Balanced Sheet Pan Nachos

April 30, 2024

Balanced Sheet Pan Nachos are an easy weeknight dinner the entire family will love featuring roasted veggies AND tortilla chips topped with meat, cheese, tomatoes, onion, salsa, avocado and all the delicious toppings your heart desires! Customize based on what your family loves and get a healthy dinner on the table in just over 30 minutes start to finish!

Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free, Egg Free

Meet one of my faaaavorite new dinner recipes that I’ve been making ALL the time… It’s…

BALANCED
Made on a SHEET PAN
CUSTOMIZABLE based on what you have in the fridge/preferences

Yup, Sheet Pan Nachos are going to grace your meal plan soon too!

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love nachos, but eating a humungo plate of greasy nachos won’t leave you feeling so good.

On the flip side, I started seeing a lot of “veggie nachos” on social media where creators COMPLETELY eliminated the crunchy, salty, delicious tortilla chips, and that didn’t sit too well with me either. Because as much as I love melted cheese on anything, nachos aren’t nachos when it’s cheese melted on a bell pepper.

So that’s exactly why I created these Balanced Sheet Pan Nachos that include both veggies as a base AND crunchy tortilla chips so you have the balance of both.

I chose to use both zucchini and sweet potatoes as the roasted veggies as the base, but you can totally use any veggie you’d like (that’s kinda flat and nacho-like).

These Balanced Sheet Pan Nachos are…

Easy to make
Super satisfying and delicious
Fun for the entire family
Nutritionally balanced with fiber, protein, fat and fun!
Customizable based on the nacho toppings you love

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Balanced Sheet Pan Nachos

You’ll need less than 10 ingredients to make this balanced dinner in just over 30 minutes (including all chopping/prep time!), including…

Zucchini – this non-starchy veggie helps you meet your veggie quota for the day without a salad in sight – #winning!
Sweet potato is a starchy veggie, but loaded with nutrients and filling, so it makes a great base for part of your “veggie nachos.”
Ground beef, chicken or turkey* adds an easy protein that cooks up in just minutes, so you can really multitask while the zucchini and sweet potatoes roast. I most often use ground chicken in this recipe, but all 3 are delicious.
Nacho seasonings include chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. You can add more than the listed amounts in the recipe or cut back, based on your preferences.
Tortilla chips are a must when it comes to nacho night! I love the crunch and just a few are suuuper satisfying versus veggie nachos alone
Shredded mozzarella or Mexican blend cheese for all the cheesy goodness. It obviously adds so much flavor and a staple for nachos, but it also contains more protein, filling fat, and calcium.
Optional (but recommended) toppings: You can add ANYTHING on top of nachos, but some classics include salsa or chopped tomatoes, chopped red onion, cilantro, guacamole/avocado, or thinly sliced cabbage

Want to make a VEGETARIAN version?

Instead of browning the meat, pop open a can of black beans. Drain and rinse well, then add those on before the cheese. You could add a sprinkle of the same seasonings listed on the black beans, for extra flavor!

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make Balanced Sheet Pan Nachos

This recipe is super simple so you’ll only need a few basic kitchen tools, including:

Sharp knife to cut your veggies
Large mixing bowl
Large sheet pan (if you have a large family, you may want to double the recipe)
Parchment paper (makes clean up a breeze!)
Large skillet

How to Make Balanced Sheet Pan Nachos

This recipe could not be easier to make!

First, you’ll prep the veggies to roast that will be the base of your “veggie nachos.”

Preheat the oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up!

Toss the zucchini and sweet potato slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Distribute on the baking sheet and sprinkle with black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, until soft to fork.

While the veggies are roasting (yes, you’re multitasking…), brown the ground beef, chicken or turkey.

Be sure to season well with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Fully cook the meat here!

When the zucchini & sweet potatoes are done roasting, we’ll assemble the rest of the nachos…

Shift around the veggies to make room for the tortilla chips. They can overlap.

Distribute the cooked ground beef, chicken or turkey on top of the zucchini, sweet potatoes and tortilla chips, then sprinkle the cheese on top. Return to the oven for 5 minutes and broil for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted.

Last, add your toppings…

You can use ANY toppings you’d like (see the note below)… In the photos you can see I chose to use chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced cabbage, and salsa.

Other Balanced Recipes You’ll Love:

**Want more balanced recipes? Grab my ebook, Thrive in 5, for 50 lunch & dinner recipes all made with just 5 ingredients and 20 minutes!**

Tips to Make This Recipe Even Easier & More Delicious:

On busy weeknights, prep your ingredients in advance. This can include up to roasting the veggies ahead of time. This way, when your kids are hungry & you get home late, you can just brown the meat and pop it in the oven.
Use any vegetables you have! No sweet potatoes? Skip ’em! Don’t like zucchini? Try bell peppers instead.