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Nachos Loaded With Fresh Cilantro and Garden Veggies

Do you love a good plate of nachos loaded? They are so easy to make! Wait until you try these nachos loaded with fresh cilantro and veggies from the garden.

Loaded nachos is one of my favorite dishes to order at a restaurant. There’s something about the crispness of the tortillas mixed with cheese and other fresh toppings that gets me every time!

And I’ve never met a plate of nachos loaded that I didn’t like!

You can make nachos so many different ways, but I love nachos loaded up with fresh cilantro and veggies.

It just tastes better when you pile a bunch of fresh stuff on the nachos.

While there are many different ways to make nachos loaded, this recipe is super fresh using ingredients from the vegetable garden.

And if you don’t have a vegetable garden?

Stop by your local farmer’s market to pick up the freshest ingredients.

Wait until you try this recipe for loaded nachos!

What Topping Do You Put on Nachos?

There are so many topping options to put on nachos. I never made nachos loaded the same way twice because it depends on what I have on hand and what’s available in my garden or local market.

Here are some topping ideas for making loaded nachos.

  • Black Beans
  • Shredded Cheese like Cheddar or Colby Jack
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Fresh Salsa
  • Chopped Tomatoes
  • Chopped Jalapenos or Other Spicy Pepper
  • Chopped Onions
  • Fresh Cilantro
  • Guacamole
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Black Olives
  • Pickled Red Onions
  • Shredded Chicken
  • Cubed Steak
  • Grilled Corn

Do You Put Cheese or Toppings on Nachos First?

It’s best to melt your cheese on nachos first by cooking it in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts, and then add your meat, beans, and fresh toppings.

How Do You Make Loaded Nachos Not Soggy?

The best way to make nachos loaded not soggy is to melt the cheese on the tortillas chips first.

That melted cheese will act like a barrier to the other toppings you add later to help maintain crispness.

How Are Nachos Traditionally Served?

Most restaurants serve loaded nachos as an appetizer but don’t you always feel full after eating them?

Since we love to order it as an appetizer, I make it now as a full meal. Whether I use leftover chili or shredded chicken and beans, it’s the perfect dish for a casual meal with family or friends.

Should Nachos Be Baked or Broiled?

While I think it’s a matter of preference, nachos get the most crisp and crunch after broiling.

That said, I always bake mine.

What Do You Eat With Loaded Nachos?

While I think it’s great as a standalone dinner, you can easily serve it as an appetizer or side dish too.

Here are side dish ideas for serving with nachos.

  • Cilantro Lime Chicken
  • Tortilla Soup
  • Black Bean Soup
  • Quesadillas
  • Chili Con Carne
  • Mexican or Spanish Rice
  • Chili
  • Avocado Salad
  • Avocado Toast
closeup of veggies in wood bowl to make nachos loaded
Inspired by my fresh veggies from the local farm, I decided to make some fresh salsa using these roma tomatoes, red onions and garden cilantro.

Nachos Loaded with Fresh Cilantro

To me, nachos are incomplete without fresh cilantro. Even if you just add melted cheese to a plate of nachos, fresh cilantro brightens it up and adds additional flavor.

It is one of my favorite herbs to add to a plate of nachos. And while you can easily buy it from the market, it’s an easy herb to grow in the garden.

Once you understand how it grows that is.

Cilantro and I had a love-hate relationship for several years.

I love to eat it but, as a gardener, struggled to grow it. It would last a few weeks then peter out by early summer.

After several years, I finally figured out the secret to growing cilantro successfully.

Do you struggle with growing cilantro too?

The Secret to Growing Cilantro

It took a long time for me to realize that cilantro prefers cooler temps.

A few years ago I bought a cilantro plant in fall and it lasted until the first frost.

From that experience, I realized, it wasn’t me! Cilantro prefers cooler temps…kind of like lettuce. And if you grow them, particularly in spring, they can take part shade too.

garden cilantro - Loaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

I find it bolts quicker when planted in full sun in spring.

Since discovering this through several years of trial and error, I’m proud to say that cilantro and I are total besties now.

And I’ve got a great recipe to share with you guys to use it…a lot!

Fresh homemade salsa in a clear glass bowl on a granite countertop -Loaded Garden Nachos with CIlantro and Spinach

How to Make Nachos Loaded With Fresh Cilantro and Garden Veggies

If you are looking for a way to use fresh ingredients from the garden, look no further than these nachos loaded with fresh cilantro and garden vegetables.

The ingredients are not set in stone so you can swap in whatever you like or what’s in season when you harvest.

If you don’t have a veggie garden, all the ingredients can be easily picked up from your local farmer’s market.

But I do recommend going with the freshest ingredients where possible but it just tastes better.

chopped red onion in a bowl

In this recipe, I used fresh spinach instead of plain lettuce.

Why?

Because I love using shredded or chopped lettuce as a layer in my loaded nachos.

I realize spinach doesn’t seem like the first choice in lettuce to use, but it’s what I had growing in my garden.

Spinach packs a lot of nutrients, particularly iron, that many of us need more of.

chopping roma tomatoes on white cutting board on granite countertopLoaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

So I’m using it.

Not only is it really delicious, but it is healthier for you too.

While I’m using spinach in this recipe, feel free to substitute for whatever type of lettuce you prefer.

Be creative, use what you love, and enjoy your garden veggies!

mixing fresh tomatoes and red onions to make Loaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

Ingredients Used in Nachos Loaded

  • Cilantro
  • 5 Roma Tomatoes
  • 1 Large Red Onion
  • 2 Limes
  • Spinach (any lettuce will do – I happened to have it growing in my garden)
  • Tortilla Chips
  • 2 Cans of Black Beans (drained)
  • Shredded Cheddar
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
  • Sour Cream for Garnish
  • Other Optional Ingredients: black olives, jalapenos, shredded chicken, ground beef or turkey, shrimp, etc.
Squeezing lime into fresh salsa to makeLoaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

How to Make Fresh Salsa for Nachos Loaded

  • Seed and Dice the Roma Tomatoes.
  • Dice the onion
  • Chop cilantro.
  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Squeeze the juice of one lime.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Side Note – if I had a jalapeno on hand, I would chop and add that in to spice it up.
squeezing lime juice into black beans in saucepan to makeLoaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

How to Make the Nachos Loaded

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You could broil it if you prefer.
  • Grab a baking sheet. I prefer to line mine with aluminum foil so I don’t have to clean it after.
  • Spread a bag of tortilla chips on the baking sheet. It’s OK if they overlap.
adding black beans and cheese toLoaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach
  • Chop lettuce (I used cut spinach from the garden)
  • Heat two cans of black beans on the stove for 10 minutes over medium heat.
  • Squeeze the juice of one lime and stir to mix, add salt and pepper to taste (I don’t use much).
Loaded Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach
  • Top tortillas with black beans.
  • Top with Shredded Cheddar.
  • Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts. Keep an eye on it and remove it from the oven when the cheese melts.
  • Top with chopped lettuce.
adding chopped spinach toLoaded Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

  • Top with Fresh Salsa
  • Enjoy!
topping Loaded Nachos with Cilantro with chopped spinach

What Do You Think?

This dish is sooooo good!

It tastes so fresh and my whole family devours it every time I make it.

And the best part?

Loaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

You can change the ingredients to whatever you want.

If you want to add chicken or ground beef, you totally can.

Use what you love to eat!

Ready to eat Loaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

I love that I used both the spinach and cilantro growing in my garden.

Initially, I was planning to make a salad with the spinach when I thought to myself…why not use in the nachos?

If my tomatoes or jalapenos were ready for harvest, I would have used them too!

nachos loaded close up - Loaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

Want to learn how to dry herbs? Check out my friend Rachel’s blog called How to Dry Herbs.

Ready to eat Loaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach

Nachos Loaded with Fresh Cilantro and Garden Veggies

Looking for ways to use your herb and veggie harvest? Try these nachos loaded with fresh cilantro and veggies from the garden. It's super easy and delicious!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 654 kcal

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Seed and Dice the Roma Tomatoes.
    bruschetta tomatoes - chopping tomatoes with sharp knife
  • Dice the onion
    close up of chopped red onion on white cutting board with sharp knife
  • Chop cilantro.
  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
    Fresh homemade salsa in a clear glass bowl on a granite countertop -Loaded Garden Nachos with CIlantro and Spinach
  • Squeeze the juice of one lime.
    Squeezing lime into fresh salsa to makeLoaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Grab a baking sheet. I prefer to line mine with aluminum foil so I don’t have to clean it after.
  • Spread a bag of tortilla chips on the baking sheet. It’s OK if they overlap.
  • Chop lettuce (I used cut spinach from the garden)
  • Heat two cans of black beans on the stove for 10 minutes over medium heat.
    squeezing lime juice into black beans in saucepan to makeLoaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach
  • Squeeze the juice of one lime and stir to mix, add salt and pepper to taste (I don’t use much).
  • Top tortilla chips with black beans.
    adding black beans and cheese toLoaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach
  • Top with Shredded Cheddar.
    adding shredded cheddar toLoaded Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach
  • Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts. Keep an eye on it and remove it from the oven when the cheese melts.
  • Top with chopped lettuce.
    topping Loaded Nachos with Cilantro with chopped spinach
  • Top with Fresh Salsa
    adding fresh homemade salsa to Loaded Garden Nachos with Cilantro and Spinach
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Side Note – if I had a jalapeno on hand, I would chop and add that in to spice it up.
To make fresh salsa year round, try freezing tomatoes from the garden.
 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 654kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 22gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 700mgPotassium: 930mgFiber: 9gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 9339IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 594mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Nachos Loaded
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Nachos Loaded with Fresh Cilantro and Garden Veggies
Nachos Loaded with Fresh Cilantro and Garden Veggies
Nachos Loaded with Fresh Cilantro and Garden Veggies

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10 Comments

  1. Pingback: How to Dry Herbs - The Ponds Farmhouse
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  3. These look great! One tip I would give is you can totally microwave corn chips and they get very crisp- in fact if you have a bag of stale chips, microwave for a minute and cool, and they will be fresh and crispy again. So on everyones individual plate can go the chips, beans and cheese, then in the microwave for a couple minutes until the cheese is melted through, and the chips will be hot and crispy. Then add hot meat and the cold ingredients, and no hot kitchen. Yum!