Sheet-Pan Brisket Nachos

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Every chip gets covered. Building these nachos in two full layers — chips, warm queso, chopped brisket, cheese, repeat — means there's no sad bare tortilla chip hiding at the bottom of the pan. A five-minute stovetop queso does the heavy lifting, and leftover smoked brisket, pot roast, or store-bought barbacoa all work beautifully. Out of the oven in 12 minutes, gone in about the same.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk, warmed
• 8 oz sharp cheddar, freshly grated
• 4 oz American cheese or white Velveeta, torn or cubed
• 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles, drained
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

• 1 lb cooked brisket or barbacoa, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce or reserved braising juices
• 2 tbsp water or beef broth
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 12 oz sturdy restaurant-style tortilla chips
• 8 oz Monterey Jack, freshly grated
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño slices

• 1 cup pico de gallo, drained
• 1/2 cup sour cream, thinned with 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and set a rack in the upper third. Line a rimmed half-sheet pan (18x13 inches) with foil or parchment for easy cleanup.
2. Make the queso: melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 60 to 90 seconds, until it smells faintly nutty but has taken on no color. Slowly stream in the warm milk while whisking constantly, then cook 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens to the consistency of heavy cream.
3. Reduce heat to low. Add the cheddar and American cheese a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding more — this keeps the sauce smooth. Stir in the green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. It should coat a spoon thickly but still pour. If it stiffens, whisk in warm milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Pull off the heat and cover.
4. Warm the brisket: combine the chopped brisket, barbecue sauce, water, and smoked paprika in a skillet over medium heat. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until hot and glossy with no puddle of liquid left in the pan. Taste and season with salt.
5. Build layer one: spread half the tortilla chips across the sheet pan in a single overlapping layer. Drizzle with about half the queso, scatter over half the brisket, half the black beans, half the pickled jalapeños, and about 1/3 of the Monterey Jack.
6. Build layer two: repeat with the remaining chips, queso, brisket, beans, and jalapeños, finishing with the rest of the Monterey Jack. Push any bare chips toward the center and spoon a little queso over them — no naked chips.
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling and the chip edges are toasted. For extra browning, broil on high for 60 to 90 seconds, watching constantly.
8. Let the pan rest 2 minutes, then top with pico de gallo, drizzles of lime sour cream, avocado, cilantro, scallions, and crumbled queso fresco. Serve straight from the pan with lime wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem