Crispy Corn Totopos with Beef and Cheese

These delicious totopos nachos loaded with ground beef and all the flavors we love in our nachos and then some. They make a fantastic addition to any Taco Tuesday, potluck, game day gathering, or just an afternoon snack.

When you’re hankering for some authentic Mexican flavor, just make a batch of these, and you’ll be more than satisfied. In fact, everyone who tries them always loves them.

This delicious recipe starts with fried corn tortilla chips. After they’re fried to crispy perfection, I top them with a mixture of spicy ground beef and hot cilantro sauce. Then, it all gets covered with cheese and baked to melty deliciousness and topped with even more spicy cilantro sauce.

What I end up with is a plate of hot and spicy beefy goodness that no one can say no to. It’s loaded with authentic Mexican flavors, and it’s actually very easy to make. That’s a big bonus.

If you love steak nachos or fried beef tacos then I am certain you will love these crispy totopos!

What are Totopos?

Totopos are fried corn tortilla chips. The name is a combination of the Nahuatl words for tortilla and thunder, roughly translating to “tortillas that are noisy to chew.

Totopos are an ancient tortilla chip native to Mexico and usually served with salsa and/or guacamole. We are using them today to make nachos, a treat invented in 1940 by Ignacio Anaya at a restaurant in Piedras Negras in Coahuila, Mexico.

Ingredients

Although there are several components to this recipe and quite a few ingredients, they’re all basic items that you can easily find at your local grocery store. Here’s a look at the highlights.

• Corn tortillas: For our crunchy totopos!
• Vegetable oil: This is for frying. Make sure to use vegetable oil or another neutral oil with a high smoke point.
• Chili peppers: We use a combination of jalapenos and serrano peppers.
• Tomatillos: These look like small green tomatoes and are often covered in a husk. They bring a bright tangy flavor to the homemade sauce drizzled over our nachos.
• Aromatics and herbs: Onions and fresh garlic plus a little cilantro are used to flavor the jalapeno cilantro sauce.
• Chicken bouillon: This is added to the sauce to boost the savory flavors.
• Sour cream and cream cheese: These give a nice tangy flavor to the sauce.
• Lean ground beef: Cooked to make the crumbled beef to top our totopos.
• Seasonings for the beef: I like to use my own blend to season the meat using a combination of chili powder, cumin, Slap Ya Mama®, garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika. Feel free to adjust the quantities of any of them to your own tastes.
• Shredded Colby jack cheese: My preference for cheese when making nachos. Feel free to use your favorite such as Monterey Jack cheese, Pepper Jack, sharp cheddar cheese or nacho cheese.

For actual measurements and a complete list of ingredients, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

Variations

• Skip the homemade totopos. If you simply don’t have the time you can use regular tortilla chips too!
• Swap the ground beef. You cna use chorizo in place of ground beef for a bit more heat and slightly different flavor. If you’re looking for a leaner option, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken.
• Add some beans. If you love beans you can add some refried beans before adding the beef on top. They also make a great vegetarian version if you want to skip the beef.
• Use a different type of meat. You can also use leftover steak, shredded pork, or pulled chicken for topping your nachos.
• Mix and match toppings. Make your nachos how you want them by adding salsa, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, sliced jalapenos, sliced green onions, diced red onions, chopped tomatoes, or sliced black olives on top.

How to Make Totopos Nachos

At first glance, you might think this is a difficult recipe to make, but in reality, it’s very easy when you break it down. Just go step by step, and you’ll find that you have delicious nachos in no time.

To get started, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

1. Step 1: Cook the Vegetables For the Sauce. Cook the jalapenos, serrano peppers, tomatillos, garlic cloves, and onion slices in a large frying pan over medium heat with olive oil.
2. Step 2: Puree the Creamy Jalapeno Sauce. Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender and puree. Last, add the cilantro, chicken bouillon, sour cream, and cream cheese, and mix until blended. 
3. Step 3: Make the Beef Mixture. Cook the ground beef and onion in a large pan until the beef is completely cooked and the onions are tender. Drain the grease off, return the meat to the pan, and add the seasonings. Finally, add 1 cup of the cilantro sauce to the mixture and mix to combine.
4. Step 4: Make the Totopos. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cut the tortillas into 6 equal triangles and fry them in a single layer in the oil on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crispy. Place the chips on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil and season with salt.
5. Step 5: Assemble the Beef Totopos. Place the cooked totopos in a single layer on the baking sheet and top with the ground beef mixture and shredded cheese.
6. Step 6: Bake and Serve. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. Top with your favorite toppings and the remaining jalapeno cilantro sauce.