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I don’t know about you, but when I think Super Bowl party, I think nachos. But of course, typical nachos are made with tortilla chips and are very high in carbs. Fortunately, you can still enjoy nachos even on a ketogenic diet with these low carb nachos!
If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’ve heard me talk about my favorite low-carb tortilla recipe from the Keto Diet App Blog. This recipe has good flavor and a really nice, flexible texture. The one downside is that it takes a bit of time to roll out, cut into circles, and then fry each one to cook it. It’s absolutely worth it, in my opinion, because it tastes better than any other low-carb tortilla recipe I’ve tried.
However! This recipe uses the same dough, but instead of rolling, cutting into circles, and frying, we’re just going to roll, cut into triangles and then bake all together so it’s really really easy. I’m including the measurements and instructions here, but you should really check out the original recipe for all your keto tortilla needs!
Low Carb Nachos – Step by Step
The Chips
This recipe makes a lot, so here are your options: You can make a lot if you need to feed a crowd, like at a Super Bowl party. But you can also just bake up half the chips and store the other half, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge for a couple of days. Then you can have nachos twice. And the only thing better than nachos is nachos twice. Or, of course, you can just make half a batch of the dough to start with.
The first thing you need to know about this dough is that you must let it rest after you mix it, for about an hour, either in the fridge or on the counter. Then split the dough in half and roll it between two pieces of parchment. Half of the tortilla dough will fit on a length of parchment the size of a half-sheet pan (this is the one I use) when rolled thinly, but you’ll need to split up the chips into two sheet pans to bake or they won’t crisp up nicely. So if you’re making up all the chips at once, you’ll need to bake them in two batches.
You can put two sheet pans in the oven at once, but you’ll need to rotate them halfway through and keep a close eye on them. Take any off that are getting done sooner than the others. The good news is that once they’re baked, you can keep them out on platter for a while before you make them into nachos.
The Meat
For the meat, I chose ground beef because it’s the easiest, but if you’re willing to do a little extra work, I highly recommend making this carnitas recipe from Smitten Kitchen and shredding it to put on your nachos. It might be my very favorite meat of all time. You could also use shredded chicken, but I was going for easy here and there’s not much that’s easier than ground beef.
I browned up 1 lb of ground beef with a small diced onion, then sprinkled 2 tablespoons of Tex Mex seasoning on it. You can use any sort of taco seasoning you like, but check the ingredients to make sure there aren’t things like maltodextrin, which is a form of glucose. I mix up my own using this recipe.
If you’re only making half of your nachos, you can cook up all your meat and store it in the fridge for a couple days before you have your second nachos (I’m all for cooking up extra to save me time for another day!) or you can just cook up 1/2 lb ground beef.
The Toppings
Then you spread out your baked chips onto a large platter or baking sheet (I recommend baking them on whatever you plan to serve them on if you have something large enough. Then sprinkle the meat over it and top with cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and starting to get golden. Then top with your favorite nacho toppings! I used shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and a little bit of guacamole (since I’m the only one in my family who likes it.) If I had remembered to buy some, I would’ve sprinkled some fresh cilantro on top as well.
Just because you’ve switched to low-carb eating does not mean you have to be deprived! My kids loved these and actually when I ask what we should have for dinner after making these a few times, Bean yells, “CHIPS!” Ha. I love that they think they’re getting away with eating junk food for dinner, but I know they’re eating healthy, nourishing food!
Ohhh yes. You know you want a bite.
Low Carb Nachos
A simple swap makes your favorite nachos low carb!
Ingredients
Chips (Adapted from Keto Diet App)
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour
- 3/4 cup (110g) golden flaxseed meal
- 1/4 cup (30g) coconut flour
- 2 Tbsp (8g) whole psyllium husk (not powder)
- 2 Tbsp (15g) chia seeds, ground (a coffee grinder works perfectly to grind whole chia seeds)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 cup (240mL) lukewarm water
- 2 Tbsp melted ghee or avocado oil
Toppings
- 1 lb. (.45 kilos) ground beef (I used 80/20)
- 1/2 a large onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, or a blend all work nicely here)
- 3 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup guacamole
- Other options: salsa, jalapeños, cilantro, whatever else you like on your nachos.
Instructions
- Whisk together the dry ingredients for the chips, then add water. Stir until well combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter or in the fridge for at least an hour. Alternatively, you can flatten the dough and wrap tightly and store in the fridge for up to a week.
- After the dough has rested, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Note: the original recipe suggests baking at 400°F, but I found mine browned too quickly this way, so I suggest a lower temperature. However, you know your oven best and may find 400°F to be better for you.
- Roll out half the dough at a time between parchment paper. Trim the rough edges away with a pizza cutter or sharp knife to make a large rectangle. Cut dough into squares and then cut along the diagonal to make triangles. Divide the triangles between two parchment-lined baking sheets so none are touching. Brush with melted ghee or avocado oil.
- Bake 10-15 minutes, keeping a close eye on the chips so none burn. Take any out early if they’re browning more quickly than the others. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- In a large heavy-duty skillet over med-high heat, cook the ground beef along with the onion until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Add taco seasoning and mix well. Remove from heat.
- Arrange chips on a baking sheet or large platter, in as close to a single layer as possible. Spread meat evenly over chips, then top with cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is fully melted and just starting to brown in some areas.
- Remove from oven and top with the rest of the nacho toppings.
Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 602Total Fat: 49gSodium: 712mgCarbohydrates: 16.5gNet Carbohydrates: 7gFiber: 9.5gSugar: 3.9gProtein: 27.5g
What’s your favorite game-day food?
I’m obsessed with nachos and these look amazing!
Thanks, Emma!