There’s no one “right” way to make campfire nachos, and that’s exactly what makes them perfect for camping. Start with a tray of tortilla chips and melty cheese, then let everyone build their own version with toppings like beans, salsa, jalapeños, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, or shredded chicken.
These easy cheesy campfire nachos are simple enough for a quick campsite snack but fun enough to feel like a full appetizer spread. Make one big foil pan for the group, or create smaller personalized trays so picky eaters, spice lovers, and loaded-nacho fans all get exactly what they want.
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Best of all, they cook right over the campfire with minimal prep and almost no cleanup, making them a go-to recipe for camping trips, backyard fires, and casual outdoor get-togethers.
Why Campfire Nachos?
Campfire nachos are the kind of recipe that instantly makes camping feel more fun. They are warm, cheesy, shareable, and easy to snack on while everyone is gathered around the fire.
They also work well because they do not require a lot of dishes, prep work, or cooking experience. Everything can be layered into a foil pan, heated over the fire, and served straight from the tray. That makes them especially helpful when you want something satisfying without setting up a full campsite kitchen.
They are also a great bridge between a snack and a meal. Serve them as an appetizer before dinner, make them for a late-night campfire bite, or add heartier toppings like beans, taco meat, or chicken to turn them into something more filling.
Equipment Needed for Cheesy Campfire Nachos
As usual, I like to make sure I have everything I need to begin with because it can be a hassle to make a run to the store when you’re camping in the middle of nowhere!
- Foil Plate (A disposable pie plate will do if you only need enough for 2-3 people. If you’re making a lot of nachos, look for a disposable 9X13 baking pan. I like to get them as a multi-pack because I do a lot of cooking over the campfire when I’m camping!)
- Tin Foil
- Campfire Grill
- Disposable Bowls for Additional Toppings
- Sturdy Paper Plates for Serving (Don’t underestimate the need for a sturdy paper plate here. Some people seriously like to load their nachos up!)
Ingredients for Campfire Nachos
I broke this down into “The Basics” and “Optional Toppings” because everyone I know likes to pick and choose what they actually have on nachos. So we might not even need all of these!
The Basics
- Blue Corn or Plain Tortilla Chips
- Shredded Cheese
- Taco Seasoning
- Tomatoes, Diced
- Onions, Chopped
- Green Peppers, Diced
- Jalapeños, seeds removed and diced
- Nacho Cheese Sauce or Queso Dip
- Salsa
Optional Toppings
- Sour Cream
- Black Olives
- Red Peppers, Chopped
- Banana Peppers
- Green Onions
- Black Beans
- Chili
- Pulled Pork
- Shredded Chicken or Grilled Chicken Slices
- Corn
- Taco Meat
- Grilled Flank Steak or Skirt Steak, sliced against the grain
- Green Chilies
- Guacamole (or avocado slices)
- Cilantro
Key Ingredient Roles
We all know how we like our nachos, right? Let’s take a closer look at the important ingredients so we know what to look for!
Blue Corn or Plain Tortilla Chips
Here, we’ll want enough tortilla chips to completely cover the bottom of the disposable pie pan or baking pan, plus one additional layer. We’ll also want a sturdy brand of chip, such as Tostitos’ blue corn chips, that won’t break easily because they have to do a lot of heavy lifting here.
Also, because we’re going to load them up with toppings, they don’t really need to have any added flavoring. That means you can go some “no salt added” tortilla chips if you like!
Shredded Cheese
It’s really hard to me to imagine nachos without cheese! Here, you can add as much as you like. Go with a type of cheese that melts easily, like cheddar, Mexican blend, or nacho blend.
Taco Seasoning
You usually won’t need more than one pack of taco seasoning unless you’re making nachos for a large crowd. I’ll mix this with the shredded cheese for the mild spice. Like the tortilla chips, I’ll usually use low-sodium taco seasoning.
Make Your Own Taco Seasoning!
If you prefer to keep full control over the ingredients, it’s possible to make your own taco seasoning. The video below has a good recipe for authentic taco seasoning. As always, you can customize the amount of each spice to your liking!
Tomatoes, Diced
We probably won’t need more than one average-sized tomato or the equivalent in cherry or grape tomatoes. I like to use cherry tomatoes because they are easier to cut into smaller pieces and tend to have more flavor.
Here, we’ll want to have the tomatoes diced separately and discard any excess juice that comes out of the tomatoes while we’re dicing them. If you’re using a grape tomato, try Roma or San Marzano tomatoes because they have a denser flesh that holds together better and lower water content. This is important for keeping the tomato juice from making the chips too soggy.
Onion
I like to use a white or yellow onion for the mild sweet flavor that goes well with the meats in the “optional” ingredients. It also provides a nice counterpoint to the spiciness of the jalapeños and taco seasoning.
Green Peppers
This mainstay of Mexican cuisine adds a fresh flavor and a nice crunch to the nachos. If you prefer, you could grill the green peppers and onions before adding them to the nachos.
Jalapeños
The jalapeños add most of the spice to the nachos. I prefer fresh jalapeños, though already-sliced and pickled jalapeños will work too.
The main thing is to be careful while working with them to avoid getting any of the “jalapeño juice” in your eyes. I prefer to use gloves while removing the seeds and dicing them up. If you do get some in your eyes, rinse them out with clean water.
Nacho Cheese Sauce or Queso Dip
Nacho cheese sauce or queso can feel like a “bonus” cheesy flavor if you have enough shredded cheese. However, I forgot to bring this once and it didn’t go over well with the family!
I’ll typically go for a can or jar that has a relatively easy-to-open lid. If it comes with a can, look for one with a pop-top lid or bring your handheld can opener. Jars can be tricky to open, but I usually handle it with a good jar opener.
Salsa
Salsa is one topping I like to have on the side because the liquid in salsa can make the chips too soggy otherwise. With the wide variety of salsas, you can bring a few of them along so your family or guests can pick the spiciness level they like.
Optional Toppings
Sour Cream, Black Olives, Red Peppers, Banana Peppers, Green Onions, Black Beans, Chili, Pulled Pork, Shredded Chicken or Grilled Chicken Slices, Corn, Taco Meat, Slices of Grilled Flank Steak or Skirt Steak, Green Chilies, Guacamole or Avocado Slices, Cilantro
These are all toppings I’ll usually have in bowls on a handy table for people to “mix and match” as they like. Some of them, like the black beans, chili, meats, and corn, should be warmed up in separate pie pans over the fire. Others can just be poured into bowls and set on a picnic table.
Printable Cheesy Campfire Nachos Recipe Card
Ingredients
- Blue Corn or Plain Tortilla Chips
- Shredded Cheese Cheddar, Mexican Blend, or Nacho Blend will work. Cheese should be easy to melt!
- Taco Seasoning
- Tomato diced
- Onions chopped
- Green Peppers diced
- Jalapeños seeds removed and diced
- Nacho Cheese or Queso Dip
Optional Toppings
- Sour Cream
- Black Olives
- Red Peppers Chopped
- Banana Peppers
- Green Onions
- Black Beans
- Chili
- Pulled Pork
- Shredded Chicken or Grilled Chicken Slices
- Corn
- Taco Meat
- Grilled Flank Steak or Skirt Steak sliced against the grain
- Green Chilies
- Guacamole or avocado slices
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on the bottom of a foil pie plate or baking pan. Make sure the entire bottom of the plate or pan is covered. (It’s okay if the edges of the chips overlap a little; just not too much.)
- Top the chips with an even layer of shredded cheese. Sprinkle a little taco seasoning on top of the cheese.
- Add another layer of tortilla chips.
- Top with more shredded cheese and taco seasoning.
- Evenly spread the chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and jalapeños over the top of the cheese. You can optionally add black beans or meat here, though it may have to stay over the fire a few minutes longer to make sure they get heated through. Top with nacho cheese or queso dip.
- Cover with foil.
- Place on the grill over a campfire until the cheese is melted.
- Serve as is or with a spread of optional toppings.
Instructions for Campfire Cheesy Nachos
Step One: Form Bottom Layer of Nachos
Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on the bottom of a foil pie plate or baking pan. Make sure the entire bottom of the plate or pan is covered. (It’s okay if the edges of the chips overlap a little; just not too much.)
Step Two: Add Shredded Cheese and Taco Seasoning
Top the chips with an even layer of shredded cheese. Sprinkle a little taco seasoning on top of the cheese.
Step Three: Layer More Tortilla Chips
Add another layer of tortilla chips. Here, you don’t have to be as picky about covering everything, but it should cover most of the first shredded cheese layer.
Step Four: Add More Cheese and Taco Seasoning
Top the second tortilla chip layer with more shredded cheese and taco seasoning.
Step Five: Top with Additional Toppings
Evenly spread the chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and jalapeños over the top of the cheese. You can optionally add black beans or meat here, though it may have to stay over the fire a few minutes longer to make sure they get heated through. Top with nacho cheese or queso dip.
Step Six: Heat Over the Campfire
Cover with foil. Place on the grill over a campfire until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated through. The bottom layer of tortilla chips may get a little crispy, but shouldn’t be overly browned. This should take about 5-10 minutes, depending on how hot the fire is.
Step Seven: Serve with Optional Toppings
Serve as-is or with a spread of additional optional toppings in bowls. Expect people to go back for seconds!
Troubleshooting & FAQ About These Campfire Cheesy Nachos
This sounds pretty straightforward to make, right? We do sometimes get questions! I did my best to answer the most commonly asked questions about these nachos. If you think of one I haven’t answered yet, feel free to ask in the comments section, and I’ll do my best to answer as soon as possible.
Why did the tortilla chips get soggy while I was heating the nachos over the campfire?
The most common reason is that there was too much liquid from the toppings! That’s why I prefer to use a less juicy variety of tomato and leave the salsa on the side. Making sure to discard any juice that runs out of the tomato while dicing it before adding the diced tomato to the nachos can help.
Why did the tortilla chips on the bottom layer burn?
The tricky part of heating the nachos up is making sure the cheese gets melted without overcooking the tortilla chips. For this reason, I’ll try not to build the fire up too much or leave the nachos on the grill for much longer than 10 minutes.
How do I make the taco meat?
I’ll be the first to admit that making the grilled chicken and steak is the easy part. Just season them however you like for a “Mexican-style” meal and grill them like you normally do at the campsite.
If you have access to an electrical outlet, taco meat is definitely doable in the crock pot. Mix two pounds of ground beef and two packets of taco seasoning, and then cook on the high setting for three hours or the low setting for six hours.
Otherwise, I’ll usually just grab my skillet and make taco meat like I normally would, only I’m doing it on the campfire grill over the fire. The tricky part is making sure none of the meat falls into the fire while I’m stirring it up.
What should I do if some of the toppings didn’t get used up?
It happens! I know people who don’t like black beans or corn, so they won’t touch these ingredients even if they’re in a “Mexican-themed” dish. So I’ll often put them back in the cooler while cleaning up and use them for another camping appetizer.
More Campfire Appetizer Ideas
I like to have these campfire recipes handy for every camping trip. They tend to disappear fast!
- Corn Crack Dip Appetizer Recipe
- Easy Campfire Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
- Easiest Baked Brie Recipe
- Easy Campfire Dip
- Easy Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
- Easy Homemade Pico de Gallo (Goes well with the nachos)
- Campfire Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
- Easy Guacamole (Make this one for your nachos!)
The important thing to remember about these nachos is that they’re easily customizable! There are no wrong answers regarding what people do or don’t like on their nachos. If you loved these nachos, or have your favorite customizations, feel free to let us know in the comments section.
