Take Your Nachos To The Next Level By Grilling The Ingredients

Nachos are already a delicious appetizer. But if you want to take them to the next level, you may want to consider grilling some of the ingredients first. To find out everything we need to know about making grilled nachos, Daily Meal spoke with an expert: Robbie Shoults, the owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse, Marshall Mercantile, and High Horse 1898.

When asked which nacho ingredients are the best fit for the grill, Shoults starts with the meat. "Grilled chicken and steak are excellent grilled and always a good choice for nachos," he says. "A little can go a long way, especially if you're cooking for a crowd. Season your meat as if you were cooking fajitas." Fajita seasoning includes spices such as paprika, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. While the chicken or steak is on the grill, Shoults says that you can add onions and jalapeños, brushed with olive oil, to add to the finished plate of nachos. Bell peppers and zucchini also work well on the grill if you're looking to add more veggies to the dish.

Meanwhile, one ingredient Shoults recommends keeping away from the grill is tomatoes. He explains, "I wouldn't suggest it, simply because they would not dice up very well once they have been on the grill." However, this doesn't mean you have to leave out tomatoes entirely — instead, try incorporating them into a fresh pico de gallo.

Once you've grilled the ingredients, layer the nachos and melt the cheese. While you could still use your oven for this, you may as well utilize the grill that's already being used. Robbie Shoults confirms that, with the right pan, you can grill the whole dish at once.

Shoults says, "We love making nachos in a cast-iron skillet, which helps keep the chips crispy and the nachos hot while eating. A sheet pan would also work, but it won't hold the heat like a cast-iron skillet." If you don't have a cast iron and instead use a sheet pan, make sure to use one made of aluminum (which is safe for the grill's heat) and not one made of stainless steel. Stainless steel will begin to warp when exposed to heat of around 600 degrees Fahrenheit, and some charcoal grills can reach temperatures around 700.

To make nachos in a cast iron skillet or sheet pan, grill the meat first, along with any veggies you want to have a charred, smoky taste. Then, layer the chips, cheese, and toppings. Daily Meal's recipe for grilled chicken nachos, which uses this method, suggests cooking the dish for 10 to 15 minutes on the grill. Once that time is up, add any other toppings you want to keep fresh (and not heated up), such as guacamole, sour cream, or salsa.