Easy Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo + Sweet Potato
These Easy Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo + Sweet Potato will take your game day to a whole new level. Heck, they’re amazing anytime! These are my family’s favorite and I bet they become yours, too!
Ask me what I’d want if I were stranded on an island, the answer would be an endless supply of nachos. (Or, maybe spicy fried chicken…depends on the day.) I love nachos. I want them loaded with spicy meat or veggies, sometimes beans, shredded cheese(s) and garnished with the fresh, cooling sensation of crema, avocado and wafer thin radish, to name a few things.
If I’m heading out for the sole purpose of eating nachos, there’s a local restaurant that serves my favorite by far. They are unpretentious and messy and amazing. And yep…they’re topped with chorizo. Theirs also comes with queso, but I’d rather skip the fork for this shareable sheet pan version.
I was also inspired by an amazing breakfast dish I’ve had — chorizo and sweet potato hash. I love the pairing of sweet and spicy. And, I feel like those bite size pieces of crispy-on-the-outside sweet potato are little flavor surprises. I’m so there for it.
Ingredients for Easy Sheet Pan Nachos
Chorizo — Chorizo is a pork sausage that comes in cured (think charcuterie) and raw forms. Depending on its origin, it’s spiced with paprika or chilis. Chorizo is widely available in grocery stores, and you may easily find both Spanish and Mexican styles. This recipe calls for raw sausage (similar in texture and size to Italian sausage), not the precooked style.
Sweet Potato — These high-fiber, vitamin packed tubers are a yummy way to sneak a some ‘healthy’ into your nachos. Of course, everyone is familiar with the orange variety, but if you come across the pale yellow or purple varieties, try it out to add some extra fun color.
Spices — The spices are typical pantry staples, so you’ll likely have them on hand: cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and of course, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Cheese — I use Monterey Jack for my nachos because it’s a good melter. I recommend buying a good quality block and hand shredding it on a box grater. It only takes a minute or two and you’ll end up with a glorious mound of just…cheese (no additives, like those found in preshredded packaged varieties).
Chips — Everyone has their favorite tortilla chips, and mine are Late July Thin & Crispy. Since these nachos aren’t loaded up with a million toppings, these light chips work just fine. If you plan on adding tons of garnishes or extras, a more sturdy chip might be order.
Garnishes — This is where you really make them your own. My personal favorites are fresh cilantro, jalapeno slices (fresh or pickled), sour cream or shortcut crema, diced avocado, paper thin sliced radish, chopped scallions and finely diced red onion (well, this one is optional for me, but my husband likes it).
How to Make Easy Sheet Pan Nachos
Mise En Place
As always, gather and prep your ingredients.
- Peel the sweet potato and cut it in half. With the flat side against your cutting board, cut it into 1/4” slices. With two or three slices at time, stack them together and slice them again into sticks about 1/4” thick. Take a few sticks at at time and cut them into little cubes. Repeat until you’ve broken down the entire potato.
- Measure out all the spices into a small bowl.
- Shred the cheese on a box grater.
- Have your chorizo links at the ready and chips standing by.
Preheat your oven to 400F degrees and prepare a sheet pan with a light coat of cooking spray.
Brown the Chorizo
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Take hold of a chorizo link and squeeze a little of the meat out at a time directly into the skillet. Repeat with the remaining links. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat as it cooks.
Because the chorizo has a fair amount of fat, there is no need to add any for this step. Much of the fat will render out and you’ll be left with flavor packed chorizo crumbles. Remove these to a dish with a slotted spoon, then wipe out the pan.
Cook the Sweet Potatoes
Return the pan to medium heat. Add your diced sweet potatoes and a couple tablespoons of water to kickstart the cooking process with steam. As soon as the water evaporates, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Stir them up every couple of minutes, but not too often. The goal is to get them a lovely golden brown so they’re slightly crispy on the outside, but soft and tender inside.
When you think they are about done (taste a couple for doneness), stir in the spices and cook for another minute until it’s fragrant. Remove the pan from the burner.
Assemble the Nachos
Scatter tortilla chips across the sheet pan and top them with the chorizo and sweet potatoes. Add the shredded cheese, then bake for about 6 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to bubble.
Add any garnishes you’d like and finish with a drizzle of crema or sour cream. Now you’re ready to rock those nachos!
Substitutions for Easy Sheet Pan Nachos
Chorizo — While I wrote this recipe for fresh chorizo, you could certainly substitute fully-cooked. Dice the links into 1/4” cubes and toss them in the skillet for a just a minute or two to warm them up. I’ve also seen poultry-based chorizo on occasion at the supermarket. I think this would be a great swap to lighten things up.
Sweet Potato — I already mentioned the different varieties of sweet potato, but I think this would also be amazing with many winter squashes. Try it with butternut, pumpkin, kabocha, delicata…you get the idea.
Chips — Wanna add a little extra zing? Try this with flavored tortilla chips! Or, go with grain-free chips. Swap chips for potato tots and turn these into tachos! If you’re avoiding carbs, skip the chips for mini bell peppers instead. Simply snip the stem end, cut in half and remove the seeds. If you want to bring out the flavor even more, roast the prepped peppers in the oven while you cook the sweet potatoes.
Looking for More Fun Finger Food? You Might Like…
- Crab + Goat Cheese Palmiers
- Steak Sliders with Caramelized Pears, Onions + Gorgonzola
- Kimchi Grilled Cheese
Okay…now that’ve I been touting these Easy Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo + Sweet Potato, I’ve got to go make some! Like, now. 🤤
Easy Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo + Sweet Potato
Ingredients
- 10 ounce fresh pork chorizo, about 3 links, casings removed
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled + diced into 1/4" cubes
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 ounce Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 8 ounce tortilla chips, I use Late July
Optional garnishes
- fresh cilantro, jalapeno slices, sour cream, diced avocado, sliced radish, chopped scallions, diced red onion
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Lightly spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo to brown, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Remove to a dish with a slotted spoon and wipe out the pan.
- Return the pan to medium heat. Add the diced sweet potato and 2 Tbsp of water. This will kickstart the cooking process by steaming the potatoes. As soon as the water has evaporated, add the olive oil. Saute until tender and golden brown. (Taste a couple for doneness.) Just as the potatoes are finishing, add the spices and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the burner.
- Scatter tortilla chips onto the sheet pan. Top chips with the chorizo and potatoes, then the shredded cheese. Bake for about 6 minutes, until the cheese is all gooey and melty.
- Add all the garnishes you like and serve right from the pan!
Notes
Nutrition
My mouth is watering just thinking about these nachos! I will definitely be saving this recipe for later!
This sound easy and good to make. I m sure my kids would love to eat
wow! this looks amazingly delicious and yummy.
yes, the paring of sweet and spice is a fantastic to have, any time of the day.
thanks for sharing.