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Home » Recipes » Puffy Nachos

Puffy Nachos

Published: Feb 3, 2021 · Modified: Jun 10, 2022

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upclose view of a nacho

Puffy Nachos have such a cult following here in Texas, but I am not sure if non-Texans would understand. The moment when I decided I was a food lover probably started with Puffy Nachos. Mainly offered in restaurants, they are darn easy to make at home (handy to have this recipe in these days when we can’t get out much!…)

Top Them However You Like!

I’m showing these Puffy Nachos with way less toppings than I usually use, because I wanted you to see them. Usually I enjoy them buried under cheese, salsa or onions. If you make a batch of Texas chile con carne, Puffy Nachos are a great side dish.

topping suggestion for nachos
Cilantro, avocado, onions, crumbled cheese and tomatoes are good toppings!

The best way to make Puffy Nachos is to place your tortilla press right next to your frying area. I don’t recommend making all the uncooked dough triangles in advance of frying. The dough is quite delicate and will fall apart if you try to make all of them in advance of frying. Press out a single tortilla at a time, which will then become 6 nachos once the tortilla is cut. You will have to fry your nachos in batches of six.

tray of puffy nachos
Naked, but Delicious!

Great for Football Season!

But as we are approaching football season Puffy Nachos are the ultimate game-time snack. Once they are fried, they can be held in a warm oven for about an hour while you put together your buffet of toppings. Hopefully they will last that long – they seem to disappear quickly!

My favorite way to enjoy Puffy Nachos is alongside a grilled Tampiqueña steak and a mountain of guacamole. Oh, and a beer! Some of my favorite Mexican restaurants balance a couple of these puffy delights on top of the refried beans, which is like getting gift when it isn’t your birthday. So delicious and crispy, you will think you died and went to Texas!

pile of puffy nachos
Yum!
water pouring into bowl of tortilla mix
Add the water to the tortilla mix
hand kneading dough
Knead the dough briefly
portions of tortilla dough
Roll the dough into 8 portions
uncooked tortilla in press
Press the dough and cut into 6 triangles
frying nachos
Frying the nachos

Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Recipes, Sides, Tacos, Enchiladas, Tostadas Tagged With: appetizer, corn, nachos, puffy, tortilla, tortillas

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Comments

  1. Mike

    October 30, 2021 at 9:32 pm

    I air fried flour tortillas and they did not puff they were good but they did not puff what is the reason And how do I get them to puff

    Reply
    • Melissa Guerra

      October 31, 2021 at 4:12 pm

      Hey there! Flour tortillas only puff when you use the raw dough. If yours were cooked, they must have turned into chips, which are good too. You need corn tortilla dough for nachos. Air fryers don’t really work for puffy nachos. But you can make good chips!

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Melissa Guerra! I live on a working cattle ranch with my husband, who is a rancher and artist. We have 3 grown kids, 3 dogs and a 34 year old macaw named Pepito...

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