Chili’s nachos are a popular appetizer item on the Chili’s menu. They feature tortilla chips covered in beans, cheese, jalapeños, pico de gallo, guacamole, and your choice of chicken or ground beef. Nachos make for a tasty and filling snack or starter to a meal. But what exactly goes into a plate of Chili’s nachos? Here is a comprehensive breakdown of all the ingredients and components that make up this delicious appetizer.
Tortilla Chips
The base of Chili’s nachos begins with freshly fried tortilla chips. These corn chips provide the foundation and crunch for the toppings. Chili’s uses white corn tortillas that are cut into triangle shapes and fried until crispy. The chips are lightly salted and have a mild corn flavor. Their shape and sturdiness allow them to support generous portions of beans, cheese, and other toppings without getting soggy. The chips also provide texture contrast to the other soft, gooey, and juicy ingredients.
Refried Beans
On top of the tortilla chips, Chili’s ladles on a layer of hot refried beans. The refried beans are made from pinto beans that are cooked until very soft and then mashed. Chili’s adds spices like garlic, onion, cumin, and chili powder to bump up the flavor. The beans add protein while also acting as a “glue” to hold the other toppings in place. As the beans cool down, they thicken to help adhere the layers of chips, cheese, etc. The creamy, smooth texture contrasts nicely with the crunch of the chips.
Cheese
No nacho plate would be complete without melted cheese! Chili’s uses a Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese blend for their nachos. The Monterey Jack has a mild, buttery flavor that melts smoothly. The cheddar provides a sharper, more pronounced cheese taste. Together, they create gooey, stringy cheese that blankets the chips and beans. Chili’s is generous with the cheese, making sure every chip gets covered. As the cheese melts, it binds the ingredients together into cheesy nacho goodness.
Jalapeños
To spice things up, Chili’s nachos are topped with freshly sliced jalapeño peppers. Jalapeños provide a punch of heat and flavor. They have a crisp texture and their spiciness helps cut through the richness of the beans and cheese. The jalapeño slices are scattered throughout the nachos. You get a nice hit of heat and acidity when you bite into them. The level of jalapeños can be adjusted based on your desired spiciness.
Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo is a fresh salsa made from chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and chiles. It provides a cooling, fresh contrast to the hot ingredients like beans and jalapeños. Chili’s makes their pico de gallo in-house daily using ripe Roma tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and serrano chiles. The tomatoes add sweetness while the onions and chiles provide flavor. The lime brightens up the nachos with acidity and the cilantro gives it a fresh, herbal note. Pico de gallo also adds some extra texture with its chunky pieces.
Guacamole
For extra richness, Chili’s tops their nachos with fresh, homemade guacamole. Their guac is made with ripe Hass avocados that are chopped and blended with onions, tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro. The avocado provides the signature creaminess of guacamole along with healthy fats. Spices like garlic and onion amp up the flavor while the tomatoes and lime add acidity to balance out the richness. Guacamole makes the nachos even more indulgent with its smooth, buttery texture and flavor.
Chicken or Ground Beef
To make the nachos a heartier appetizer, you can also add chili-rubbed chicken breast or seasoned ground beef. The chicken is grilled and diced, then seasoned with spices like garlic, paprika, oregano, and pepper. It provides extra protein as well as juiciness. The ground beef is seasoned with a blend of spices such as garlic, onion, pepper, paprika, and oregano. It is cooked until browned and crumbled for texture. The meat makes the nachos more filling and adds heartiness. You can also switch between chicken and ground beef to enjoy the different flavors.
Sour Cream
Chili’s serves their nachos with a creamy sour cream drizzle. The sour cream helps cool down the spicy heat of the jalapeños. Its rich, tangy flavor also cuts through the saltiness of the chips and cheese. Sour cream is a classic nacho accompaniment that adds moisture, fat, and a milky, tart contrast. A drizzle on top finishes off the nachos with even more over-the-top indulgence.
Signature Seasoning
To add an extra layer of flavor, Chili’s coats their nachos with their signature seasoning blend. This contains spices and herbs like garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, onion, black pepper, and chili powder. The seasoning amplifies the Tex-Mex flavors and gives the nachos an extra punch. It pulls together all the ingredients for a well-balanced and intensely savory flavor profile. Just a light sprinkle takes the nachos up a notch.
Conclusion
Chili’s loaded nachos make the perfect appetizer with their abundant layers of chips, beans, cheese, jalapeños, pico de gallo, guacamole, meat, sour cream, and seasoning. Each component builds on the others to create an irresistible Tex-Mex flavor bomb. The interplay of textures between crunchy chips, creamy guac and beans, gooey cheese, and meaty bits is what nacho dreams are made of! With quality ingredients and generous portions, Chili’s nachos are a can’t-miss way to start your meal. The next time you visit Chili’s, be sure to order these nachos stacked sky-high to get a taste of all their crave-worthy ingredients together in one fantastic appetizer.
Nutrition Information
Chili’s nachos are an indulgent appetizer, but here is some nutrition information for the different components:
Tortilla Chips
| Serving Size | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 chips (28g) | 150 | 7 | 18 | 2 |
– High in carbs and fat from being fried in oil
Refried Beans
| Serving Size | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 cup (124g) | 145 | 1 | 20 | 8 |
– Good source of plant-based protein and fiber
Cheese
| Serving Size | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup (28g) | 110 | 9 | 1 | 7 |
– High in saturated fat but also contains protein
Guacamole
| Serving Size | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 cup (122g) | 240 | 24 | 5 | 2 |
– High in fat from the avocados but it is monounsaturated fat
Chicken
| Serving Size | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 oz (85g) | 140 | 3 | 0 | 26 |
– Excellent source of lean protein
Ground Beef
| Serving Size | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 oz (85g) | 245 | 15 | 0 | 21 |
– Higher in fat and calories than chicken but still provides protein
Conclusion
While nachos do pack a lot of calories, fat, carbs, and sodium, eating them in moderation as an appetizer can be part of a healthy diet. The protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in ingredients like beans, tomatoes, and avocados provide some nutritional benefit as well. Just be mindful of portion sizes! Enjoy Chili’s nachos as a tasty indulgence now and then without going overboard.