, diced onion or pickled onions, diced artichoke hearts, and sautéed mushrooms.

How many tortilla chips per person for nacho bar?

Of course, the answer is “that depends.” Mostly, it depends on your crowd (teenagers or little kids?), and what else you’re serving (is this part of a bigger spread?). Bigger eaters (like my sons and husband) might eat 20 to 30 chips, however, if you are serving other appetizers, or if the nachos are just a first course, plan on about 1 ounce of chips per person.

What goes with nachos at a party?

Other super popular bar-food types of appetizers are air fryer chicken wings, Buffalo Turkey Burger Sliders, Chipotle Beef Sliders, and Cowboy Caviar. You could also make some Queso Fundido with Chorizo, and Hot Pimento Cheese Dip to pour over the nachos in addition to or instead of melting cheese over the tortilla chips in the oven.

What goes on nachos first?

Other than the cheese, it really doesn’t matter!

What drinks go well with nachos?

On the alcoholic side, try Red Sangria, Summer Fruit and Berry Sangria, or Hibiscus Cocktail. On the nonalcoholic side, maybe a Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie or Agua Fresca.

What kind of cheese do you use for nachos?

My favorite two options are a blend of shredded Monterey Jack and mild cheddar. You want a milder cheddar here, which will become more smooth and creamy when melted than a sharp, aged cheddar. Monterey Jack also melts very smoothly. You can also go with a shredded Mexican blend, which might contain a mix of cheese like cheddar, Monterey, Jack, Asiago, Asadero, Chihuahua, and other Mexican cheeses.

WOman holding nacho over a plate of nachos with olives, pickled onions, tomatoes and avocado on top.

How to Make a Nacho Bar

  1. Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread half the tortilla chips on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle over half of the cheese, and then layer on the rest of the chips, and cover with the rest of the cheese.
  2. Set up the toppings bar: Place any and all of the desired toppings in individual bowls and place them on the table, with small plates. Heat up the chili or taco meat, if using.
  3. Bake: Bake the nachos for about 8 minutes until the cheese is melted.
  4. Serve: Transfer the nachos to a serving platter, and serve hot, letting your guests choose their toppings.
Woman adding some diced avocado hearts to a plate of nachos, with more nachos and toppings nearby

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How to Make a Nacho Bar

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 People
Letting your friends top their own plate of cheesy nachos is one of the best possible ways to kick off a party.
How to Make a Nacho Bar
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Ingredients 

  • 1 13-ounce bag tortilla chips
  • 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend (or a blend of mild cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack)

Nacho Bar Toppings

  • Jalapeños
  • Olives
  • Chili or taco meat
  • Various salsas or pico de gallo sauces
  • Sliced scallions
  • Guacamole or diced avocado
  • Sour cream
  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Diced artichoke hearts
  • Sautéed mushrooms

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread half the tortilla chips on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle over half of the cheese, and then layer on the rest of the chips, and cover with the rest of the cheese.
  • Place any and all of the desired toppings in individual bowls and place on the table, with small plates. Heat up the chili or taco meat, if using.
  • When ready to serve, bake the nachos for about 8 minutes until the cheese is melted. Transfer the nachos to a serving platter, and serve hot.

Notes

  • Leave space at one end of the table to place the tray of hot nachos with melted cheese. Put down a trivet or hot plate where the tray with the nachos will go.
  • Place the plates at the end of the table just before where the nachos will be.
  • Arrange the bowls for the toppings on the table. I like to put post-it notes in each bowl, reminding me of what will go into each bowl (e.g., sour cream, sliced jalapeños, diced onions, guacamole, etc.).
  • At the far end of the table you’ll want to have the napkins (lots of napkins) and forks (if you’re using forks), so people can grab them after they assemble their nacho plate.
  • Then fill the bowls with the toppings just before putting the nachos into the oven.
  • Make sure to heat any toppings that should be hot, like chili, browned ground meat, or taco meat.
  • Have plenty of chips and shredded or crumbled cheese on hand, so you can make new trays of nachos as the one on the table gets inhaled. When you see the nachos running low, assemble another tray and pop it onto the preheated oven.
  • Keep an eye on the toppings and replenish as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 584mg, Potassium: 147mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 369IU, Calcium: 449mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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