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–+ servings
Sheet pan vegan nachos topped with queso and sausage.

Loaded Vegan Nachos (they're epic!)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Tracy Halasz

Ingredients

For the Nachos:

  • 1 bag restaurant style tortilla chips (or corn chips)
  • 2-4 Gardein vegan chipotle sausages, crumbled
  • 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups vegan cheese, mozzarella or jalapeno Jack

Optional Toppings (choose a few or all!):

  • 1 ½ cups queso cheese sauce
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped or sliced
  • 1 cup pico de gallo
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 3-4 green onions, sliced
  • 2 jalapeños, sliced or pickled jalapeño
  • 1 cup black olives, sliced
  • 1-2 guacamole or diced avocado
  • corn, canned, frozen or grilled
  • dairy free sour cream
  • cilantro, chopped
  • lime wedges

Instructions

For the Nachos

  • Preheat oven to 350º F. Cover baking sheet with parchment for easy clean up.
  • Tear 3-4 links of Gardein chipotle sausage into chunks (or vegan meat of choice). The Gardein sausages do not need to be precooked.
  • Drain, rinse and pat black beans dry.
  • Layering: Arrange a single layer of tortilla chips on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle over half the grated cheese, half the black beans, and half the vegan sausage meat.
  • Repeat layering: Add more chips then sprinkle the remaining cheese, black beans and vegan sausage crumbles.
  • Time to bake: Bake for ~15 minutes until the cheese is melty and the chips are crisp. Remove from the oven. Careful that the tortilla chips don't burn.

Optional Toppings

  • Prep the toppings and cheese sauce: While the nachos are baking, prepare the toppings and make the queso cheese sauce.
  • The queso can be made several days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.

Putting it all Together

  • Right before serving, drizzle the baked nachos liberally with vegan queso and toppings of choice. Serve with extra toppings, sour cream, salsa and queso on the side along with lime wedges and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Notes

Vegan or not: You don't have to be vegan to love these nachos, they are so flavorful, crunchy, and filling that absolutely everyone lines up for seconds!
Nacho Cheese Sauce: This dairy free queso recipe is unbelievable - so much flavor and so easy to make! Highly recommend - plus you can make it a few days in advance. Use a store bought vegan cheese sauce if needed.
Nacho Toppings: Chop and prepare the toppings of your choice while the nachos are baking. Use store bought salsa and guacamole if you're pressed for time.
Baking the Nachos: Some brands of vegan cheese are tricky to melt, the lower temperature for longer time in the oven helps melt the cheese and also perfectly crisps the tortilla chips without burning. But keep your eyes on the nachos just in case!
Serve Immediately: Nachos are best served hot and crunchy straight out of the oven. Add the toppings right away so your guests can dig in or serve the toppings on the side so everyone can customize their own vegan nachos. 
Storing and Reheating: Store any leftover nachos in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer or in the oven @350º F until heated through.