These vegan nachos are loaded with crispy chips, savory taco-seasoned protein, and rich, gooey vegan nacho cheese. Perfect for parties, game day, or an easy crowd-pleasing dinner, they’re endlessly customizable and best enjoyed hot from the oven.
Vegan nachos might be considered an appetizer, but let’s be honest… they make a pretty perfect meal too. The secret to truly great vegan nachos is the cheese, and this homemade nacho cheese sauce is smooth, ultra-cheesy, and perfectly melty (yes, it actually gets stretchy!). It’s easy to make, super reliable, and gives you that classic nacho cheese experience without relying on store-bought options.
For the topping, I usually go with vegan ground for that classic “meaty” bite, but you can easily swap in black beans for a lighter, budget-friendly option. Just mash and season them the same way and you’re good to go. Piled high with crispy chips, savory toppings, and plenty of that gooey cheese sauce, these easy vegan nachos are a total crowd-pleaser and and easy to customize. Perfect for game day, parties, or a fun weeknight dinner.
What Makes These Vegan Nachos the Best Ever
- Loaded with Tex-Mex flavor: The vegan taco meat is cooked with taco seasoning to give it some bold, savory flavor (without being spicy).
- Homemade or shortcut options: Make the cheese from scratch (highly recommended!) or use store-bought to get your vegan nachos on the table fast.
- Layered for maximum coverage: Everything is built in layers so every chip gets toppings (no sad, plain chips), then baked until warm and lightly toasted.
Ingredients for Vegan Nachos
Vegan Taco Meat
- Light oil: Like canola or vegetable oil.
- Vegan ground meat or black beans: Use your favorite. Vegan ground gives a classic “taco meat” texture, while black beans are a simple, budget-friendly option.
- Taco seasoning: Adds bold, smoky, and savory flavor.
- Salt and pepper: To taste. If you use store-bought taco seasoning, you might not need it.
Vegan Nacho Cheese
- Raw cashews: Soften if needed for smoother blending if you don’t have a high speed blender.
- Plant-based milk: I like to use oat or soy milk; just make sure it’s plain.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds cheesy, savory flavor.
- Tapioca starch: Gives the cheese that stretchy, gooey texture.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds tang for a classic nacho cheese flavor.
- Seasonings: Paprika, salt, garlic powder, and turmeric.
For the Nachos
- Toppings of choice: Diced tomatoes, jalapeños, red onion, cilantro, olives, avocado crema, vegan sour cream, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, or beans.
- Tortilla chips: The base of it all. Choose sturdy chips that can stand up to all of your epic toppings.
How to Make Vegan Nachos
- Prepare the Taco Meat: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegan ground meat and cook, breaking it into crumbles. Stir in taco seasoning, salt, and pepper, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until browned. (If using black beans, heat them with oil, mash slightly, and cook with taco seasoning until warmed through.)
- Make the Cheese Sauce: Add the cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, vinegar, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and turmeric to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Heat the Sauce: Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and gooey.
- Assemble the Nachos: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread half the chips in an even layer on a baking sheet, top with half the taco meat and cheese, then repeat with remaining layers.
- Bake: Bake for 5 to 10 minutes until everything is heated through and the chips are lightly toasted.
- Finish and Serve: Remove from the oven and immediately add your favorite toppings. Serve right away.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t skip the layering: This ensures every chip gets toppings, not just the top layer.
- Use sturdy chips: Thin chips can get soggy quickly, so go for thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips.
- Shortcut option: Use about 2 to 2½ cups of store-bought vegan cheese if needed. For best melt, grate block-style cheese instead of using pre-shredded. If using pre-shredded, give it a quick rinse in a strainer and pat dry to remove some of the starchy coating. This helps it melt more smoothly.
- Make it ahead: Prep the taco meat and cheese sauce in advance, then assemble and bake just before serving.
- Adjust the cheese consistency: If the sauce thickens too much, stir in a splash of plant-based milk to loosen it.
How to Serve Vegan Nachos
These nachos are perfect:
- As a party appetizer
- For game day spreads with other favorites like Vegan Chicken Wings
- As a fun weeknight dinner
Storage
Nachos are best enjoyed fresh. For meal prep, prepare the taco meat and cheese ahead of time, then assemble and bake just before serving.
If you do have leftover vegan nachos, transfer them to an airtight container and reheat in a 400ºF oven.
More Cheesy Vegan Recipes
If you try this vegan nachos recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don’t forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
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Vegan Nachos
These vegan nachos are loaded with crispy chips, savory taco-seasoned protein, and rich, gooey vegan nacho cheese. Perfect for parties, game day, or an easy crowd-pleasing dinner, they’re endlessly customizable and best enjoyed hot from the oven.
Servings: – 6
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Ingredients
Vegan Taco Meat (Optional but Recommended)
Vegan Nacho Cheese (or use store-bought, see Notes)
Instructions
Prepare the Taco Meat:
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Cook the ground: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegan ground meat and break it up into crumbles. Stir in the taco seasoning and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until browned and flavorful. Remove from heat and set aside.If using black beans: Heat the oil in a skillet, add the beans, and mash about half with the back of a spoon or potato masher for a crumbled texture (or leave whole if preferred). Stir in taco seasoning and cook for 3–5 minutes, until heated through.
Make the Vegan Nacho Cheese:
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Soften the cashews (optional): If using a high-powered blender, you can skip this. Otherwise, boil the cashews for 10 minutes, or soak in water for 4 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using. (Softening the cashews helps the sauce blend completely smooth.)
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Blend the sauce: Add the cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, vinegar, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and turmeric to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
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Cook the cheese sauce: Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, smooth, and gooey. Remove from heat. If too thick, stir in a splash of plant-based milk or water.
Assemble & Bake the Nachos:
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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Layer the nachos: Spread half of the tortilla chips on a large baking sheet or oven-safe platter. Top with half of the taco meat (or beans) and drizzle with half of the nacho cheese. Repeat with remaining chips, protein, and cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until warmed through and the chips are lightly toasted.
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Finish and serve: Remove from the oven and immediately add toppings of choice. Serve right away with guacamole and salsa on the side.
Notes
Shortcut Cheese Option
You can substitute about 2-2½ cups (200-250 g) store-bought vegan cheese in place of the homemade sauce.
For best melting:
- Use a block-style cheese and grate it yourself (pre-shredded doesn’t melt as well).
- If using pre-shredded, give it a quick rinse in a strainer and pat dry to remove some of the starchy coating. This helps it melt more smoothly.
- Loosely tent the nachos with foil for the first few minutes of baking to trap heat and steam, then remove the foil to finish heating and lightly crisp the chips.
Party Tip
Nachos are best served immediately. For a crowd, prep all components in advance and assemble just before baking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving (makes 4 servings) | Calories: 722kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1165mg | Potassium: 1001mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 671IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 322mg | Iron: 7mg
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