Ditch plain tortilla chips for crispy tater tots to make easy sheet-pan tachos. Finish the dish with seasoned ground beef, gooey nacho cheese, and all your favorite toppings!
For more easy meal ideas, check out these delicious ground beef recipes!
What are Tachos?
Tater tot nachos are loaded tater tots or a tater tot casserole topped with all your favorite nacho fixings. It’s the ultimate comfort food for people of all ages and is perfect for entertaining!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tater Tots: You will need a 2-pound bag of frozen tater tots or substitute with sweet potato tots.
- Oil: Saute onions in a small amount of oil.
- Onion: Use finely diced yellow or white onions.
- Ground Beef: Opt for 80/20 lean ground beef for the best results. If you choose a higher fat content, cook the meat longer to allow it to reabsorb any liquid or drain the excess oil. Alternatively, you can use ground turkey or chicken for a lighter option.
- Tomato: Roma tomatoes work best since they have less liquid than other varieties.
- Garlic: I suggest using two fresh garlic cloves, but measure with your heart.
- Cilantro: Cilantro leaves brighten the ground beef.
- Spices: Season the ground beef mixture with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper (as needed). Or you can use my low-sodium taco seasoning recipe to meet your dietary needs.
- Toppings: Finish the tater tots with toppings like gooey nacho cheese, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, green onions, black olives, and sour cream.
Additions and Substitutions
- Replace the beef with ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground chorizo. Tater tot nachos are a great way to use leftover ground beef, chicken, or rotisserie chicken. You can also use pinto beans, black beans, or ground Beyond Meat for a vegetarian option.
- Make breakfast tachos with ground sausage, crispy bacon, or scrambled eggs.
- BBQ Tachos are another tasty option. Replace the ground beef with pulled pork or beef brisket. Top them with pickled yellow onions and your favorite BBQ sauce like Cheerwine BBQ sauce, raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce, or Carolina gold BBQ sauce.
- If you don’t have tater tots, try french fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, or air fryer sweet potato wedges.
- Replace the nacho cheese with queso or shredded cheese like cheddar cheese, pepper jack, or Monterey Jack cheese.
Tools Used to Make this Recipe
You will need a rimmed baking sheet to bake the tater tots. Line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat for easy cleanup. And cook the ground beef in a large skillet or saute pan.
How to Make Tachos
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 450℉ (232℃). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spread the tater tots in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, warm oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it up with a meat chopper. Cook until brown and heated through for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Stir in the tomato, garlic, and cilantro. Season with 2-3 tablespoons of taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Tip: If you’re using fatty ground beef, increase the heat and cook a bit longer until the meat absorbs it.
Step 4: Remove the tater tots from the oven and top them with the ground beef mixture. Then, spread the melted cheese or shredded cheese over the top. Bake for 5-8 minutes.
Let the dish cool some before adding your toppings, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Cook the tater tots until they are crispy and golden brown to create a sturdy base for the nachos.
- Serve tachos straight off the baking sheet, or transfer the ingredients to a serving dish.
If you enjoy the tator tots, try more sheet-pan recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Whether you serve the dish for dinner or as a tasty snack, here are some ideas for what to serve with nachos.
When serving tachos, have a variety of sauces and salsas available. Drizzle tasty sauces such as Sriracha, avocado lime crema, hot sauce, serrano crema, guacamole, chipotle lime sauce, or ancho aioli over the top.
Top the crispy tots with classic pico de gallo, chunky salsa, mango pico de gallo, or pineapple corn salsa.
Make it a complete meal by serving this spin-on nachos with side dishes like black beans, refried beans, Mexican rice, or an avocado tomato cucumber salad.
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate: The tater tot nachos are best eaten fresh, but you can store the leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Freeze: Let the dish cool completely and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Tachos without vegetable toppings will freeze for three months.
- Thaw: Defrost the leftovers in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Preheat your oven to around 375°F (190°C). Place the tater tots on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 10-15 minutes or until they become crispy.
More Appetizer Recipes:
Tachos
- Serving Dish
- 2 pounds frozen tater tots
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 1 Roma tomato, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cans (13.5 ounces) nacho cheese, heated according to the package
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped
- ½ medium red onions, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 can black olives, sliced
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- Preheat your oven to 450℉ (232℃). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spread the tater tots in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it up with a meat chopper. Cook until brown and heated through for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato, garlic, and cilantro. Season with 2-3 tablespoons of taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.Tip: If you're using fatty ground beef, increase the heat and cook a bit longer until the meat absorbs it.
- Remove the tater tots from the oven and top them with the ground beef mixture. Then, spread the melted cheese or shredded cheese over the top. Bake for 5-8 minutes. Let the dish cool some before adding your toppings, and enjoy!
- Cook the tater tots until they are crispy and golden brown to create a sturdy base for the nachos.
- Serve tachos straight off the baking sheet, or transfer the ingredients to a serving dish.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.