Chili Cheese Nachos with shredded beef chili smothered in melted cheese is perfect for tailgating and game-day parties. Easy to make ahead and serve both chili and nachos at the party.
This is perfect for tailgating and game-day parties or just for home use. You can serve a fantastic nacho bar or bowls of excellent, easy-to-make shredded beef chili in a bowl.
🐄Ingredients
Chuck roast
Vegetables—onion, green pepper, garlic, jalapeno (optional)
Canned products—red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth
Pantry ingredients—chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper (optional), salt and black pepper
For nachos—Tortilla corn chips and other toppings like green onions, pickled or fresh jalapenos, and sour cream
Cheese—Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or Mexican cheese blend
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Easy to adjust the spicing to your needs. The chuck roast shredded beef chili has excellent taste and texture. And it stores well in both the refrigerator and freezer.
This is a shredded beef adoption of my wife's favorite beef chili, Crock Pot Chili. It is just a great classic red ground beef chili. A little tuck here, a slight change there, and we have an excellent shredded beef chili that is also a great nacho topping.
👨🍳How to make chili nachos
Very standard-looking chili components.
Start with a 2 to 3-pound chuck roast. Trim off any trimmable fat.
Chop one large onion and one green pepper. Mince or crush two cloves of garlic.
In a 4 quart or larger crock pot, mix the onion, green pepper, 28 oz kidney beans (drained and rinsed), 28 oz diced tomatoes, 6 oz can tomato paste, 2 cloves crushed or minced garlic, 6 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper. For nachos, you want thick chili, so eliminate the broth. If using only as chili, use 2 cups of beef broth. If using for both, use 1 cup of beef broth.
Work the beef into the crock pot mixture. Be sure to get some on top of the beef. Also, ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to taste is optional. And if you're adventurous, then one minced jalapeno pepper.
Cook on low for 8 hours or 4-5 hours on the high total. With one hour left, remove the beef, shred it, and replace it in the crock pot for the last hour.
Eat straight up as chili topped with shredded cheese and some sour cream.
Makeup nachos with corn tortilla chips and toppings of your choice.
- For one or two people, spread tortilla chips in a single layer over a large microwave plate. For larger needs, spread over a parchment paper-covered sheet pan.
- Top with the warm chili and cover with the cheese of your choice.
- Heat to melt cheese. Microwave the plate on high for about one minute, or heat the sheet pan in 375° oven for about 10 minutes.
- Top with toppings of your choice before serving.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
Chili options and variations
A nice chuck roast or similar with good marbling will cook and shred well, giving an excellent deep beefy taste and tenderness.
Adjust the heat to your taste with the cayenne pepper, and if you want to kick it up, add a jalapeno.
For nachos, you want thick chili, so eliminate the broth. If using only as chili, use 2 cups of broth. If using for both, use 1 cup of broth.
Related recipes
You can also make your nachos with Crock Pot Chicken Tacos or The Best Ground Beef Taco Meat.
You may also love these other crock pot chili recipes. Start with my personal favorite for quick, easy, and fantastic—Ultra Simple Crock Pot White Chicken Chili. And move on to Crock Pot Chili - Classic ground beef chili and Salsa Verde Chicken Chili. This recipe is featured in Tailgate Recipe Roundup.
🇲🇽Nachos Options and Variations
There are no rules for nachos. Make them with chili or other meat and every topping available. Or just simple cheese nachos. They are the ultimate easy "have it as you like it" appetizer or meal. For parties, a nacho bar is always a great hit.
The best cheeses are Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican cheese blend, but use any cheese you like or Queso Cheese Sauce. If added on top of hot chili, the cheese will melt nicely. But a brief microwave or trip to the oven will help.
Suggested toppings:
- green onions
- diced tomatoes
- pickled or fresh jalapenos
- sour cream
- salsa or pico de gallo
- guacamole
- shredded lettuce
- black olives
- cilantro
- and many more
⬇️How to make this a smaller recipe for small and mini crock pots
This is an easy recipe to cut in half. The full recipe makes about 12 cups of chili, making 8 to 12 servings.
To make half the amount of chuck roast shredded beef chili:
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to half.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not change.
- The half recipe will fit in a 2-quart mini crock pot or larger.
- Cook for the same amount of time.
Storage of leftovers
Store leftovers sealed airtight in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
Food Safety
If used for a party or tailgating, for food safety, the chili's temperature must be kept above 140°. The cool toppings need to be under 40°. They should be discarded as unsafe if they are out of these ranges for 2 hours.
❓FAQs
Absolutely. Chili is always better the next day. It is good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3 months.
If your corn chips get soggy, next time, spread out the chips, top with cheese, and heat to melt. Then, start adding the rest of the ingredients. I do a layer of meat or chili, more cheese, and melt again. Then the rest of the toppings.
Of course, you can use any chili. But this homemade shredded beef chili is much better than almost any other chili it can use here. And please, no canned chili.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Chili Cheese Nachos
Ingredients
Shredded Beef Chili
- 2-3 pound chuck roast - trimmed
- 1 onion - large diced
- 1 green pepper - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced or crushed
- 28 oz red kidney beans - 2 cans drained and rinsed
- 28 oz diced tomatoes - 2 cans
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 6 tablespoons chili powder - yes tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth - adjust to desired thickness (0 to 2 cups)
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional to taste
- 1 jalapeno pepper - minced Optional
Making Nachos
- Tortilla corn chips
- Cheese of choice. - Cheddar or Monterey Jack is good.
- Toppings - Green onions, pickled or fresh jalapenos, and sour cream
Instructions
- Start with a 2 to 3-pound chuck roast. Trim off any trimmable fat.
- Chop one large onion and one green pepper. Mince or crush two cloves of garlic.
- Add onion, green pepper, 28 oz kidney beans (drained and rinsed), 28 oz diced tomatoes, 6 oz can tomato paste, 2 cloves crushed or minced garlic, 6 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Work the beef into the crock pot mixture.
- In a 4 quart or larger crock pot, mix the onion, green pepper, 28 oz kidney beans (drained and rinsed), 28 oz diced tomatoes, 6 oz can tomato paste, 2 cloves crushed or minced garlic, 6 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper. For nachos, you want thick chili, so eliminate the broth. If using only as chili, use 2 cups of beef broth. If using for both, use 1 cup of beef broth.
- Work the beef into the crock pot mixture. Be sure to get some on top of the beef. Also, ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to taste is optional. And if you're adventurous, then one minced jalapeno pepper.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or 4-5 hours on the high total. With one hour left, remove the beef, shred it, and replace it in the crock pot for the last hour.
- Eat straight up as chili topped with shredded cheese and some sour cream.
- Makeup nachos with corn tortilla chips and toppings of your choice.A)For one or two people, spread tortilla chips in a single layer over a large microwave plate. For larger needs, spread over a parchment paper-covered sheet pan.B)Top with the warm chili and cover with the cheese of your choice.C)Optional-Heat to melt cheese. Microwave the plate on high for about one minute, or heat the sheet pan in 375° oven for about 10 minutes.D)Top with toppings of your choice before serving.
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Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- If you want a normal-thickness chili, then 2 cups of broth. If you want a very thick chili for nacho topping, then no broth. And if you want to use it for both, 1 cup.
- This makes about 12 cups of chili and needs a 4 quart or larger crock pot.
- The chili can be made ahead and stored refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 3 months.
- I suggest Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or one of the Mexican cheese blends—any cheese you like that melts well.
- Green onions, pickled or fresh jalapenos, and sour cream are the most common toppings. Other toppings include guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and black olives.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally published February 15, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
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Adrian says
Hello, thank you for sharing. Would it be possible to replace the chuck roast for beef and cook on high? If so, for how long?
DrDan says
Hi Adrian,
Second question first. This will cook fine in 4 hours on high.
Now the first question. I'm not quit sure what you are asking. The chuck roast can be replace with other beef. I frequently will just use stew meat. But if you substitute a lean beaf like eye of round or sirloin, it won't shred well.
Hope that helps. Reply again if you have you need clarification.
Dan
Ashley says
I’ve got this in the crock pot now with a few minor changes based on what we had on hand for beans and tomatoes. You list this as 8 servings, how big are the servings? 1 cup? 1 and a half cups? Thank you!
DrDan says
Hi Ashley,
Welcome to the blog.
Without the added broth, it is about 1 1/2 cups per serving. The broth can add up to 1/4 cup to that depending on how much you add.
Dan
Chris says
Those nachos look to die for!
Denise Holstege says
That looks awesome. I will be trying it when we return from our Texas vacation and I have all my home spices and cooking utensils