Healthy Nacho Recipes: Enjoying a Popular Snack Without the Guilt

Perex: Nacho, almost everyone’s favorite snack, can now be enjoyed without any guilt. You ask why- well, because, now you can create your favorite healthy recipes with nacho, and load them with veggies and protein!

Nachos are a Tex-Mex culinary cuisine that originates from the culinary creations of Tejano people (The Texans of Mexican heritage). It consists of tortilla chips covered with cheese sauce or simply, cheese, and topped with a variety of garnishings such as meat (grilled chicken, roasted turkey, or ground beef), veggies, and condiments like sour cream, salsa, or guacamole. 

Nachos may be the single most preferred snack in the whole world and can be made healthy when they're cooked in the right way. To obtain healthier nachos, you should use whole grain tortilla chips, a lot of veggies, and leaner meats and cheeses. 

Discover delicious and healthy nacho recipes that let you indulge in a popular snack without the guilt of extra calories. Savor the flavor while keeping your calorie count in check!

Let's take a look at 3 of the healthiest yet extremely delicious nacho recipes.

Three of the healthiest, simplest, and tastiest nacho recipes for you to try today 

When it comes to healthy nachos recipe, these three are the ones that are not only quite simple to prepare, but also taste amazing every single time! Let's take a close look at them.

Healthy nachos served with ground beef, chicken or turkey

Ingredients- 1 lb ground beef, chicken, or turkey, whichever you choose; one 15-ounce jar of your favorite salsa; ¼ cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese; one can of black beans that have been rinsed and drained; one chopped red bell pepper, one chopped poblano pepper, two fresh corns with their kernels removed, one sliced Serrano pepper, ½ cherry tomatoes that have been halved, one sliced or chopped avocado, tortilla chips or Belgian endive for scooping, salt and pepper to taste, and ¼ cup of cilantro that has been chopped finely.

Cooking instructions- Cook the ground beef, turkey, or chicken in a medium cast iron pan. Cook it until no pink remains. Drain off any amount of fat you come across. Stir in ¾ cup of your chosen salsa dip, and finally season with salt and black pepper to taste. 

Now, top with the remaining ingredients, and serve with Belgian endive or tortilla chips for scooping. Also, you can place the tortilla chips on a platter and top them off with the other ingredients.

Healthy loaded nachos for Vegans/Vegetarians 

Ingredients- Plant based ground beef, thicker tortilla chips or Belgian endive, shreddedMexican blend cheese, luscious and creamy queso (plant based), guacamole, vegan plain yoghurt or sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking instructions- Start by preparing your plant-based ground beef by heating it in a large skillet to medium heat and adding extra virgin olive oil. Once it's hot, you can add your minced garlic and onion and cook for 3-5 minutes until they become translucent. 

Now, add your plant based ground beef along with some chilli powder, cumin, cayenne, and kosher salt. Cook until browned for 6-8 minutes approximately. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F and then line a baking tray with some parchment paper. To this baking tray, add half of the tortilla chips, and sprinkle them evenly with half of the plant based ground beef mixture, 6 ounces of queso, and 6 ounces of shredded Mexican blend cheese. Top the entirety with the remaining ingredients. 

Move to the oven and bake at the same preheated temperature until the cheese starts to melt and bubble in about 6-10 minutes. 

Finally, remove from the oven and add your toppings- chopped tomatoes, guacamole, jalapeno, cilantro, red onions, and sour cream dollops. Spread all of these evenly over the top of the nachos and serve immediately. 

Note- If you're strictly non-vegetarian, you can substitute the plant based mock beef with actual beef, or even some other meat like chicken or turkey. You can even opt for your regular sour cream which doesn't have to be vegan in any way. 

Veggie-loaded healthy nachos

Ingredients- 16-20 ounces of ground turkey, 1 diced zucchini, 1 diced orange bell pepper, 1 tbsp chilli powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 bag of reduced fat tortilla chips, 2% milk Mexican blend cheese, rescued fat sour cream, salt and pepper to taste, and the salsa of your choice.

Cooking instructions- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Take a large-sized skillet and spray it evenly with cooking spray before heating over medium-high heat. Now, add your ground turkey, bell pepper, zucchini, and every spice. Stir it uniformly and frequently to combine and saute until the bell pepper is tender and the turkey is cooked through. 

Meanwhile, arrange your reduced fat tortilla chips on a baking sheet lined with an aluminium foil or silicone mat. 

Finally, sprinkle the meat mixture evenly over the tortilla chips, and then top it off with some shredded cheese. Bake this in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is beautifully melted. Serve this healthy nachos recipe with some reduced-fat sour cream, or the salsa of your choice.

Final Words

Nachos can be eaten in a healthy yet tasty way when you know how to prepare them so that it not only benefits your body, but also warms your taste buds! In this article, 3 of the healthiest yet extremely delectable nacho recipes that you can enjoy without any guilt, have been mentioned alongside their constituent ingredients and cooking procedures.

Summary

While nachos were mostly believed to be unhealthy, creating healthy recipes with nachos is easy now. Three nacho recipes for you that will help you enjoy this snack with your family, guilt-free!