Tachos (Tater Tot Nachos)
Tachos combine seasoned beef, crispy tater tots, nacho cheese with all your favorite toppings! It’s perfect for gatherings or for a fun dinner night!
A 20-MINUTE APPETIZER/SNACK RECIPE
Tachos are a fun combination of nachos made with crispy tater tots instead of chips. They create a perfect base for the endless amount of flavorful toppings that are super easy to customize. You can add jalapeños for a spicy kick or sour cream for a creamy finish. It’s a great choice for sharing with friends or serving at gatherings, especially since you only need a few simple ingredients.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Yes, you can. You can make the meat and the tater tots ahead of time then just reheat everything when ready to serve. Just don’t assemble it or everything will get soggy. You will need to store any pre-made ingredients in the refrigerator though until it is ready to assemble (keeping the taco meat covered). Note: I would add a little extra water to the pan when cooking the taco meat just so it doesn’t dry out while it is in the fridge (about 1/2 cup total water).
You can cook the tater tots in the oven or air fryer. However you will probably have to cook in batches if your air fryer isn’t large enough.
You can add any other fun nacho toppings that you like. Some ideas are black beans, salsa, green onions, salsa, pico de gallo, lettuce, or guacamole.
You bet! I would definitely recommend using my homemade cheese sauce that I use in my Sheet Pan Nachos if you want to make one from scratch.
You can look for cans or jars of nacho cheese (not a paid affiliate link) near the pizza toppings in the grocery sore. Sometimes you can find them by the tortillas.
Yes, instead of ground beef, you can swap it out for other protein choices like Italian sausage, ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or even ground chorizo. Just cook and crumble them just like you would the ground beef.
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be reheated in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- frozen tater tots– you can use whatever brand you enjoy and have on hand. If you don’t want to use tater tots, you can use French Fries.
- ground beef– I used 93% lean ground beef. Check the Frequently Asked Question section above to find other options to use in place of the ground beef.
- yellow onion
- packet taco seasoning– if you don’t want to buy the packet, you can make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning.
- water– make sure you pay attention to the amount of water this recipe calls for. Don’t just use the amount listed on the back of the taco seasoning packet. The amount of water in the recipe card is the correct amount.
- nacho cheese– If you don’t want to use the canned or jarred cheese, you can melt some Velveeta, queso, queso blanco or Cheez Whiz. I even have a Homemade Nacho Cheese recipe if you want to try that!
- cherry tomatoes– You can use any tomato you prefer for this recipe.
- jalapeños– You can use pickled jalapeños instead of fresh.
- cilantro– this is an optional ingredient and if you don’t care for cilantro, you can use parsley instead or just omit it altogether.
- sour cream– this can be used as a topping or can be served on the side
HOW TO MAKE TACHOS
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the tater tots on a parchment paper lined (or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) baking sheet until the tater tots are crispy (you can follow the cooking times on the back of the tater tot bag). While the tater tots are cooking, in a saute pan over medium heat add the beef and onions. Cook and crumble for 7 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Add the taco seasoning and water to the skillet. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Remove the tater tots from the oven. Pile the tater tots on the baking sheet onto a serving dish. Top the tater tots with taco meat.
Then layer with the remainder of the ingredients: nacho cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro.
Sour cream can be added on top of on the side for serving.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Tachos (Tater Tot Nachos)
Ingredients
- 2 pound bag frozen tater tots
- 1 pound ground beef (I used 93% lean)
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- ⅛ cup water (yes, this is the correct amount)
- 1 cup nacho cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced (use any tomato you prefer)
- 1-2 fresh jalapeños, sliced (or use pickled jalapeños)
- 2 Tablespoons cilantro (optional, can also use parsley)
- ½ cup sour cream (can be used as a topping or on the side for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Bake the 2 pound bag frozen tater tots on parchment paper lined (or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) baking sheet until the tater tots are crispy (you can follow the cooking times on the back of the tater tot bag).
- While the tater tots are cooking, in a sauté pan over medium heat add 1 pound ground beef and 1/2 cup diced yellow onion. Cook and crumble for 7 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- Add 1 ounce packet taco seasoning and 1/8 cup water to the skillet. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the tater tots from the oven. Pile the baked tater tots onto a serving dish.
- Top the tater tots with seasoned taco meat and then layer with the remainder of the ingredients: 1 cup nacho cheese, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced, 1-2 fresh jalapeños, sliced and 2 Tablespoons cilantro. 1/2 cup sour cream can be added on top of on the side for serving.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- You can have fun with the toppings. Guacamole or pico de gallo can be used in place of (or in addition to) the topping suggestions above. You could also put all the toppings in separate bowls and let everyone top their own servings.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I made Tachos for the Super Bowl and even though the Jalapeños gave it alot of heat, it was well received by the guests! Your recipes are always easy, delicious and attractive to serve. I love following you and trying your dishes
So delicious. Enjoyed by all