What’s more satisfying than a juicy steak right off the grill? Or a plate of nachos, piled high with your favorite toppings? Easy: Grilled. Steak. Nachos. This recipe combined the best of both worlds, with skirt steak — which boasts plenty of flavor and texture for nachos or tacos — on top of crunchy tortilla chips, diced red onion, guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro and sliced jalapeno.
Those might already sound like the best steak nachos, but here’s what takes it to the next level: a homemade cheddar cheese sauce top it all off. The queso is amazing with the Hatch chiles added to it for another layer of flavor. The chiles are definitely spicy, so skip them if you’re not up for the heat, but I think they’re a fantastic way to take this steak nachos recipe from being just “the best” to the ULTIMATE steak nachos. I grilled the steak using Cowboy Charcoal, which makes a huge difference because of how clean the coals burn. Cowboy Charcoal is ideal for cooking skirt steak because those coals get super hot and we can quickly get a good sear!
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Why You’ll Love Grilled Steak Nachos
If you want to make nachos more than just game day food, this is the recipe for you. The steak, which we marinate in a special blend of soy sauce, limes, my hot sauce and one of my favorite rubs to get the most tender steak possible, makes this plate much more than its individual components. Sure, it’ll be right at home at your next game day party, but it also makes a fun family dinner. All the toppings make it so you’ve got something from all the food groups for the whole family to love — even the most picky eater.
Grilled Steak Nachos Ingredients
- Skirt Steak: We’ll use 1-2 whole skirt steaks to achieve that beefy flavor. We’ll marinate them overnight in soy sauce, lime juice, my FYR BLK Hot Sauce, canola oil and my Jalapeno Lime Pilsner Rub to get them ready for the grill.
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- Cheese Sauce: This max flavor queso combines shredded cheddar cheese and spicy Hatch chiles, plus milk, flour and butter for a smooth texture.
- Crispy Tortilla Chips: The crispier, the better.
- Toppings: Cilantro leaves, sour cream, guacamole, sliced jalapeno, diced red onion — the works. Doesn’t get better than this.
Homemade Guacamole
Sure, the store-bought stuff works, but there’s nothing like fresh homemade guacamole — it’s so freakin’ delicious, and making it couldn’t be easier. Take 3 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, then put them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of finely chopped red onion, 1/4 teaspoon of grated lime zest, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 minced serrano chile and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro. Mash it all together in a bowl, season it with kosher salt and pepper and serve ASAP.
How to Make Grilled Steak Nachos
We’ve got a few components to make here, but they all come together easily for a super straightforward recipe. Let’s get to it!
Marinating
In a large food-safe bowl, combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons FYR BLK hot sauce, juice from 3 medium limes, 2 tablespoons Jalapeno Lime Pilsner Rub and 2 tablespoons canola oil. Mix thoroughly. Add your steak into the marinade, toss, cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.
For more marinating recipes check out Tacos Al Pastor, Chimichurri Marinated Tri-Tip with Grilled Fries and Hot Honey Garlic Beef Jerky Recipe.
Making Your Queso
Preheat your grill using Cowboy Charcoal to medium-high temperature (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Put a large skillet on the grill. Add your 1.5 tablespoons butter and 1.5 tablespoons flour to the skillet to melt and mix for 1-2 minutes.
Once these ingredients have thickened into a paste, slowly stir in 3/4 cup of milk and let the mixture thicken. Finally, add your 3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and keep stirring until the cheese is fully integrated and the mixture is smooth. Once smooth, add the Hatch chiles and another 3/4 cup of milk. When the sauce is done (about 10 minutes), pull the skillet off the grill and cover to keep it warm while you grill the steak.
Grilling Your Steak
Add more Cowboy Charcoal until your grill reaches high heat (about 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Remove the steaks from the marinade and let the excess marinade drip off until the bowl. Add the steaks to the grill and cook each one for about 3-4 minutes per side until medium rare (about 120 degrees internal). When the steaks are done, pull them off the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Assembling Your Nachos
Slice your steak into steak strips or cubes and begin building your nachos. Start with an even layer of tortilla chips, then add shredded cheddar cheese, steak, sliced jalapenos and diced red onions on top of the chips. Drizzle your gooey cheese over everything and top with sour cream, guacamole and chopped cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Grilled Steak Nachos
These are some loaded steak nachos, so your favorite simple BBQ or Tex-Mex veggie sides will work great here. I’m thinking a red cabbage slaw with green onions and lots of lime juice or a garden salad.
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Leftovers and Reheating
The truth is that nachos are best eaten the day they’re made. I don’t know many people who like a soggy tortilla chip! But if you have extra steak and queso, you’ll be stoked that you can make these easy steak nachos again. For your leftover steak, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. To reheat, throw the aluminum foil packet on a warm grill and let it heat through for about 10-15 minutes. Store any extra queso in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave.
FAQs
Skip the Hatch chiles in the queso and the sliced jalapenos in the toppings. You could also put the sliced jalapenos in a small bowl to the side for diners who want to kick things up a notch.
Nachos are best enjoyed immediately, but you can make the steak and queso ahead of time. Use our reheat instructions above to get your steak and queso ready to serve the nachos.
Black beans, pico de gallo, black olives, chopped red peppers — let your imagination go wild. It all goes well with these nachos.
Cowboy Charcoal has built a well-earned reputation as some of the cleanest and best stuff around, so you can find it almost anywhere. Check out the company’s store locator to see which hardware stores carry it near you.
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Steak Nachos
Ingredients
Steak & Marinade:
- 1-2 Whole Skirt Steaks
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp FYR BLK Hot Sauce
- 3 medium Limes juiced
- 2 tbsp Jalapeno Lime Pilsner Rub
- 2 tbsp Canola Oil
Cheese Sauce:
- 3 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar
- 1.5 cups Whole Milk
- 2 tbsp Diced Green Chiles
- 1.5 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1.5 tbsp Melted Butter
Nachos:
- Tortilla Chips
- Diced Red Onions
- Chopped Cilantro
- Sliced Jalapeño
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
Instructions
- In a large food safe bowl, add all the ingredients for the steak marinade and mix thoroughly. Add your steak into the marinade, mix, cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.
- Preheat your grill using Cowboy Charcoal to medium-high temperature about 350F.
- Add a skillet to the grill. Add your butter and flour to the skillet to melt and mix for 1-2 minutes. Once thickened into a paste, slowly add half of your milk and let the mixture thicken. Finally, add your shredded cheese and keep stirring until fully integrated and smooth. Once smooth, add the hatch chiles and the rest of the milk. When the sauce is done (about 10 minutes), pull it off and keep warm.
- Add more Cowboy Charcoal until high heat (about 400F). Next, add the steaks to the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side until medium rare (about 120 internal). When the steaks are done, pull off and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice up your steak into cubes and begin building your nachos. Start with a layer of tortilla chips, shredded cheese, chopped steak, sliced jalapenos and diced red onions. Drizzle your queso over everything and top with sour cream, guacamole and chopped cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
