Chipotle Black Bean Nachos

Name: Chipotle Black Bean Nachos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 200 g tortilla Chips; 2 portion of Chipotle Black Bean Stew; 200 g salsa; 100 g cheese of your choice ((one that melts well)); jalapeños (to suit your level of spiciness); 1 avocado (mashed); 100 g creme fraiche

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Crunchy tortilla chips loaded with leftovers from our Chipotle Black Bean Stew and smothered with cheese is pretty much nacho perfection. Whether you plan to share them or eat them all to yourself, these Chipotle Black Bean Nachos are the perfect vegetarian (with a vegan option) nacho option for game day or something a little bit special on the weekend. Not that we need an excuse to make nachos.

We can never have too many nacho recipes in our life, right? If you love our Loaded Chicken Nachos, but are wanting to eat more meat-free meals, then this is definitely one to try. Chunky and protein packed beans mean that you really don't miss the meat, and the chipotle give them so much flavour.

Speaking of beans, if you want to try more bean based recipes, why not try our Bean Burrito, White Bean Pasta or Three Bean Curry.

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Why should you try it?
What you will need
Step by step
Health benefits of black beans
Black bean topping
Nacho toppings
What to serve them with
FAQs
Extra tips
More Mexican recipes
Recipe

Why should you try it?

Protein packed - The star of this recipe is the black beans and they are a great source of protein. They are chunky, with a meaty texture, which means that you really don't miss the meat in these nachos.
Perfect food for sharing - Nachos are just made for sharing. I know it might be hard to part with half of this dish, but sharing is caring! If you have friends coming over for movie night or to watch a game, then this is the perfect dish to throw together.
Use up leftovers - The best thing about this recipe is that it uses up leftovers from our black bean stew. If you just want to make these nachos, without making the stew first, then we have given you the instructions for that too.
Easy - If you do have leftovers of the stew, then this couldn't be easier. Just layer everything up and put it in the oven (or even the microwave for a super speedy version).

What you will need

Tortilla chips - You could use your favourite brand of store bought tortilla chips to save some time, or you could go the homemade route and use our Oven Baked Tortilla Chips.
Black beans - We used leftovers from our chipotle black bean stew (more on that below), but you could just use a can of black beans to save time and mix it with some herbs and spices
Cheese - When it comes to nachos, you want a cheese that melts really well, which is why we use cheddar. We use a mature cheddar as it has a strong flavour which means you don't need to use as much of it. Monetary jack cheese works well too.
Nacho toppings - The best thing about nachos is the toppings in our opinion. Go crazy and pile them high. We love guacamole, creme fraiche and loads of jalapenos.

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

Step by step

One: Lay the tortilla chips on the baking tray and top with the salsa and then ¾ of the cheese.

Three shot collage of tortilla chips on a baking tray, then with salsa then covered in cheese.

Two: Add the black bean stew and then the rest of the cheese.

Two shot collage with chipotle bean stew added then cheese added.

Three: Put in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Top with mashed avocado, creme fraiche and jalapenoes.

Cooked nachos with smashed avocado and dollops of creme fraiche added.

Health benefits of black beans

Whilst they might not be the first things you think of when you think of nutrient dense ingredients, black beans have lots of great health benefits.

They are a great source of protein, and much cheaper than other protein sources like chicken, beef or fish, which makes this a budget friendly protein packed meal.

They are also loaded with with fibre, folate and potassium (which can help lower blood pressure), as well as helping to lower "bad" cholesterol. The magnesium in black beans also plays an important role in protecting your bones.

Black bean topping

Whilst you could just open up a can of black beans and add them to the tortilla chips, why not take it one step further and use a Chipotle Black Bean Stew. A rich and hearty black bean stew with a kick of heat from chipotle paste and delicious smokiness from the paprika. Make a big batch for dinner, and then use leftovers the next day for these nachos.

If you don't want to make the stew, then you could just drain a can of black beans and mix it with some tomato puree and Mexican seasoning and then add it to these nachos the same way. We definitely recommend making the stew though.

A large bowl full of chipotle black bean stew.

Nacho toppings

Nachos are all about the extra toppings, right? Whilst the black beans and cheese are really the main toppings for these nachos, why stop there?

We went with spoonfuls of our Homemade Guacamole, some creme fraiche and loads of jalapenoes. But you could add a fresh tomato and avocado salsa or do something a little different by adding a Mango Salsa or Pineapple Salsa just before serving.

Dollops of smashed avocado and creme fraiche and jalapenos on top of nachos.

What to serve them with

This really is a full meal in itself, however if you wanted to serve it as part of a larger Mexican feast then we have some delicious meals and sides that would go perfectly with these black bean nachos:

A hand picking up a cheese and bean covered nacho from a tray.

FAQs

Can you cook nachos in the microwave?

We layer ours on a big baking tray and then cook them in the oven. However you could save yourself some time and heat everything through in the microwave until the cheese melts. But we find the texture is better when it is done in the oven.

How to store black bean nachos

Technically you can store nachos, but they really are best made fresh. Reheating the nachos can make the tortillas go dry and the cheese can spoil. Also, never reheat the toppings like guacamole and sour cream. If you are going to store them, then keep them in an air tight container and keep no longer than 2 days. You could always eat them cold.

Can you make these vegan?

Yes, it is easy to make a vegan version of this. Simply use your favourite brand of vegan cheese that melts well, and make sure that all the other toppings (like sour cream) are vegan alternatives too.

Are black bean nachos gluten free?

If you use store bought tortilla chips, most are gluten free. We have suggested using our homemade tortilla chips, which are not gluten free. Make sure there is no cross contamination from the other ingredients, then these nachos can easily be gluten free.

Can you make black bean nachos in advance?

Yes, you could layer everything up and then keep it in the fridge until you are ready to put it in the oven. It may need any extra 5 minutes in the oven if it has come out of the fridge though.

Extra tips

If you are using store bought tortilla chips, make sure they are really thick ones. The black bean topping is pretty heavy, and the tortilla chips need to be able to hold the weight of them when you scoop everything up.
If you want to make the clean up a lot easier, then line your baking paper with foil or baking paper first. You don't have to, but it will make things a lot easier for you.
Don't use a bag of ready grated cheese. Although this is a time saving option, store bought grated cheese tends to have a starchy coating on it which prevents the cheese from melting properly, and nachos need to be super melty.
To make the black bean stew topping more like a refried bean mixture, you could blend it a little until it is the desired consistency.
Got some black bean stew left over? Put it in a bowl to serve with everything else, and dip the nachos in it. You won't regret it.

More Mexican recipes

If you’ve tried these black bean nachos, or any other recipe on the blog, then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

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