Today I am bringing you one of my favorite dishes to date: Nachos with Homemade Taco Meat and Sriracha Cheese Sauce!
Usually when IÂ make nachos (which is fairly regularly), I just sprinkle shredded cheese over the top and bake until melted. On the day I made these, I was in the mood for something different. I wanted something reminiscent of the concession stand nachos that come with a little sidecar of orange “cheese” for dipping, but I wanted it to be made from real ingredients.
This is actually two recipes, but they go so well together that I didn’t want to split up the pair. You could use this homemade taco meat recipe on its own for tacos, burritos, or Mexican dip. (Skip the taco seasoning packet!) The sriracha cheese sauce would be delicious drizzled over french fries, broccoli, baked potatoes… Why am I even providing a list here? What doesn’t taste better covered with cheese sauce?!
You might think chicken broth is an odd addition to nacho cheese sauce, but I’ll tell you why it’s in there. I actually made this twice, the first time with all milk, and it turned out a little sweet. I wanted to use the same amount of liquid without all the sweetness from the milk, and the chicken broth worked perfectly. The version I’m sharing here was SO GOOD! Of course you can adjust the sriracha (a hot sauce found in the Asian section of your grocery store) to taste or eliminate it completely if you are looking for something more mild. I should let you know that this cheese sauce  thickens up quickly once it cools, which is not a problem once it’s on your chips, but it wouldn’t be a great choice for serving in an unheated bowl for dipping at a party. It is meant to be eaten right away, which will not be a problem. This cheesy goodness doesn’t last long!
| Prep Time | 3 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 onion finely diced
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. flour
- 3/4 c. cold milk
- 1/4 c. chicken broth
- 1 tsp. sriracha hot sauce or adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 c. shredded Mexican cheese
Ingredients
Taco Meat
Sriracha Cheese Sauce
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Rate this recipe!
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- For the taco meat, spray a medium skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions, and saute for 3 minutes. Add beef and seasoning, and brown and crumble meat until cooked through. Drain very well.
- For the cheese sauce, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add butter, and whisk in flour as soon as the butter is melted, stirring until a smooth paste forms.
- Very slowly stir in cold milk, about 1/4 c. at a time, whisking constantly to keep mixture smooth. If you see a few tiny lumps, don't worry about it. Break up any lumps larger than a pea with the whisk or the back of a fork before adding more liquid.
- Once all the milk is added and you have a smooth mixture, whisk in chicken broth and spices. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently, and simmer until bubbly and thickened. Turn heat to medium-low, and stir in cheese. Stir continuously until cheese is melted, which will only take about a minute.
- Fill a bowl or plate with an even layer of tortilla chips, pile on some taco meat, drizzle cheese sauce over that, and top with extras like guacamole and salsa. Dig in!
Want more nachos? Your answer should be yes. Check out these!
Sky High Layered Chicken Nachos
Kristin says
What is Mexican cheese, exactly?
Andi says
Hi, Kristin. I often use pre-shredded cheese in my recipes (this one included), and the bag of cheese says “Mexican Blend Cheese.” It’s usually a blend of cheddar, monterey jack, and a couple others. Colby Jack works well too. Thanks for your question!
Liz says
I like this recipe. Thanks so much.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
In my opinion nachos should be considered a main food group. These look amazing!
Andi says
Thank you! Just looking at them makes he hungry for nachos, but it doesn’t take much ;)
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me says
And now we are best friends because you made Sriracha Cheese Sauce.
Andi says
Haha now I know how to stay on your good side!
buttons says
Mmm, sriracha cheese sauce sounds so good! That will have to be a date night dinner. The little one doesn’t like anything too spicy (she’ll be pretty bummed though, she does LOVE nachos. She picked nachos for her birthday breakfast last year!).
Andi says
Hi, Buttons! Nachos for breakfast is awesome! Did you put bacon on them?
The sriracha is completely optional. You could leave it out or add it after serving up hers.
buttons says
I tried to do some sort of breakfast nachos with egg and bacon, but she just wanted my regular nachos!
I have never made cheese sauce from scratch, I either get a can of nacho cheese or just bake them with grated cheese depending on what we’ve got, since they’re usually an I’m too lazy to go to the store kind of dinner and we’ve usually got most of the fixins. I will definitely have to try making my own cheese sauce, I never even would have thought to!
Jeannie says
I’ve not seen Sirracha hot sauce. Where do you find it?
Andi says
Hi, Jeannie! Thanks for asking, and I should have explained what it was in the post! It’s a hot sauce usually found in the Asian section of your supermarket. It’s orangish red, and the bottle has a white rooster on it. Here’s some more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sriracha_sauce. I added this link in the post too for others who have the same question. Thank you so much for stopping by!
tanya says
Oh my gosh Andi this looks soooo good! That cheese sauce was meant for me! Love it!
Andi says
When I was making this, I thought of your Facebook status asking if other people used food as an excuse to eat sriracha. In a way, this one really was made for you because I had you in mind :)