Easy Skillet Nachos

Recipes | June 30, 2020

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My husband loves his Pit Boss grill, and we have been dying to try out the Pit Boss recipe for skillet nachos. Well, it was a perfect time this weekend to try out this recipe. I’m telling you, finishing these on the grill makes a HUGE difference. We were skeptical, but after trying it, we were glad we did. These nachos were terrific. Plus, they are easy to make, which is always a win!

This is the Pit Boss model my husband has HERE, we gifted it to him as a Father’s Day present last year. We have been enjoying it ever since! If you’ve never used a pellet grill, it will change the way you cook.

The original recipe is available on pitboss.com. We modified ours some, and you can do the same with yours. It’s nachos, after all! Add whatever you like, though you’ll want to save any cold ingredients (lettuce, tomato, etc.) until the end.

Ingredients:

Ground beef
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Onion Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Black pepper
Minced garlic
Butter
Diced red onion
Diced bell pepper
Any other vegetable of choice (Jalapeno, etc.)
Cilantro
Salsa
Your choice of cheese (we used a three cheese Mexican blend from Sargento)
Your favorite nacho chips
A cast-iron skillet

Instructions for Easy Skillet Nachos

Step One: Brown and season your beef

In a large skillet, brown and season your beef. (We did not use the cast-iron skillet for this step.)

For nachos, seasoning isn’t an exact science. There’s a lot of flavors (which is what makes them so great!), so it’s tough to go wrong. For a pound of beef, we use something like the following:

1 tbsp Chili powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic powder
A dash of Cayenne Pepper (more if you want it hotter)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black pepper

For this recipe, we used three pounds of beef (there are six of us!), so we multiplied the measurements above accordingly.

When the meat is fully cooked, drain using a colander, and set aside.

Step Two: Lightly Saute your Veggies

Before you start this step, go to your grill and preheat it to 350. (One of the fantastic things about the Pit Boss is precise temperatures. If you’re not using a pellet grill, you want your grill hot, but not too hot.)

Dice your red onions, bell peppers, and any other veggies you’ve chosen. Using about a tablespoon of butter ( a little more if you’ve increased the size of the recipe) and about three minced garlic cloves, lightly saute your veggies. I say lightly because you want them to still be a little crispy. When you see the color of your bell peppers start to really pop a light green, they’re probably ready.

Step Three: Combine your beef back into the skillet with the sauteed veggies

Mix it all up and give it a taste. If you need to add a little more seasoning, this is your chance.

Step Four: Begin layering your nachos in a cast-iron skillet.

In your cast-iron skillet, lay down a layer of chips. You don’t want any skillet showing. Then, a layer of beef. If you’ve used a pound or so of meat, this will be your only layer of meat, and you’ll also need to top the beef with cheese.

If you’ve used more than a pound of beef like us, top your first layer of meat with cheese (don’t be stingy!), then put down another layer of chips and another layer of beef. Top that final layer of meat with lots of cheese, and you’re ready for the grill.

If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, now is a great time to invest in one. They are affordable, last forever, and truly make a difference in certain recipes. This LODGE cast iron skillet is a great product. We love ours. It worked perfectly for these nachos.

Step Five: Transfer your skillet and finish on the grill

So, here’s the deal. You may be asking like we were, does this final step REALLY make a difference? Is it worth finishing on the grill? Does it make that much of a difference? The answer is yes. . . IF you can add a smokey flavor on your grill.

If you’re finishing on any kind of grill with the ability to add smoke, you’re good to go. Whether it’s a ceramic egg style grill, a bullet smoker, or even a gas grill with a smoker box added, the goal is to have the nachos finish for ten minutes or so (until the cheese is good and melted) in an environment where there is some good smoke.

The Pit Boss crushed this. We put the skillet in for about ten minutes, and the results surprised us. When we finally tasted the nachos, you wouldn’t believe the difference the smokey flavor added. It was a sophisticated flavor addition that worked PERFECTLY with the flavors of the nachos. Even our kids noticed the difference.

Step Six: Add your cold toppings and dig in!

Add any lettuce, tomato, guacamole, salsa, sour cream . . . whatever you add to make your nachos yummy! Then, dig in!

We hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you own a pellet grill, or even if you don’t, there are some great recipes over at pitboss.com. We’ve enjoyed tweaking them or cooking them just as they are.

These easy skillet nachos are as tasty as they look. They are the perfect summer meal to serve your family and friends. There are so many variations you can make, using ingredients (adding or leaving out) that you and yours prefer! What do you think, are you ready to give them a go?

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This week, some of my blogging friends and I are sharing our favourite summer recipe ideas. Just click on the links below the images to be taken to see their full posts.