The Origins Of A Mexican Classic — Nachos

It’s Hispanic Heritage month and we are looking at all the ways we can celebrate. One of our favorite ways of celebrating culture is by making delicious recipes of foods and snacks like the classic Mexican nachos!

We love stacking a tortilla chip with meat, cheese, guacamole, diced veggies and more!

Many may think that nachos are an Americanized Mexican dish, but in reality, nachos first made an appearance in the small city of Piedras Negras in Coahuila, Mexico.

This small Northern Mexican city had a chef by the name of Ignacio Anaya, who owned a restaurant. In 1943, a group of women from Eagle Pass, Texas came in looking for something to eat and he decided to make a dish using his leftover ingredients. This was how the nacho was created.

Fun fact: Nacho is a nickname for Ignacio meaning the dish is named after the chef who invented it.

The original nacho was quite simple. Instead of being made in layers, it was multiple individual chips each topped with colby cheese and pickled jalepenos then baked in the oven.

When Ignacio served this dish to the women, they were pleasantly surprised and he eventually went on to open up a restaurant in Eagle Pass, Texas, which closely bordered Mexico and served his classic nacho dish.

Since then nachos have become a staple in many restaurants and were branded as a grab and go meal seen at sporting events and movie theaters.

Now a days, it is also layered with tons of different proteins, vegetables and sauces like beef, chicken, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and much more!

If you want to make a quick version of this dish, follow the steps below.

Recipes

First, make sure to preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
The most important part of nachos, is making the tortilla chips fresh. Take 10 fresh corn tortillas and cut them in half. Then, cut each half into thirds creating triangular pieces.
Heat a shallow pan of oil on medium low heat and allow to warm. Once ready, add the tortillas in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
Allow the tortillas to cook for about 20 seconds per side and set aside on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Prepare your protein of choice. I decided to make a mince seasoned with adobo, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, black pepper and some cayenne pepper for added spice. Cook your protein accordingly and set aside.
Another important aspect of great nachos is freshly grated cheese. Grab as much cheese as you’d like (I used about 12-16oz) and grate. Set aside.
Next, prep any of the vegetables you are using. I finely chopped up 1/2 of a white onion and thinly sliced two jalapeños (you can use more for added spice). Set aside.
Now, you can layer. Add a layer of chips to a baking sheet or dish. Top with your protein. I also added onions. Top with cheese. (I saved all of my jalapeños for the top, but you can layer this as well.) Repeat until you are out of ingredients making sure to top with cheese at the end.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melty.
Top with your favorite toppings (I just used sour cream), serve and enjoy!