# The Best Nachos You’ll Ever Make (Restaurant-Quality) | Epicurious 101 Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y73TVwFFNsE Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/Y73TVwFFNsE Generated: 2026-02-04T17:36:24.01+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Chef Saúl Montiel demonstrates how to make restaurant-quality, non-baked nachos by layering crispy tortilla chips with homemade refried black beans, melted Monterey Jack cheese, and topping them with fresh pico de gallo, avocado salsa, Mexican crema, queso fresco, and pickled jalapeños to achieve a complex balance of textures and flavors. **Key Points:** - The key to great nachos is layering ingredients (chips, beans, cheese) rather than piling them, ensuring every chip has toppings and remains crispy. - The black beans are prepared by sautéing onions, garlic, epazote, and serrano pepper, then adding the beans and water, simmering until thick, and mashing to create a rich sauce. - The queso layer is a melted Monterey Jack/Oaxaca cheese blend mixed with heavy cream to create a creamy, runny texture, which is then spread over a layer of chips and beans. - Toppings include fresh pico de gallo (diced tomato, onion, cilantro, lime, salt), spicy Chile de Árbol Salsa, creamy Avocado Salsa, crumbled Queso Fresco, and pickled jalapeños. - The layering technique prevents sogginess; the chips should be crisp, so the creamy cheese layer is added before the final fresh toppings. - Chef Montiel emphasized that authentic Mexican nachos should not be baked, unlike many Americanized versions. ![Screenshot at 00:09: The finished nachos are shown in a cast iron skillet, demonstrating the final, fully layered product topped with white crumbled cheese, pico de gallo, and cilantro, emphasizing the rich texture.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Y73TVwFFNsE/00-00-09.jpg) **Context:** Chef Saúl Montiel, owner/chef of La Única Tacos y Tequila, presents a tutorial on creating authentic, restaurant-quality nachos without baking them. Montiel, who is from Central Mexico, highlights that traditional nachos emphasize layering and textural contrast, avoiding the common pitfall of soggy chips that results from baking or improper layering. ## Detailed Analysis Chef Saúl Montiel provides a detailed method for making superior nachos, focusing on fresh ingredients and strategic layering. The process begins with preparing the refried black beans: sautéing onions, garlic, epazote, and a serrano pepper in vegetable oil to release aromatics. The pre-soaked black beans are added along with water and simmered until thick, then mashed to achieve a rich sauce consistency, explicitly avoiding over-mashing to retain texture. Separately, a creamy cheese sauce is made by melting Monterey Jack/Oaxaca cheese family cheese with heavy cream until it is running but not too thick. The assembly occurs in a cast iron skillet to retain heat. The layers proceed as follows: first, a base layer of crispy, store-bought tortilla chips (fried, not baked), followed by the refried beans, and then the melted cheese mixture. A second layer of chips is added, followed by more beans. The final layers are the fresh toppings: pico de gallo (diced tomato, onion, cilantro, lime, salt), a spicy Chile de Árbol Salsa, a creamy Avocado Salsa (made with avocado, onion, cilantro, lime), crumbled Queso Fresco, and pickled jalapeños. Montiel stresses that the chips must remain crispy, which is why the fresh toppings and the creamy cheese layer should not be baked underneath the chips, ensuring every bite offers a perfect balance of creamy, salty, spicy, fresh, and sour elements. ### Black Bean Preparation - Sauté onions, garlic, epazote, and serrano pepper in neutral oil; add pre-soaked black beans and water, simmer until thick, then mash slightly to create a rich sauce. ### Queso Layer - Melt shredded Monterey Jack/Oaxaca cheese family cheese with heavy cream in a skillet until it is melted and runny, ensuring it is not cooked too thick. ### Nachos Assembly - Layer chips in a cast iron skillet, top with beans, then the melted cheese mixture, followed by another layer of chips and more beans, keeping the chips crispy. ### Sauces and Toppings - Drizzle with spicy Chile de Árbol Salsa and creamy Avocado Salsa (made with avocado, onion, cilantro, lime, salt); top generously with Pico de Gallo, crumbled Queso Fresco, and pickled jalapeños. ### Final Presentation - The finished dish is served immediately, emphasizing that baking is avoided to maintain the crisp texture of the chips and the freshness of the toppings. ![Screenshot at 00:00: Chef Saúl Montiel introducing the ingredients, including a bag of shredded cheese and a bowl of tortilla chips.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Y73TVwFFNsE/00-00-00.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:10: A close-up of the finished nachos served in a cast iron skillet, showcasing the layered ingredients and generous toppings.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Y73TVwFFNsE/00-00-10.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:33: Overhead shot of the black beans simmering with aromatics \(serrano pepper and epazote leaves\) in a stainless steel pan.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Y73TVwFFNsE/00-00-33.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:50: The preparation of the melted cheese layer, showing shredded cheese being added to a frying pan.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Y73TVwFFNsE/00-02-50.jpg) ![Screenshot at 04:04: The assembly process begins with layering chips into the cast iron skillet, already containing some cheese and bean mixture.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Y73TVwFFNsE/00-04-04.jpg)