Spicy Shrimp Nachos are the perfect snack for your football party. Topped with a spicy pepperjack cheese sauce, black beans, avocado, and tomato – they are so delicious!
I know that I said potato skins were the ultimate football food last week but… I think I’ve changed my mind. Nachos! Nachos are definitely the ultimate football food – with potato skins as a close second.
I’ve been on this weird shrimp kick lately which isn’t very convenient since I, you know, live in the desert and all. But anyway, it’s pretty much all I’ve wanted to eat lately so when I decided to make nachos, I knew that they had to have shrimp on top!
These nachos never stood a chance with my husband and I.
We didn’t even get plates. We just stood over the baking sheet, stuffing our faces.
How To Make Spicy Shrimp Nachos
This looks like a lot of ingreients and a lot of steps but I promise it is all worth it!
- Marinate peeled and deveined shrimp in a simple marinade of chili powder, cumin, salt, lime juice, and olive oil for at least 30 minutes
- Cook shrimp until cooked through – they will be pink and opaque once cooked; set aside
- Make the cheese sauce by sauteeing onion, jalapeno, and garlic
- Once the veggies have softened, add cream cheese and pepper jack cheese; stir until melted and smooth
- Layer tortilla chips, cheese sauce, shrimp and black beans on a baking sheet
- Broil until cheese is bubbly
- Top hot nachos with diced tomato, green onions, and avocado
- Serve immediately
Can You Make Spicy Shrimp Nachos Ahead?
No, I don’t recommend making Spicy Shrimp Nachos ahead of time. They’ll be soggy and gross.
However, you can prep parts of the recipe. The cheese sauce can be made ahead but will need to be heated again before being spread over the tortilla chips. Just store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It should be good for a couple days. You can also store any extra cheese sauce this way.
You could also cook the shrimp ahead of time, as well. I would take the chill off of them before layering them with the other ingredients but don’t heat them too long or they will get rubbery.
What Other Toppings Can I Use?
You can use whatever toppings you like! These are my favorite but you can use sour cream, pickles jalapenos, fresh cilantro, salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo! Whatever you enjoy on your nachos.
More Nachos Recipes
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Spicy Shrimp Nachos
adapted from Barbells and Bellinis
Ingredients
For the shrimp:
- 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
For the cheese sauce:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and membrane removed and minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
- 12 ounces of pepper jack cheese, shredded
For the nachos:
- 1 bag of tortilla chips
- 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 3 green onions, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, salt, and lime juice. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- When ready to cook, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain shrimp and discard marinade. Add shrimp to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp is bright pink and opaque, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- To make cheese sauce, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeño; sauté until onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream cheese and stir until completely melted. Add in shredded pepper jack cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Keep over super low heat while you prepare the nachos.
- To prepare nachos, turn broiler on.
- Spread a layer of tortilla chips on a baking sheet and top with half of the cheese sauce and shrimp. Sprinkle half of the black beans on top. Put another layer of tortilla chips, the rest of the cheese sauce and shrimp, and the rest of the beans. Broil until cheese is bubbly.
- Top with tomato, green onions, and avocado.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 546Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 1116mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 30g
Stephanie says
This looks so incredible, it makes me wish that my husband and kids liked shrimp as much as I do.