Campfire Nachos

Name: Campfire Nachos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces tortilla chips; ½ cup black olives, (sliced ); ¼ cup green onions, (sliced ); ½ cup tomatoes, (diced); 2 cups taco cheese, (shredded (or your favorite blend)); 2 jalapeños, (sliced and seeds removed); cilantro (for garnish (optional)); sour cream, salsa, and guacamole, (for topping)

close up overhead shot of a skillet full of nachos topped with black olives, jalapeños, and tomatoes

Easy, cheesy, and totally mouthwatering, these delicious, simple campfire nachos are a family favorite at the campground.

Jump to Recipe

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Servings

Table of Contents

Campfire Nachos Ingredients
How To Make This Campfire Nachos Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE

These easy campfire nachos are just the camping treat you were looking for! Broaden your horizons with a hearty Mexican-inspired dinner with this cheesy cast-iron skillet favorite cooked in the great outdoors.

These days, folks are getting a little more creative with their camping recipes. Make sure you try our campfire pizza and campfire potatoes on your next camping trip too.

close up shot of a skillet full of nachos topped with black olives, jalapeños, and tomatoes

Campfire Nachos Ingredients

Campfire Nachos raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

8-ounce bag of tortilla chips
½ cup sliced black olives
¼ cup sliced green onions
½ cup diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded taco cheese (or your favorite blend)
2 jalapeños, sliced and seeds removed
Cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, for serving

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

MEAT: If you have pre-cooked ground beef or seasoned taco meat, you could add that to the top of these nachos.

PRO TIP: Ground beef can be cooked ahead of time, either seasoned or unseasoned. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.

CHEESE: Your cheese selection is based on your personal preference. Try Tex-Mex cheese, a Monterey Jack blend, cheddar, or any other cheese you like.

TOPPINGS: There are so many optional toppings you can put on top of nachos and this campfire version is no different. Try green chiles, tomatoes, black beans, red pepper, or a dash of hot sauce.

How To Make This Campfire Nachos Recipe

STEP ONE: Layer ⅓ of the chips on the bottom of the 10.5-inch cast iron skillet.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can still make this recipe by using a disposable rectangular foil pan (think lasagna pan).

close up shot of tortilla chips laid in the bottom of a skillet

STEP TWO: Add ⅓ of the cheese, ½ of the olives, ½ of the tomatoes, and ½ of the green onions to the top of the chips.

nachos topped with toppings in a skillet

STEP THREE: Make another layer with ⅓ of the chips and ⅓ of the cheese.

nachos topped with another layer of tortilla chips

STEP FOUR: Using the remaining ingredients, make the top layer of chips, cheese, olives, tomatoes, and green onion. Add the jalapeño to the top of the final layer.

STEP FIVE: Cover the top of the skillet loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.

STEP SIX: Place on the fire or campfire grill on medium heat and cook until the cheese is melted, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

PRO TIP:

Try not to cook these directly over an open flame. Instead, get your campfire going and once the coals are nice and hot, lay grill over top and cook your nachos.

STEP SEVEN: When done, add cilantro to the top and serve your cheesy nachos with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

How To Serve

We love to serve these alongside fresh guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. But you can choose any of your favorite toppings. If you have little ones eating as well, you can make this kid-friendly by making a couple of skillets: one spicy and one mild.

Everyone in the family will be happy about this simple, delicious dinner. It’s Mexican night while camping!

MORE MEXICAN DISH RECIPES

Mexican Appetizers

Chicken Taquitos Recipe

Lunch

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE/FREEZER: Loaded campfire nachos need to be eaten fresh and warm off the fire. We do not recommend trying to store leftover nachos as they will not reheat or taste the same after a few hours.

close up shot of nachos being pulled from a skillet of nachos topped with olives, jalapeños, and tomatoes

These campfire nachos are an easy, cheesy favorite at the campground. The crunchy nachos are versatile and kid-friendly — you can make them mild or spicy. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe during your next outdoor adventure!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Could I make these on the BBQ?

This camping recipe could also be made at home on your BBQ grill.

What do I do if I don’t have a cast-iron skillet?

You can also make these cheesy nachos using a disposable rectangular foil pan in place of the skillet.

Can I save the leftovers of these nachos?

Unless you like eating cold nachos (no judgment!), we would not recommend keeping leftover nachos.

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Campfire Nachos

5 from 46 votes

Easy, cheesy, and totally mouthwatering, these delicious, simple campfire nachos are a family favorite at the campground.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

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Ingredients

8 ounces tortilla chips
½ cup black olives, sliced
¼ cup green onions, sliced
½ cup tomatoes, diced
2 cups taco cheese, shredded (or your favorite blend)
2 jalapeños, sliced and seeds removed
cilantro for garnish (optional)
sour cream, salsa, and guacamole, for topping

Instructions

Layer ⅓ of chips on the bottom of a 10.5-inch cast iron skillet.
Add ⅓ of the taco cheese, ½ of the olives, ½ of the tomatoes, and ½ of the green onions to the top of the chips
Make another layer with ⅓ of the chips and ⅓ of the cheese
Make the final layer with the remaining chips, cheese, olives, tomatoes, and green onion. Add the jalapeño to the top.
Cover the skillet loosely with foil.
Place on the fire or grill on medium heat and cook until the cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes
Add cilantro to the top and serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

Video

Notes

Ground beef can be cooked ahead of time, either seasoned or unseasoned. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can still make this recipe by using a disposable rectangular foil pan (think lasagna pan).
Try not to cook these directly over an open flame. Instead, get your campfire going and once the coals are nice and hot, lay grill over top and cook your nachos.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

Campfire Nachos

Campfire Nachos Ingredients

How To Make This Campfire Nachos Recipe

How To Serve

Chicken Taquitos Recipe

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Storage

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