These veggie-loaded beef nachos just hit on weeknights when you want filling and feel-good, but also fun and an easy win. Perfectly seasoned ground beef cooked with over 5 cups of veggies (carrots, cauliflower rice, spinach!) plus hearty black beans, all piled onto crispy chips under a blanket of melty cheese. Cozy, colorful, and on the table in under 25 minutes — a wildly easy, family-pleasing dinner packed with so much goodness.

Nachos made with beans, ground beef, black olives, tomatoes, onions, avocado, and cilantro on top of tortilla chips sit on a sheet pan. The nachos are topped with a dollop of sour cream. Surrounded the sheet pan on a countertop sits some fresh cilantro and sliced avocado.

Who says nachos can’t be a healthy dinner….?

One of my big goals with veggie-loading has always been this: make it fun. Because veggies that are fun to eat? Those are the ones that get eaten … and eaten often. Which is exactly how we ended up here… veggie-loaded nachos. Because according to my 14-year-old, there’s nothing more fun to eat than a giant, cheese-covered tray of nachos — and honestly? There’s a lot of truth in that (even in your 40s).

And while these nachos are very, very legit in their nacho-y vibes and fun factor, they also totally hold their own as a feel-good weeknight dinner. They’re packed with ground beef (so filling), black beans (so hearty), and 5 (yes, five!) cups of veggies cleverly worked into the mix. So it never feels like you’re eating a salad masquerading as nachos… just real, legit nachos that taste really stinking good and just so happen to be amped up with extra goodness.

Oh, and of course: the cheese. A glorious, melty blanket on top. And if you want to level up the veggies even more, pile on the avocado, olives, salsa, or pickled jalapeños. Truly… why haven’t we been doing veggie-loaded nachos for dinner all along!? Oh, and if this recipe feels very “your vibe”, try my veggie-loaded chicken and bean oven tacos next. House favorite here for all the same reasons we love these nachos!

Let’s make these nachos together. Just you and me!

Jump to Recipe Instructions
All ingredients for Veggie-Loaded Beef + Bean Nachos sitting together on the counter prior to cooking.
I love how easy and how few ingredients this dinner needs!
Ground beef being cooked in a pan and stirred by hand with a wooden spoon. The pan sits on a single stove burner on a countertop. Next to the pan on the counter sits three bowls filled with riced cauliflower, spinach, and grated carrot respectively.
Add the ground beef to a hot skillet and cook until browned and crumbled. Drain off any excess fat from the pan. 
Grated carrot, riced cauliflower, and spinach being stirred by hand using a wooden spoon into cooked ground beef in a pan. The pan sits on a single stove burner on a countertop. Next to the pan on the countertop sits a plate with four mounds of spices, a small container of salt, and a glass container filled with salsa.
Add in the grated carrot, spinach, and cauliflower and stir.
Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin sit (unmixed) atop cooked vegetable and ground beef mixture in a pan. The pan sits on a single stove burner on a countertop. Next to the pan on the countertop sits a wooden spoon, a glass container filled with salsa, and small glass container sitting on top of a small plate.
Add in the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin.
Salsa being poured by hand from a glass container into a pan filled with cooked ground beef and veggie mixture. Black beans sit on top of the mixture prior to being mixed in. The pan sits on a single stove burner on the countertop. Next to the pan on the countertop sits a wooden spoon, a bowl of tortilla chips, a bowl of shredded cheese, and a small plate with spice remnants.
Add in the salsa and beans and stir.
Salsa and black beings are being stirred by hand using a wooden spoon into the cooked beef and vegetable mixture in a pan. The pan sits on a single stove burner on the counter. Next to the pan on the counter sits a small bowl of shredded cheese, a glass container with some salsa remnants, and a bowl of tortilla chips.
Cook until the most of the water from the veggies has cooked off.
Tortilla chips topped with bean, beef, and veggie mixture sitting on a parchment-lined sheet pan. The sheet pan sits on a counter next to a bowl of tortilla chips and a small bowl of shredded cheese.
Spread half the chips over the baking sheet, then top with half of the beef mixture.
Shredded cheese being sprinkled by hand from a glass bowl on top of sheet pan nachos. The nachos are made up of tortilla chips topped with bean, beef, and veggie mixture sitting on a parchment-lined sheet pan. The sheet pan sits on a counter with a few tortilla chips on the counter.
Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on top.
Sheet pan nachos made with beef, bean, and vegetable mixture on top of tortilla chips on a parchment-lined sheet pan. The nachos are topped with melted cheese. Next to the sheet pan on the countertop sits half an avocado, a small bowl of sour cream, some fresh cilantro, a lime, and pickled peppers.
Repeat the layers with the remaining chips, beef mixture, and cheese. Pop it in the oven to get that cheese nice and melty.
Sheet pan vegetable, bean, and beef nachos loaded with dollops of sour cream, black olives, diced avocado, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and finely diced red onion. The nachos sit on a parchment-lined sheet pan on a kitchen towel on a counter. On the counter next to the sheet pan sits a bowl of sliced black olives, a lime wedge, and some cilantro leaves. In another bowl is some finely diced red onion.
Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
5 from 5 votes

Veggie-Loaded Beef and Bean Nachos

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Author: Taesha Butler
These veggie-loaded beef nachos just hit on weeknights when you want filling and feel-good, but also fun and an easy win. Perfectly seasoned ground beef cooked with over 5 cups of veggies (carrots, cauliflower rice, spinach!) plus hearty black beans, all piled onto crispy chips under a blanket of melty cheese. Cozy, colorful, and on the table in under 25 minutes — a wildly easy, family-pleasing dinner packed with so much goodness.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients
 

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 large carrots, finely grated (about 1 heaping cup)
  • 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 cup jarred tomato salsa
  • 15.5 ounce can low-sodium black beans , or pinto beans, drained and rinsed.
  • 12 ounces tortilla chips
  • 1½ cup finely shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
  • Nacho toppings of your choice such as guacamole/diced avocado, pico de gallo/diced fresh tomatoes, sour cream, sliced green onions, chopped fresh cilantro, pickled jalapeños, sliced black olives

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup. If using foil, spray with oil.
  • Add the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and cook until browned and crumbled, about 6 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
  •  Stir in the grated carrot, spinach, and cauliflower. Cook until the vegetables have softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  •  Stir in the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin. Cook for a minute to help develop the flavors.
  •  Lower the heat to medium and stir in the salsa and beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pan is mostly dry and all the ingredients are well combined, 2 to 3 minutes.
  •  Taste the beef mixture and add more seasoning as needed.
  • Spread half of the chips over the baking sheet then scatter half of the beef mixture over the chips. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the top.
  • Repeat this layering with the remaining chips, beef mixture, and the cheese.
  • Bake the nachos until the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Top the nachos with the toppings of your choice or allow each person to scoop some nachos onto a plate and then top their own.

Notes

  • You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef but use a tablespoon of oil since turkey has less fat.
  • You can omit the beans if you prefer but reduce the amount of salt by ½ teaspoon and taste to add more salt as needed.
  • To make this vegetarian, leave out the ground beef and use an extra can of drained and rinsed beans.
  • Extra topping idea: Creamy Salsa Sauce
    Mix ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup jarred salsa, and a few shakes of hot sauce (optional) then drizzle over the nachos before serving.
Serving: 1/8 the recipe or about189g, Calories: 435kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 819mg, Potassium: 723mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 4158IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 239mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.