50+ Fun & Unique Nacho Toppings List

This is not just another popular nacho toppings list. This is a list of unique and creative nacho toppings ideas that will allow you to discover new amazing flavors. All tested in my kitchen and loved by my family and guests!

I´ve included some easy classics, as well as unconventional nacho toppings ideas that you must try. From Mexican shredded chicken and pickled red onion to Thai mango salsa and Lebanese spiced ground beef, you’ll want to taste them all.

Popular Nacho Toppings

Birria de Res

Try this traditional Mexican shredded beef from this delicious Birria Queso Tacos recipe. It pairs perfectly with melted cheese, onions, cilantro, and green peppers.

Chipotle Peppers

Instead of pickled jalapeño peppers, try adding chipotle peppers to your favorite nacho toppings. Chipotle chili peppers are dried and smoked jalapeños made by smoking them over pecan wood for several days. Their intensely smoky, spicy flavor is an excellent addition to meats, cheese, and beans.

Mexican Shredded Chicken or Tinga de Pollo

This aromatic shredded chicken cooked in a spicy tomato sauce with loads of onions and chipotle is absolutely killer. I love pairing it with swiss cheese or Monterey jack.

Avocado

A nacho toppings ideas list wouldn’t be complete without avocado. Whether it’s diced, in the form of guacamole, or tossed in lemon juice and salt, I believe that avocado is a crucial nachos ingredient.

Black Beans

Instead of classic refried beans, try black beans or even turning these Cuban Black Beans into refried beans. Mash half of the beans and adjust the water amount to get a perfect consistency.

Homemade Chili

Another classic nacho topping. I bet you’ve dipped tortilla chips in chili before. But freshly baked cheesy nachos topped with chili are heavenly good.

Salsa Verde

This is a classic Mexican hot sauce with a mild hotness level. It’s got to be one of my favorite sauces of all time and an indispensable nacho topping.

Pernil or Pork Carnitas

This is one of Puerto Rico’s most famous. It’s a juicy roasted pork shoulder marinated in adobo mojado which consists of salt, garlic, black pepper, and olive oil. Shred it into pulled pork and top off your nachos with this tender meat, some diced avocado, pico de gallo, and cheese for a mouth-watering experience.

Chopped Cilantro or Parsley

Cilantro or fresh coriander is a typical Mexican aromatic, but fresh parsley is a great substitute. Sprinkle it on top of your oven-baked nachos or add it to salsa or pico de gallo.

All Sorts of Melted Cheese

This is your invitation to experiment with your favorite cheeses. Whether that’s feta, Swiss cheese, gruyere, provolone, cheddar, or Rochefort, any cheese is good melted on tortilla chips.

Cochinita Pibil

A slow-roasted pulled pork dish of Yucatec Mayan origin. It uses achiote paste in the marinade which gives the meat a smoky flavor and gorgeous red color. This is a traditional taco filling in Mexico, but it´s delish on cheesy nachos as well.

Cuban Mojo Chicken

You’ve got to try this Cuban Mojo Chicken from this taco recipe. Mojo is one of my favorite ways to marinate meat – citrus juice, garlic, and salt are the stars here. Try adding mango, avocado, cilantro, and purple onion after baking. So good!

Picadillo

A flavorful ground meat dish popular throughout Latin America, Spain, and the Philippines. The spices vary per country, but my favorite is the Mexican version with lime juice, honey, and chili peppers. I’d leave out the potatoes, but that’s just my preference.

Corn

Fresh corn off the cob or from a can adds a delicious sweetness to nachos. The combo of corn tortilla chips with melted cheese and sweet corn kernels is delightful.

Ground Turkey

This is another popular meat choice for nachos. Try cooking it with some bell peppers, tomatoes, and Mexican spices and herbs such as chipotle, cilantro, onions, oregano, and lime.

Lettuce

A little freshness and crunch are always good to balance out the potent flavors of other nacho toppings. I love adding lettuce to steak nachos.

Sour Cream

A classic nacho topping that couldn’t be left out of this list. You can choose vegan sour cream for a dairy-free option or try Greek yogurt for a low-fat alternative.

Jalapeño Cheese Sauce

We’ve all grown to love that cheesy queso sauce served over tortilla chips at baseball games. But making your own at home is so easy and rewarding. Take this recipe for cheese sauce and add some chopped pickled jalapeños. You can use any cheese you’d like, we have a whole list of the best cheese for nachos.

Salsa Taquera

Who doesn’t love this classic Mexican taco sauce? It’s a must-have topping or side for dolloping on top of loaded nachos.

Steak

Cutting barbecue steak or any leftover steak into bite-sized pieces and turning it into nachos is a fantastic way to give your steak a second life.

Pico de Gallo

This classic fresh Mexican salsa is so easy to make and one of our household favorites. It’s like it was made for corn tortilla chips.

Shrimp

If you love shrimp, you’ve got to try them on nachos. Whether they’re grilled or tossed in harissa, shrimp is an excellent protein choice for your game night nachos.

Chipotle Mayo

Instead of sour cream, try adding some tasty chipotle mayo to your freshly baked nachos.

Spring Onions

Spring onions or scallions are an excellent mildly spicy option for those who want to keep the hotness meter on the lower side. They also add a nice crunch and freshness.

Jalapeños

Melted cheese and jalapeños are the two original and indispensable nacho toppings. Every other nacho topping is simply enhancing the nacho experience, but jalapeños and melted cheese lay out the foundation.

Lime or Lemon Juice

Need a little bit of tanginess in your nacho recipe? Squeeze some fresh lime or lemon juice over the baked tortilla chips.

Vegetarian Nacho Toppings

Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

If you love caramelized onions, you have to try them on nachos. They pair especially well with sautéed mushrooms and garlic.

Israeli Salad

This fresh and crunchy salad is similar to pico de gallo, but with cucumbers, fresh parsley, and extra virgin olive oil. It’s an excellent fresh veggie topping idea for nachos.

Sofritas

Thanks to the popular Chipotle chain, a lot of people now associate sofritas with a shredded tofu dish cooked in a peppery sauce. It’s a great vegetarian option and so appetizing on nachos. You can try this sofritas copycat recipe here.

Quick Pickled Red Onions

It only takes 30 minutes to make pickled onions and they’re so much tastier than regular fresh onions. Totally worth the effort. Try this recipe here and experiment with adding more spices and herbs such as peppercorns or bay leaves.

Mango Salsa

Mango is a great sweet and tropical addition to nachos. This mango salsa is like pico de gallo but with mangos. Delicious!

Black Beans and Feta Cheese

I know we already mentioned black beans, but an amazing vegetarian nacho recipe is black beans and feta cheese. Baked in the oven with caramelized onions and topped with guac, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

Grilled Vegetables

I love grilled vegetables with oregano and thyme, and they’re scrumptious with melted cheese and totopos. So healthy and colorful too.

Unique Nacho Toppings

Fried Fish and Tartar Sauce

I know this one sounds a bit out there, but trust me, fish and chips with a Mexican twist are so good. Instead of British “chips”, use tortilla chips or homemade totopos. Bake your cheesy nachos with hunks of battered cod, and top them off with creamy tartar sauce, and a squeeze of lemon juice before serving. Delish!

Thai Green Mango Salad

This sweet and sour fresh salad with a kick of chili is perfect as a salsa for tortilla chips. Made with green or unripe mango, red bell peppers, toasted peanuts, and more, and coated in an addicting sweet and sour umami-rich dressing. It´s so good on hot nachos with shredded chicken and mozzarella.

Grilled Pineapple

If you like pineapple on pizza, you’ll love pineapple on nachos. Add it fresh or grill it for an extra yum factor.

Breaded Fried Camembert with Cranberry Sauce

Bake fried camembert pieces with fresh tortilla chips and then drizzle cranberry sauce on top. Ooey gooey cheese heaven, and a Czech twist on traditional nachos.

Salmon en Papillote

This French recipe bakes the salmon wrapped in parchment paper or foil and coated in herbs, citrus fruits, and vegetables, resulting in the most tender, fall-apart salmon you’ve ever tasted. Break it up into pieces and bake it with cheesy nachos for a real feast.

Watermelon Salsa

Similar to pineapple or mango, the fresh sweet taste of watermelon perfectly complements crunchy totopos with melted cheese. Ideal for summer nachos at a cook-out or garden party!

Lebanese Spiced Ground Beef

Take the filling from this beef arayes recipe and you’ve got yourself a Lebanese spiced ground beef that is a delicious protein choice for nachos.

Greek Nachos

Make Greek loaded nachos by baking your tortilla chips or pita chips with souvlaki, black olives, and feta. Top them with tomatoes, lettuce, pickled onion, bell peppers, and even hummus. Yum!

Tzatziki or Raita

Both are aromatic yogurt sauces that go a step further than your typical sour cream. Plus, they’re lower in fat but higher in taste. Tzatziki is made with Greek yogurt, garlic, mint, and olive oil, and raita is made with any whole milk yogurt and has more spices.

Fatayer Meat

Take the ground beef filling from this Fatayer recipe and you´ve got yourself another delicious version of ground beef to level up your nachos.

Quick Marinated Tomatoes

Instead of simply chopping tomatoes, make quick marinated tomatoes by mixing your tomatoes with garlic, onion, herbs, vinegar, olive oil, and honey, and let them sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour. A yummy addition to any nacho recipe.

Lamb Esfirra

Try the minced lamb filling from this delectable Brazilian meat pie. It’s packed with aromatic spices and herbs and oh so satisfying.

Crispy Prosciutto

Quickly broil some prosciutto pieces in the oven and crumble them over nachos. It’s so yummy with refried beans, guacamole, and salsa.

Homemade Fermented Sriracha

I love adding hot sauce to pretty much any meal and nachos are no exception. Sriracha’s palatable sweet and spicy bouquet is delish with chicken or steak nachos.

Chorizo

Whether we’re talking Spanish cured and dried chorizo or Mexican fresh sausage chorizo that you cook before eating, this flavorful meat is a great nacho topping.

Butter chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Another unconventional nacho topping that’s surprisingly good. This popular Indian dish is a favorite in England. The golden chicken pieces and incredible curry sauce are delicious not only over basmati rice but also with fresh totopos. A great idea for leftover Indian food.

Chicken Shawarma

Since we’re going global with the toppings, I couldn’t leave out this popular Middle Eastern dish. Plus, it’s already the perfect cut for adding to nachos!

Fried Eggplant

Just like they complete a good falafel in a pita or shawarma, fried eggplant will add flavor and texture to your nachos. It’s so good with shawarma meat.

Fried Egg

Turn your nachos into a breakfast meal by making huevos rancheros, but with nacho chips. Melt some cheddar on fresh tortilla chips, fry onions, tomatoes, and chili, and top off with some eggs sunny side up. Enjoy this savory brekkie packed with protein.

Fried Sweet Plantain

I love fried plantains and yes, they´re incredibly good on nachos. Try them with black refried beans, melted Colby cheese, and avocado.

Pastrmajlija

This cured ham topped with eggs is an unconventional nacho topping idea that’s also perfect as breakfast nachos. Add some shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle fresh cilantro and bell peppers to garnish.

Adana Kebab

A popular skewered meat dish from Turkey, named after one of their most famous cities. It’s made with ground lamb and tail fat, kneaded together with onion, garlic, paprika, and hot red pepper flakes. It has a deep red color and spicy flavor that both looks and tastes amazing on nachos.

I’m sure you found plenty of enticing ideas in our extensive nacho toppings list to level up your nachos game. Who doesn’t love nachos, right? They’re so deliciously satisfying and they’re a great way to bring people together. I mean, there’s something so special about sharing a tasty plate of nachos with your friends and family. I hope these cool nacho toppings will inspire you to make nachos more often. Buen provecho!