I called myself experimenting over the weekend and came up with this amazing shrimp nachos recipe! I was honestly free styling with no direction at all lol. Overall, I am happy that these nachos had an amazing ratio of heat to flavor. Furthermore, I am EXTREMELY pleased that I was able to create a personal serving as well. Nachos are usually ridiculous huge and you can’t finish it all. In addition, most people are on a portion control these days. With that being said, I created this small shrimp nachos recipe to benefit our cravings on those “cheat” days without over-indulging.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Full of flavor and ingredients are fresh
- Perfect recipe as a game day appetizer (ex. Super Bowl, basketball, game night, etc.)
- Upgrade from traditional nachos
- Easy to store leftovers
- Versatile recipe as you use these ingredients to make shrimp tacos
Unlike traditional nacho recipes, cheddar cheese is used instead of cheese sauce. In addition, the refried beans add a bit of a twist as well. The refried beans nestled on the crunchy tortillas chips add an amazing texture and flavor. Overall, the nacho toppings for this shrimp nachos recipe makes this dish delicious.
Shrimp Nachos toppings and ingredients:
- Fresh shrimp – 31/40 count shrimp was used for this recipe. This size was perfect as it wasn’t too small and not too big.
- Mexican chiles – Guajillo or Arbol peppers are perfect for this recipe as it gives the recipe a more Mexican taste. Guajillo chiles are fruit sweet while Arbol chiles have more of a clean heat. If you are sensitive to heat, feel free to skip this step.
- Seafood seasoning – Magic’s seafood seasoning was used to season the shrimp as it adds a depth of flavor especially when paired with the Mexican chiles.
- Tortilla chips – Adds a crunchy texture and is perfect with melted cheese and the softer toppings such as the pico de gallo, guacamole, etc.
- Pepper Jack cheese and Cheddar cheeses– the creaminess of pepper jack and sharp + richness of the cheddar cheese is a perfect combination for the nachos.
- Guacamole – I made my own guacamole recipe, but for the sake of time, you can use store-bought guacamole.
- Mexican Crema – similar to sour cream, Mexican crema is rich, thin, and tangy in flavor.
- Pico De Gallo – Also known as salsa fresca, brings out an acidity within the dish. Pico incorporates a savory, yet tangy flavor to the overall recipe.
- Refried beans– I love beans on nachos! Refried black beans are perfect for both flavor and nutrition in this recipe.
How can I store the shrimp nachos ingredients?
- Pico De Gallo can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Black beans are to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Guacamole is to be stored in an airtight container expeditiously in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Any leftover nachos with toppings can be stored in the refrigerator and place in the oven to reheat. (You may need to remove the guacamole before placing into the oven)
If you’re interested in making this more of a seafood nachos recipe, try adding my guacamole recipe that contained crab. Also, my tortilla chip recipe can also be used for this recipe.
Possible Alternatives:
- It is possible to make sheet pan nachos by using a sheet pan or baking sheet. Note that sheet pans are typically made of aluminum or stainless steel to prevent damage or warping. Baking sheets are made of aliminum or non-stick materials.
For more detailed instructions on the this recipe, review the full recipe card below.
Shrimp Nachos Recipe
Yield:
1-2
Prep Time:
1 hour
Cook Time:
35 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour 35 minutes
Amazing shrimp nachos recipe is perfect for an appetizer or just a "cheat day."
Ingredients
Shrimp Nachos toppings and ingredients:
- 2-3 ounces of fresh shrimp, dried and blotted
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil for cooking
- 1 dried Mexican pepper (Guajillo or Arbol)
- 1 teaspoon of seafood seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
- 2-3 oz of tortilla chips (if you find a small bag of tortilla chips, that will work too)
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup of guacamole
- 1/4 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup guacamole
- Mexican Crema to drizzle
Pico De Gallo
- 1/4 cup of diced green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup of fresh diced tomatoes
- 1/2 of a jalapeño pepper
- 1/4 cup of purple onions
- 1 teaspoon of lime zest + lime juice (you may need to use more)
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Black Refried Beans
- 1 cup of cooked black beans
- 1/4 cup of finely diced white onions
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt (use more if needed)
- 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup of water (may use less if you drained your beans)
Instructions
- Make the Pico De Gallo first so that you set in the refrigerator to meld as everything everything else is prepared. In a small mixing bowl, combine bell pepper, red onions, tomatoes, cilantro, diced jalapeño peppers, lime juice, and salt together.
- Mix all ingredients until it completely combined; Cover the pico de gallo using saran wrap or foil and set aside in the refrigerator.
- Next, hydrate the dried guajillo or arbol pepper in a small bowl and pipping hot water. Hydrate the pepper for 10 minutes and dice into small pieces. (See note)
- Turn your oven on to 375F degrees for the later steps.
- Now for the black beans! In a small to medium sauce pan, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Sautee onions with chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper until translucent.
- Add fresh minced garlic. Cook until flagrant.
- Add black beans. Toss around with a spatula to mix onions, garlic, and seasoning.
- Carefully add water in increments to mash the black beans. You can use the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher.
- Continue to add remaining water, cover, and reduce heat to low.
- Next, dry and blot the shrimp with a paper towel if you have not done so already.
- In a large bowl, toss the shrimp in seafood seasoning and add a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.
- Heat cast iron skillet or or pan on medium heat.
- Drizzle pan with olive oil and sauté Mexican chiles for 2 minutes. Note: Remove seeds if you would like to hold the hear.
- Add shrimp and cook in the skillet on medium heat with chiles for about 2-4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side.
- Remove shrimp from skillet so that it does not overcook and become rubbery.
- Next, place a layer of chips in a mini skillet. On each layer, add refried beans and shredded cheeses. Make sure cheese is over the outer most layer.
- Place in the oven until cheeses melt. This process should take 3 minutes or so. However, monitor the oven so the cheese does not burn.
- Once the shredded cheese is melted to your liking, take the skillet out the oven and add your shrimp.
- Top off the nachos with guacamole and pico de Gallo.
- Drizzle Mexican Crema and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Nacho Time!
Notes
Step 3 Note: You can skip this step if you are sensitive to heat.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1067Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 201mgSodium: 3351mgCarbohydrates: 120gFiber: 21gSugar: 19gProtein: 47g
This is not an precise estimate.