Now that we're spending more time at home our movie nights have become a more regular occasion. And that means I've had to up my game when it comes to movie night food. Vegetarian nachos are a firm family favourite and these Loaded Veggie Nachos are always a winner! Big on flavour, so easy to make and perfect for movie night.
You can make these nachos in no time at all, they are quick and easy to make. Packed with spiced onions and peppers, refried beans and all the cheese.
Don't forget the extras when you make these nachos! If you're going full loaded you will need all the guacamole and the salsa! Sour cream and pickled jalapenos are a must too.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Those spiced peppers and onions - they add extra texture to your nachos.
- Creamy, salty refried beans, a must in my opinion.
- Nachos are always a good idea!
What You'll Need
- Peppers - I use a mix of red and yellow bell peppers, you can add more veggies in here if you want, mushrooms are great in these too.
- Red onion - One small red onion is enough here but you can swap that for a brown/white onion if you prefer.
- Spices & herbs - Dried oregano, dried coriander leaf, cumin seeds, ground coriander and garlic are needed to cook up the onions and peppers. For serving, I also add some fresh coriander/cilantro.
- Tortilla chips - I like lightly salted tortilla chips for this but you can go with plain or cheesy chips if you like.
- Cheese - Mature/sharp cheddar is my go-to cheese for these nachos. You can also use Monterey Jack if you prefer. The main thing is that the cheese needs to melt!
- Refried Beans - I recommend going for a good quality brand of refried beans. I've tried a few different kinds of own store brands and Old El Paso always comes out the best (not an add). If you fancy making your own refried beans then this recipe from Serious Eats is well worth a try.
How To Make Loaded Veggie Nachos
This is just a quick visual guide, please see the recipe card below for the full instructions.
- Cook the red onion until translucent, add the peppers adn cook until soft.
- Add the spices, dried herbs and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Then add a splash of water, stir well.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper, spread a layer of tortilla chips over the paper, sprinkle a layer of cheese over the tortilla chips. Evenly spread the cooked peppers and onion over the cheese then add spoonfuls of the refried beans, again, place the beans evenly over the peppers.
- Sprinkle more cheese over everything then add a layer of nachos on top is you want and bake in a preheated oven until the cheese has melted. Serve straight away with your favourite toppings.
Tips For Making The Best Vegetarian Nachos
- Cook the onions and peppers until soft, I used to make these with raw peppers but cooked is so much better.
- Spread the tortilla chips and the toppings out evenly this will reduce the chance of your chips going soggy and make sure the refried beans are warmed through.
- Make sure your oven is preheated before you add the nachos, you don't want to be waiting for these!
- Good quality store-bought tortilla chips should hold up for these nachos, but expect some breakage. I'm ok with these bits too.
- We prefer a good quality mature (sharp) cheddar cheese for our nachos, but I have made them with regular and low-fat cheddar too, to good results.
FAQs
What toppings do you put on nachos? We love pickled jalapenos, coriander/cilantro leaves, sour cream, salsa and guacamole on our nachos. A sprinkling of feta cheese is really good too.
Do you put salsa on nachos before cooking? No, this will make your nachos soggy. Serve your nachos with salsa.
Can I make a small portion for one person? Yes, you can! And if you are making these for one or two people I recommend using a microwave instead of an oven to cook them. Just make sure you place the nachos on a microwave-friendly dish.
More Tasty Movie Night Food Inspiration
Pizza is our other movie night favourite and my White Pizza with Spinach and Ricotta is always a winner. Need something more in the comfort food zone try my Gnocchi Bolognese Bake or my Mushroom Pesto Pasta. If you want something a little healthier then try my Falafel Bowls, they are a really tasty healthy option.
Have you made this Loaded Veggie Nachos Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Loaded Veggie Nachos
Ingredients
- 300 g / 1 x 130z pack of lightly salted tortilla chips
- 175 g / 2 cups of grated mature cheddar cheese
- 1 x 400g /15 oz can of refried beans
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper (capsicum) seeds and pith removed then sliced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper (capsicum) seeds and pith removed then sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried coriander leaf
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Extra Toppings For Serving
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Pickled jalapenos
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C / 390 FLine a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add the sliced red onion and cook for about 5 minutes.Add the peppers then cook for a few minutes. Now add the garlic, spices and dried herbs. Stir well and cook for a minute or two. Add a splash of water to the pan and then season with salt and pepper.Leave to cool slightly.
- Spread half the tortilla chips evenly on the baking tray.Spread one-third of the grated cheese over the tortillas, now evenly spread the pepper and onion mixture over the cheese.Now, scoop the refried beans into a bowl, stir in a little water to loosen it up then spread it out over the cheese. Sprinkle another third of the cheese over the beans.I finish this off with a final layer of tortilla chips but that up to you.
- Place the nachos in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately with all your favourite toppings.
Notes
- Tortilla chips - Use good quality tortilla chips, the stronger the chip the more you can scoop up!
- Cheese - I use a good quality mature (sharp) cheddar cheese to make these nachos, you can use a low-fat cheddar if you prefer. If you are in the US I would use a mix of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack just for the melting power of these cheese.
- Pre-heat the oven - Don't forget to preheat the oven! A hot oven will melt the cheese faster and then you won't be waiting around for these!
- Nutritional Information - is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is based on one serving of six and does not include any extras.
- For US readers - I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy. For best results, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published on
These look so delicious and so easy! I can't wait to make these! My family is going to love them!
Thanks Beth, I hope you enjoy them.
I could probably live off nacho and now I have an excuse to eat nacho more often cause technically I'm eating my veggie!
Haha, I like the way you think Sarah!
These nachos looks fabulous! I love all the veggies on them and could snack on these any time!
Thanks so much Andrea 🙂
My family loved the cooked peppers. They were such a yummy addition to the nachos.
I'm so glad you all enjoyed then April 🙂
One of the best movie time snacks. Looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing
Nachos in general make me weak in the knees but this Veggie Loaded version has me feeling things I've never felt before! Lol! Can't wait to try.
Lol, that me laugh Jessica! I hope you like it if you try it x
I could easily make a meal of these! I love all those veggies and they're so perfect for football season!
Thanks Carol 🙂
Nachos (and tacos. . . with margaritas, of course) are my all time favorite cheat food. I usually have mine with some sort of meat; however, the beans and all the other tasty toppings more than make up for that. The feta is a nice touch as well. I've never actually had nachos with feta cheese.
Thanks Lynn, I can't find cotija cheese here so I think feta would be the next best thing 😉
These look amazing! I love the idea of replacing cheese, sour cream, and guacamole with fresh veggies. This would make a wonderful appetizer or a meal of its own.
Thanks Kimberly x It's lovely as a meal on it's own too 😉
This looks SO amazing! I always serve meat on my nachos but this is just lovely....LOVELY! Beautiful pictures and oh so appetizing! I'm printing off this recipe so I can add it to my weekly meal plan!!
Thank you so much Amanda x I hope you enjoy them 🙂
We use to have an appetizer night once in a while and usually pair it with watching a good movie, but have never thought of nachos! These are loaded with veggies, so perfect for me, but also my husband would appreciate.
These sound wonderful for game day or even for a weeknight dinner!!
What a perfect snack anytime. This would be great for entertaining too. The photos make me want to dig right into that skillet. I'm pinning.
Thank you so much Marisa x
looks great and scrumptious. Love that salsa recipe!
Thank you Citra 🙂
This is a great idea for a snack food. Its super nutritious and quite versatile as well as you can mix and match ingredients as they are available. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you so much Karl, I'm really glad you like it 🙂
Those look delicious!
With enough beans and cheese, I admit I've made nachos for lunch a few times... Feels so indulgent, but when I plan it right, it isn't really too bad... LOL
You are right....great for ANY NIGHT!! I could make a meal out of this....perfect for weekend entertaining fun.