Name: Vegan Nachos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 package small flour or corn tortillas (oil-free) or a bag of oil-free nacho chips; 1/4 cup lime juice; Seasoning of choice; 1 recipe Vegan Lentil Taco Meat; 1 15 ounces can of pinto beans (or use black beans or oil-free refried beans), drained and rinsed; 1 Red bell pepper, diced; 1 Red onion (yellow or white can be substituted), diced; 3 Jalapenos, deseeded and sliced thin; 1 cup Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce; 4 Roma tomatoes, diced; 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped; 1/2 cup vegan sour cream; 1 cup salsa of choice; 1/2 cup guacamole

My family loves appetizers for dinner, and one of their number one requests is vegan nachos. Often, on the weekends, we watch football, play games, and eat healthy snacks instead of dinner.

Usually, I take requests, so this weekend, the crew wanted vegan nachos. Luckily, I prepared a recipe for my Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce in advance, so I was prepared for the challenge.

Whole-foods chips for nachos or other options

The challenge with making nachos is always the tortilla chips. There is, however, one brand of no-salt, oil-oil tortilla chips that can be purchased at the store.

La Reina baked unsalted tortilla chips.

Although baked tortilla chips are available in the supermarket, they still contain oil. But making your own baked tortilla chips is easy! Not only can you bake your own tortilla chip, but homemade tortilla chips can also be air-fried.

How to make oil-free tortilla chips for vegan nachos

First, I cut tortillas into quarters. For this tortillas chip recipe, I chose 16 small tortillas. Both flour and corn tortillas, for example, work well for this recipe.

Then, I soaked the quartered tortillas with lime juice in a bowl, tossing them around with my hands until they were all wet.

Next, select the seasonings you want to flavor the chips, such as cumin, chili powder, or salt.

Once the seasonings are combined, I added to the bowl of wet tortillas, slowly tossing until covered in spicy goodness.

Air-frying the homemade tortillas

Once coated, I suggest cooking the tortillas, in shifts, in a single layer. As a result, the tortilla chips will stay uniform and not stick together.

Cook at 400 degrees, in a single layer
Cook for 3 minutes
Remove cooked chips and place them in a bowl while you repeat the steps until all chips are air-fried

Baking the homemade tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 F/ 205 C
Place the pieces on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or use a silicone baking mat.
Brush the top side of the tortilla pieces with lime juice.
Sprinkle with seasoning and evenly spreading the chips out
Flip over and brush the other side. Sprinkle the rest of the seasoning
Bake for 16-17 minutes or until they are crispy and just starting to brown

If chips aren't your thing, try these other nacho recipes without chips:

Vegan Nachos: layers and layers of ingredients

Begin with a layer of chips on the bottom of a baking sheet. Then, choose your toppings. Although any toppings can be used or substituted, I chose these ingredients for today's nachos.

Vegan Nacho Ingredients

Oil-free chips or chip of choice
Vegan Lentil Taco Meat
Pinto beans (or use black beans or oil-free refried beans)
Red bell pepper
Red onions (yellow or white can be substituted)
Jalapenos
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Raw ingredients added after cooking:

Roma tomatoes
Cilantro
Salsa of choice
Vegan Sour Cream
Cilantro

Cooking the vegan nachos; how to avoid soggy nachos.

Once the chips are cooked (or uses bagged chips), lay a single layer of chips on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. If using a bagged brand, place them in the oven to get them warm before adding the toppings.

Another suggestion is to ring refrigerated toppings to room temperature before piling them onto the warm chips.

To avoid soggy nachos, always add the wettest ingredients last: the vegetables and cheese sauce.

Then, layer again and add the ingredients as listed above. The cheese sauce, since it is in liquid form, should be drizzled last.

When the oven is pre-heated to 350, it takes a mere 15 minutes until nacho time!

Because the tomatoes contain seeds and are wet, I use Roma tomatoes, which have fewer seeds. Also, adding the tomatoes after cooking prevents the tomatoes from making the chips soggy while cooking.

I always serve Vegan Sour Cream, extra Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, salsa, and cilantro on the side for everyone to add their own extra nacho love. Try adding guacamole for an added treat!

So load up the nachos to make the appetizer a meal, and you will be all set for football Sunday.

If you love healthy vegan recipes, try these Mexican dishes!

6 servings

Vegan Nachos

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Vegan nachos are healthy and easy. Made with oil-free tortilla chips, lentil taco meat, vegetables, and vegan nacho cheese sauce, vegan nachos taste just like the restaurant version you love at home.

Ingredients

Homemade Tortilla Chips

1 package small flour or corn tortillas (oil-free) or a bag of oil-free nacho chips
1/4 cup lime juice
Seasoning of choice

Nacho toppings:

1 recipe Vegan Lentil Taco Meat
1 15 ounces can of pinto beans (or use black beans or oil-free refried beans), drained and rinsed
1 Red bell pepper, diced
1 Red onion (yellow or white can be substituted), diced
3 Jalapenos, deseeded and sliced thin
1 cup Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Raw ingredients after cooking

4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Optional toppings on the side

1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1 cup salsa of choice
1/2 cup guacamole

Instructions

Homemade Tortilla Chips (air-fried or baked)

Air fried:

Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the small tortillas into quarters.
Using a basting brush, brush tortillas with lime juice or toss the tortilla wedges in a bowl with the lime juice.
Make a single layer in the base of the air-fryer pan.
Sprinkle with seasoning
Cook at 400 degrees, in a single layer
Cook for 3 minutes
Remove cooked chips and place them in a bowl while you repeat the steps until all chips are air-fried

Baking:

Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the small tortillas into quarters.
Using a basting brush, brush tortillas with lime juice or toss the tortilla wedges in a bowl with the lime juice.
Make a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Preheat oven to 400 F/ 205 C
Place the pieces on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or use a silicone baking mat.
Brush the top side of the tortilla pieces with lime juice.
Sprinkle with seasoning and evenly spreading the chips out
Flip over and brush the other side. Sprinkle the rest of the seasoning
Bake for 16-17 minutes or until they are crispy and just starting to brown

Layering the ingredients

Preeat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet pan with parchment paper or a siicone bakingmat.
If using bagged chips, warm them in the oven before layering ingredients on top for a few minutes.
If using homemade chips, layer the ingredients while warm.
Layer a single layer of tortillas chips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Then, add lentil taco meat on top of the chips, spreading evenly to cover the chips.
Next, add pinto beans or beans of choice.
Add the diced vegetables, and drizzle with vegan nacho cheese sauce.
Cook for 15 minutes.
Add diced tomatoes and cilantro.
Serve with salsa, vegan sour cream, guacamole, and any of your favorite hot sauces on the side.

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Kathy Carmichael

Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me