If you are a fan of veggie fajitas then you will love these veggie fajita nachos. Crunchy tortilla chips topped with layers of perfectly spiced, oven roasted veggies, cheese, black beans and finished with all your favorite toppings.
Looking for something that will put a smile on everyone’s faces? I’ve got you!
Whether you are looking for a fantastic dinner recipe or a game day appetizer, these super delicious nachos are crispy, crunchy, loaded with cheese, and totally addictive. They are here to satisfy your every craving.
While standard ground beef nachos are great I wanted to create a veggie-loaded version because coming up in October is California Farmer and Farmworker Month and I wanted to pack as many California Grown veggies on these nachos as possible to celebrate. Want a nachos recipe with even more veggies? Check out my sweet potato nachos that swaps the tortilla chips for sweet potato fries—yum!
This version has layers of fajita-spiced oven roasted veggies then of course all. the. toppings. I’m talking guacamole, thinly sliced scallions, sour cream, and of course, California ripe black olives.
The Best Ripe Olives Are From California
As far as nacho toppings go, black olives are non-negotiable. Their buttery, briny flavor and tender texture are the perfect accompaniment to crunchy chips and gooey cheese.
Did you know that California is the only state in the US that produces ripe olives for canning? It’s true! Hundreds of family farms across the state have been growing olives for generations. Look for California origin or USA origin on cans when you buy your olives to make this recipe and you’ll be supporting small farms and family-owned businesses.
California ripe olives are good for you too. Each large olive only has 5 calories and zero saturated fat.
Have a half-eaten can of olives in the fridge? Here are my top 3 favorite California ripe olive recipes you should try:
- Spicy Marinated Olives with Roasted Garlic & Herbs
- Chicken Empanadas with Olives
- Grilled Asparagus Salad with Olive-Chile Dressing
Now about those nachos.
Ingredients
- Corn tortillas or thick tortilla chips
- Grapeseed oil or light olive oil
- Kosher salt. I always use Morton kosher salt, unless otherwise specified
- Red onions, essential for fajita vegetables
- Bell peppers. Red, yellow, or orange will work
- Poblano pepper adds a bit of zip, but not spicy
- Cauliflower, small florets
- Zucchini, I love how they melt into the crisp chips
- Garlic for seasoning the veggies
- Fajita seasoning or homemade fajita seasoning (see FAQ’s below)
- Black beans or pinto beans. Use canned or cook your own.
- Monterey Jack cheese or pepper jack
- Sharp cheddar cheese or aged white cheddar or smoked cheddar
- TOPPINGS
- Sour cream
- California ripe black olives
- Guacamole
- Charred tomatillo salsa or your favorite store-bought salsa
- Scallions
How To Make This Recipe
step one
Make the chips. Cut the tortillas into 8 wedges each. Pour 1 cup of the oil in a cast iron skillet or large frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add the tortilla wedges, a few at a time, and fry until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Skip this step if using store-bought tortilla chips.
step two
Roast the veggies. Heat the oven to 425°F. Combine onions, peppers, cauliflower, and zucchini on a sheet pan. Sprinkle with garlic, a teaspoon salt, fajita seasoning, and 3 tablespoons of oil (I use 3 tablespoons of the oil I just fried the chips with). Toss to combine and coat the vegetables throughly with the spices. Spread into an even layer and roast until tender and charred, about 25 minutes.
step three
Assemble the nachos. Lay half of the chips on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with half the veggies, half the black beans, and half the shredded cheese.
step four
Make a second layer. Repeat with a second layer of remaining chips, remaining veggies, remaining black beans, and remaining cheese.
step five
Bake. Place nachos in the oven and bake just until the cheese has melted, about 5-10 minutes.
step six
Add toppings. Garnish with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, black olives, and thinly sliced scallions. Enjoy!
Fajita Nachos FAQ’s
Can I add meat? Yes, of course! If you want to up the protein, follow this recipe for skirt steak fajitas to make steak fajita nachos or use chicken breast and this recipe for fajita chicken to make chicken fajita nachos. Cut the meat into strips and add that to the nacho layers along with the vegetables.
How do I make homemade fajita seasoning? Stir together 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
What other toppings do you put on nachos? Lots of options! You can squeeze lime juice over the top, pickled jalapeños, chopped tomatoes, fresh jalapeño slices, chopped cilantro, or hot sauce would all be good.
If You Love This Recipe, Try:
- Summer Squash Vegan Tacos
- Cilantro-Lime Slaw
- Smokey Chile Relleno Rice Bowl
- Deep Dish Black Bean Enchilada Casserole
- 25 Mexican Appetizer Recipes
- Warm Cauliflower Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette
- Citrus Chicken Fajita Marinade
Ready To Try This Fajita Nacho Recipe?
I know you are going to love it. When you make it, snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, make sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Roasted Veggie Fajita Nachos
If you are a fan of veggie fajitas then you will love these veggie fajita nachos. Crunchy tortilla chips topped with layers of perfectly spiced, oven roasted veggies, cheese, black beans and finished with all your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided
- 16 corn tortillas, cut into 8 wedges each
- kosher salt
- 1 red onion, thickly sliced
- 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and thickly sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, cored, seeded, and thickly sliced
- 1 cup small cauliflower florets
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fajita or taco seasoning
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
For the Toppings
Instructions
Make the tortilla chips
- Heat the oil: Heat 1 cup of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot enough (test with a corner or a tortilla, if it is immediatley covered in bubbles the moment you dip it in the oil, it is ready).
- Fry chips: Add the tortilla wedges a few at a time, don't crowd. Let the tortillas cook until golden on one side, flip and continue cooking until they are golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side.
- Cool: Using kitchen tongs, transfer chips to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining tortilla wedges.
Roast the veggies
- Season the veggies: First, heat the oven to 425°F. Combine onions, peppers, poblanos, cauliflower, and zucchini on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons of oil (I use the leftover oil from frying the chips), the garlic, the fajita seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Toss: Toss to coat the vegetables in the seasoning until well coated. Spread in an even layer on the pan.
- Roast: Transfer to the oven and roast until tender and charred in spots. Leave oven on for the nachos.
Make the nachos
- Create the first layer: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread half of the chips on the baking sheet in an even layer. Top with half of the veggies, half of the beans, and half of the cheese.
- Create second layer: Repeat by layering the rest of the chips over the cheese, then top with remaining veggies, remaining beans, and remaining cheese.
- Bake: Place in oven and bake just until the cheese is melted about 5-10 minutes.
Top with toppings
- Add garnishes: Top with guacamole, sour cream, green onions, salsa, and lots of California black olives. Dig in!
Notes
- Tortilla chips: Save time by using store-bought tortilla chips. Make sure you are buying thick chips that won't fall apart.
- Fajita seasoning: Use store-bought fajita seasoning or make your own by combining, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Make-ahead: The nachos need to be eaten right away but you can roast the veggies ahead of time, make all the guacamole and salsas and then assemble and bake right before serving.
- Cheese: I recommend a combination of something mild (like Monterey Jack) and something bold (like sharp cheddar cheese) in this recipe, but you can use another semi-hard, flavorful cheese such as pepper jack, smoked cheddar or Colby cheese. For best taste and texture, shred the cheese off the block yourself with a cheese grater. Pre-shredded cheese is drier than freshly shredded, and contains anti-caking agents.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 178Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 301mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 10g
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