Crunchy tortilla chips, spicy sausage, gooey cheese, and a plethora of great toppings make these Breakfast Nachos a guaranteed hit at my table. I cannot get over how easy they are, too! This meal is on the table and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.
My family loves our Mexican-inspired breakfasts. Breakfast tacos, breakfast enchiladas, and carnitas breakfast skillets make regular appearances at our table, just to name a few. Recipes like this one make it simple to bring my favorite people together to share a meal and some laughter. And, that is one of the things I love most about our weekend breakfasts.
Friends, let me tell you. I don’t think there is an easier breakfast option for feeding a crowd than this. Cook the sausage and eggs, assemble everything, and just pop it into the oven.
Breakfast nachos prove that quick and easy can still be enormously satisfying. This cheesy, hearty meal was a huge hit with my whole family. And, since they’re nachos, that means you’ve got endless versatility for different proteins, beans, and toppings. I’m already thinking about a whole bunch of different flavors to try!
Tortilla Chips – I prefer Mission, Kirkland, or Santitas brand tortilla chips for these nachos. You’re going to want sturdier chips that will hold up well with all the toppings.
Breakfast Sausage – Whatever sausage you have on hand should work. My family always goes for hot breakfast sausage.
Eggs – I love eggs from my head down to my legs! And, I use eight of them in this recipe for breakfast nachos.
Dairy – For this, you’ll want to use a milder cheese that melts smoothly. I prefer a combination of Colby jack and Monterey jack. And, I always use salted butter unless otherwise specified.
Chili Beans – Using pre-seasoned chili beans kicks these nachos up a notch. But, pinto beans will work in a pinch.
The Garnish – Cilantro and green onions are perfect here, scattered across the finished nachos for bit of brightness.
Seasonings – I add some kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and garlic powder to the eggs to make sure there will be plenty of flavor.
Additional Toppings – These are optional, unless you live at my house. But, you can’t go wrong, serving these with jalapenos, avocados, sour cream, salsa, in a house, with a mouse… you get the picture.
Shredding the Cheese: I start by grating the cheeses, then setting them aside in the fridge until later.
Preheating the Oven: Kick things off by setting your oven to 400°F, so that it’s ready when you are.
Warming the Skillet: I set a large skillet over medium-high heat to warm up. The sausage should sizzle when it meats the pan.
Cooking the Sausage: Cook and crumble the sausage until it is a uniform brown color, with no pink remaining. This usually takes about 8 minutes.
Whisking the Eggs: I add the eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, and a splash of water to a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Finishing the Sausage: Once the sausage is finished, you’ll want to drain any excess grease and then transfer the meat to a large mixing bowl and set it to the side.
Buttering the Pan – I reduce the heat to medium-low. Then you’ll want to melt about a tablespoon of butter in the same skillet.
Cooking the Eggs – Add the eggs to the pan, and start to scramble them, but only until they’ve started to solidify. They should still be wet when you pull them off the heat.
Laying Out the Chips: I line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, I spread out the tortilla chips in an even layer.
Adding the Cheese: Sprinkle about a third of the shredded cheese in an even layer on top of the chips.
Assembling the Nachos – I scoop out sausage and eggs in an even layer over the chips and cheese. Then, you’ll add a layer of chili beans. I finish them by sprinkling generously with the remaining cheese.
Baking: I bake the nachos for about 5 minutes, just until the cheese melts. You’re going to want to serve these immediately for the best results.
The trickiest part of this breakfast nachos recipe is getting the eggs just right. Most of us have a deeply ingrained fear of undercooked eggs. So, a lot of cooks want to cook them fully in the pan. But, the problem is that fully cooked eggs will become a rubbery, overcooked mess in the oven.
The eggs should be slightly undercooked when you pull them from pan, so that they can finish cooking with the nachos. That way, they stay tender and blend right in with the melted cheese instead of drying out.
Split the Cheese – Have you ever had nachos where the toppings just slid off the chip when you pulled one? Adding that base layer of cheese directly to the chips helps bind the ingredients to the chips themselves.
The Sturdier The Better – Thin and crispy, restaurant style chips certainly have their place in my kitchen. But, you don’t want to use them here. Use sturdy chips so that the moisture from the toppings and heat in the oven won’t weigh them down.
Preheat the Pan: You can go one extra step and leave your baking sheet in the oven while it preheats. Pull it from the oven, drop the parchment on it and assemble the nachos over the hot pan. You’ll find that the cheese melts a little faster, which can help keep things a little more crisp.
I like to serve these breakfast nachos with something fresh on the side. A scoop of pico de gallo or this easy salsa can go a long way to balance out the richness. If I have ripe avocados, then there’s nothing better than a drizzle of this avocado cream sauce.
When it’s in season, I like to add a huge bowl of this watermelon fruit salad. I mean, fruit goes with just about anything in my book. But a colorful fruit salad and a steaming mug of cafe con leche transforms these nachos into a straight up brunch.
Make Ahead: You can cook and crumble the sausage ahead of time, to save a bit of time when making these nachos.
How to Store: Leftover nachos can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-3 days. But, there’s no way to avoid the chips losing their texture.
How to Reheat: If I’m ever reheating these nachos, my go-to option is the air fryer. It can sometimes refresh a bit of the original crisp textures.
Wet chips get soggy. There’s no way around it. So, the name of the game is moisture control. You need to drain excess grease from the meat, and add the chili beans sauce sparingly. Things like salsa, tomatoes, and avocado can be added either right at the end, or be served at the table. And lastly, serve the nachos at their best – hot from the oven.
Due to the risk of things getting soggy, we want these nachos to cook fast but not burn. I find that starting at 400°F finishes mine in about 5 minutes. If you’re really in a hurry, you can also use the broiler to finish them in just a minute or two. But, keep a close eye on them!
Absolutely. Hot breakfast sausage is my go-to, but you can simply omit the meat entirely or use plant-based crumbles, instead.
No. You don’t need to drain them. The sauce adds great flavor to these nachos. But, do not drench the chips with it. I spoon them out carefully to spread them around, and have sauce leftover in the can once all the beans have been added.
Any time you’re working with ground meat, it usually goes into the pan as one big chunk. “Crumbling” just means using a spoon or tool like this handy meat chopper to break it apart into small, loose pieces as it cooks. Smaller pieces cook faster and give you that classic crumbly texture you want.
{originally published 8/12/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/25/26}
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