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); 3 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)

Cast iron pan filled with cheesy nachos, topped with sliced olives, jalapeños, diced tomatoes, and green onions on a marble surface.

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

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Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Servings

Ever made campfire nachos with just of tortilla chips and cheese? So had I – until I learned how layering fresh ingredients and controlling heat transforms them into camping magic. Here’s our no‑fail cast‑iron version (tested over many messy campfires!).

Skillet of cheesy nachos topped with black olives, jalapeños, tomatoes, and melted cheese, surrounded by fresh toppings.

What You Need To Know 👇

Campfire Nachos raw ingredients that are labeled

Campfire Nachos Ingredients

8 ounces tortilla chips
½ cup black olives
¼ cup green onions
½ cup tomatoes
3 cups shredded taco cheese – or any blend you like
2 jalapeños
Cilantro
Sour cream, salsa, and guacamole

Ingredient Substitutions

🔥 Switch it up – Add seasoned ground beef or shredded chicken for protein. Swap jalapeños for bell peppers if serving kids.

How To Make This Campfire Nachos Recipe

And yes—there’s a right way to layer them so they’re crunchy and melty in all the right places.

In a 10.5-inch cast iron skillet, layer ⅓ of the tortilla chips. Top with ⅓ of the cheese, then half the olives, tomatoes, jalapeños, and green onions. Repeat with a second layer, then finish with the remaining chips, cheese, and toppings.

Campfire Nachos ingredients placed on a skillet, covered with aluminum foil, then grilled

Loosely cover with foil and place over medium heat on a fire or grill. Cook for 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

👇 OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS – If you don’t have an iron skillet, you can still make this recipe by using a disposable rectangular foil pan (think lasagna pan). 👇

aluminum foil pan of Campfire Nachos on a grill

3 Tips For The Best Campfire Nachos

Use thick tortilla chips to hold up to the heat and cheese. Thin chips will sog out fast.
Don’t skip the foil. It helps trap the heat and melt the cheese evenly without overcooking the chips.
Medium heat is key. Too hot and your chips will burn before the cheese melts. You want steady, indirect heat—think glowing coals, not roaring flames.

Serving Suggestions

You can plate these up with your favorite toppings…or do what we do and dive straight in while they’re still hot.

Three ways to serve cheesy campfire nachos—on a plate, in a basket, or straight from the pan—topped with guacamole, sour cream, and fresh veggies.

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.

Storage Instructions

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.

These Campfire Nachos are everything you want from a fireside meal: cheesy, smoky, layered with bold Tex-Mex flavor, and ridiculously easy to make. Whether you’re cooking over a campfire, on the grill, or using your backyard fire pit, this recipe delivers hot, melty nachos in just 15 minutes.

More Camping Recipes

These days, folks are getting a little more creative with their camping recipes. Make sure you try these on your next camping trip:

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
3 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, ½ of the jalapenos, 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
Amy Tandiko Graphic Designer
Ina Chong
Sian Cox Photographer

Campfire Nachos