This Halloween Nachos recipe post was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! I was sent samples by our sponsor, Dixie Crystals, but as always opinions are 100% mine.
Serve your guests a tray of Halloween nachos this year. The spooky bat and ghost-shaped tortilla chips put a fun festive spin on ultimate nachos and are frightfully delicious!
Loaded with taco meat, beans, lots of topping and gooey melted cheese, these supremely scary Halloween nachos are simply boo-tastic.
Why This Recipe Works
Halloween nachos include everything you love about supreme nachos with the added twist of homemade Halloween-shaped tortilla chips. Layers and layers of cheesy goodness!
Ingredient Notes
- Tortillas – I used a combination of flour tortillas and corn tortillas. You can use both or just choose your favorite. I like the flavor of corn tortillas in nachos a little bit more. (If you have leftovers, try these corn tortilla quesadillas next.)
- Halloween cookie cutters – I used bats (this exact cookie cutter) and ghosts, but you could try pumpkins, witch hats, cats, Frankenstein heads, spiders… anything really! The shape should be easily identifiable and without too many details and intricacies to cut around.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Use cookie cutters to cut Halloween shapes from tortillas. Make enough for three layers on a cookie sheet.
Tip: Save the tortilla scraps for the bottom layer. Nobody will see them, so the shape doesn’t matter!
Step 2: Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry tortillas until golden brown or desired crispness, about 2 minutes. You may want to flip over halfway through to brown both sides. Let drain on a paper towel-lined tray; sprinkle with salt immediately. Cook those scraps too!
Step 3: Line the bottom of a rimmed cookie sheet with fried tortilla chips. This is the layer you can use all those scraps if you cooked them.
Step 4: Layer 1/3 of taco beef, beans, green onions, jalapeno slices, cilantro, salsa and cheese. Repeat layers using up scraps and some of the Halloween shapes.
Step 5: For the final layer, use all the Halloween shapes, then top with shapes and around the edges. Place chips creatively for a fun Halloween presentation.
Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Recipe FAQ
Baking nachos allows the toppings and cheese to mingle and marry. Broiling just melts the cheese so the toppings stick to the chips. I much prefer baking for the ultimate flavor.
If you want to maintain crisp tortilla chips, you can sprinkle the bottom layer of chips with shredded cheese and bake for a minute or two, before layering the remaining toppings. That will create a bit of a barrier between the chips and the wet, saucy toppings.
Cheddar and Monterey Jack are good melting cheeses for nachos. I also often use PepperJack cheese with good results. Keep in mind that thin strands won’t melt as well as thicker cuts.
Related Recipes
Halloween Nachos
Ingredients
- 22 corn tortillas Adjust amount as desired
- 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas Adjust amount as desired
- 1 lb ground beef seasoned with taco mix Prepared as you would when making tacos. I use a pouch of taco seasoning mix.
- 15 oz spicy black beans drained but not rinsed
- 15 oz chili beans drained but not rinsed
- ¾ cup chopped green onions
- ¾ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 jalapenos thinly sliced
- 2 cups Mexican cheddar
- 2 cups Pepper Jack cheese
- Serve with salsa sour cream, tomato, lettuce, taco sauce, as desired
Instructions
- Use cookie cutters to cut Halloween shapes from tortillas. Make enough for three layers on a cookie sheet. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry tortillas until golden brown or desired crispness, about 2 minutes. You may want to flip over halfway through to brown both sides. Let drain on a paper towel-lined tray; sprinkle with salt immediately. Cook those scraps too! Don't overcrowd the fryer with the Halloween shapes. (When cooking the scraps, that won't matter.
- Line the bottom of a rimmed cookie sheet with fried tortilla chips. This is the layer you can use all those scraps if you cooked them.
- Layer 1/3 of taco beef, beans, green onions, jalapeno slices, cilantro, salsa and cheese. Repeat layers using up scraps and some of the Halloween shapes. For the final layer, use all the Halloween shapes, then top with shapes and around the edges. Place chips creatively for a fun Halloween presentation.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Tortillas – I used a combination of flour tortillas and corn tortillas. You can use both or just choose your favorite. I like the flavor of corn tortillas in nachos a little bit more. (I put the exact amounts I used in the ingredients list above, but you can make as many or as few as you need.)
- Halloween cookie cutters – I used bats (this exact cookie cutter) and ghosts, but you could try pumpkins, witch hats, cats, Frankenstein heads, spiders… anything really! The shape should be easily identifiable and without too many details and intricacies to cut around.
- After cutting out your Halloween shapes, save the tortilla scraps for the bottom layer. Nobody will see them, so the shape doesn’t matter!
Nutrition
Welcome!!! It is almost Halloween which means it is time for this year’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipe and giveaway event!!
#HalloweenTreatsWeek is a yearly Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife & its a creepy and haunting week-long event is filled with some amazingly wicked Halloween treats, recipes and some frightfully fun giveaways.
“When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers ‘tis near Halloween.”
For the 4th annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 28 hauntingly talented bloggers that are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week!
Follow the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media and look at the bottom of each post to see all of the Halloween recipes that we’re sharing!
Prize #1 from Dixie Crystals
41 Pieces Silicone Bakeware Set
3 Piece Halloween Silicone Spatula Set
Nordic Ware Haunted Skull Cakelet Pan
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsor to winner, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from October 11th – October 15th at 11:59PM EST. Winners will be selected soon afterward and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 1 (ONE) prize pack and therefore we will have a total of 1 (ONE) winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week-long event, #HalloweenTreatsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like to Thank our amazing brand sponsors: Dixie Crystals that provided a prize pack for our giveaways and also sent some samples and products to the #HalloweenTreatsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.
Check out all of these great #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipes for today
- Haunted Mansion Bloody Wedding Cake from Big Bear’s Wife
- Frankenstein Cupcakes from Semi Homemade Recipes
- Poison Apple Mocktail from Jen Around the World
- Graveyard Dirt Cream Puffs from Pint Sized Baker
- Halloween Cookies & Cream Cheesecakes from Fresh April Flours
- Halloween Cupcakes from Devour Dinner
- Halloween Ghost Cake from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Pumpkin Macarons from The Redhead Baker
- Monster Burgers from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
- Poisoned Apple Hand Pies from Cookaholic Wife
- Halloween Nachos from Eat Move Make
- Homemade Butterbeer from House of Nash Eats
- Baked Pumpkin Donuts from The Flour Handprint
- Caramel Apple Sandwich Cookies from Sweet ReciPEAs
- Caramel Apple Cupcakes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Hocus Pocus Spell Book Cupcakes from It’s Shanaka
- Halloween Cake Pops from Sweet Beginnings
- Deviled Egg Eyeballs from The Spiffy Cookie
- Poisoned Apple Macarons from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Pizza Skulls from Lemon Blossoms
- Bloody Dirty Shirley Float from An Affair from the Heart
- Reese’s Pieces Cookies from Back To My Southern Roots
- Oogie Boogie Dark Chocolate Brownies from Savory Moments
- Halloween Ghost Kabobs from Our Good Life
