Tortilla Chip Mexican Pizza

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Use crushed tortilla chips and leftover taco meat for this simple Tortilla Chip Mexican Pizza. Serve with fresh salsa and a dollop of sour cream for a quick family meal. 

Our family had so much taco meat leftover from our Taco Tuesday night. I’m not a huge fan of leftovers, and even though I love tacos, eating the leftover meat can be a chore.

When the kids were little, their grandma made what she called Tortilla Chip Mexican Pizza or AKA Baked Nachos. It’s a great “leftovers recipe” I think you’ll love it as much as we do.

mexican pizza with jalapenos

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • the delicious crunch of the tortilla chips
  • the unforgettable taco seasoning
  • the gooey cheese topping
  • only about 5 minutes bake time
  • an easy weeknight dinner

Leftovers Meal

I don’t like wasting food, so I’m always creating recipes that use up little bits and pieces of ingredients we have in the pantry. I save the crumbs from the tortilla chip bags and always keep the small amounts of taco meat we have leftover from taco night. When we have enough of each, I make this easy mexican pizza.

taco meat in a cast iron skillet

How to Make Mexican Pizza with Tortilla Chips

  • If you are making this from scratch, brown up some ground beef with your favorite taco seasoning. If you don’t have a favorite taco seasoning, you can try out our Homemade Taco Seasoning. Add an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce to the taco meat and heat through. The sauce helps the meat “stick” to the chips.
  • Cover a pizza pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. This will make for an easy cleanup.  
  • Gather some crushed tortilla chips. You do not want them smooshed into tortilla-chip dust. You can kind of tell in my pictures that you want a nice bite size. Spread ½ the bag of tortilla chips on the covered pan and save the rest for later.
  • On top of the tortilla chips, spread half the taco meat, then sprinkle on 2 cups of cheese. Then, use the other half of the tortilla chips, the rest of the taco meat (are you seeing a pattern here?) , and the remaining two cups of cheese. Plus a little more for good measure if you are a cheese lover like me!
overhead shot of unbaked tortilla chip pizza
  • Broil on high for about 5 to 6 minutes. Watch it closely so it doesn’t burn.

Mexican Pizza Toppings

I like to add a little bit of Pico de Gallo, salsa verde and sour cream on top. You can also add jalapeno slices, fresh tomatoes, cilantro and guacamole.

overhead shot of taco meat and tortilla bake
overhead shot of taco meat and tortilla bake

Tortilla Chip Mexican Pizza

4.79 from 14 votes
Use crushed tortilla chips and leftover taco meat for this simple Tortilla Chip Mexican Pizza. Serve with fresh salsa and a dollop of sour cream for a quick family meal. 
Servings 12 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 11 ounces tortilla chips slightly crushed
  • 2 pounds ground beef browned
  • 2 taco seasoning packets (about 5 tablespoons taco seasoning)
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble the ground beef. Drain off any fat.
  • Add the taco seasoning according to packet directions. Add tomato sauce and heat through.
  • Cover an 11×17" rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 
  • Layer half the tortilla chips, half of the ground beef mixture, and half the cheese. 
  • Repeat layers. 
  • Broil on low for 5-6 minutes, watching closely, until cheese is melted.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite taco toppings.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1/12 of the pan. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 476IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 328mg | Iron: 3mg
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Calories 417
Keyword cinco de mayo, mexican recipes

This was originally published on May 9, 2013 and updated on March 16, 2021.

What to Serve with Mexican Pizza

Want to make this into a complete meal? Try one of these side dishes.

About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Donna Clark
10 years ago

Yum………..looks slightly familiar!

Love, The Artist Grandma

Norma Wires
10 years ago

Hi Maddie! When Grandpa & I have tacos we always have meat left over — unless you guys are here with us! So next time I’ll have to try this recipe. It really looks good! Love, Grandma W