Delicious Nachos in a Bag

Remember those school field trips where everyone brought their own lunch? For me, it was always a sandwich and chips – until the day my friend showed up with nachos in a bag. I’d never seen anything like it before. She just crushed up some Doritos right in the bag, added toppings, and dug in with a fork.

Like my friend’s lunchtime innovation, this recipe is all about keeping things simple and fun. No plates needed, barely any prep work required. It’s basically a walking taco that you can make in minutes, and the cleanup is as easy as tossing the bag in the trash.

What Kind of Doritos Should I Use?

While Nacho Cheese Doritos are the classic choice for this fun recipe, you’ve actually got several tasty options that work great. Regular Doritos come in flavors like Cool Ranch, Spicy Sweet Chili, and Spicy Nacho that could each bring their own twist to the dish. If you’re feeding a crowd, you might want to offer a mix of flavors so everyone can pick their favorite. Just make sure you’re using fresh, unbroken chips – the small individual bags suggested in this recipe are perfect since they keep the chips from getting crushed before you’re ready to serve. If you’re watching your heat level, stick with the original Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch, but if you want to kick things up, the Spicy Nacho or Flamin’ Hot varieties can add an extra punch.

Options for Substitutions

This fun recipe is super adaptable and easy to customize based on what you have on hand:

• Doritos: While Doritos give this dish its signature taste, you can use other corn chips like Fritos, Tostitos, or even plain tortilla chips. Each variety will bring its own unique flavor to the mix.
• Ground beef: Feel free to swap the beef with ground turkey, chicken, or even plant-based crumbles for a vegetarian version. If using turkey or chicken, you might want to add a splash of olive oil when cooking since they’re leaner.
• Taco seasoning: Out of taco seasoning? Make your own with chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of oregano. Or use fajita seasoning as a quick substitute.
• Colby Jack cheese: Any melting cheese works great here – try cheddar, Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, or even pepper jack for extra kick.
• Black/pinto beans: These beans are interchangeable, or you can use kidney beans, refried beans, or skip them altogether if you’re not a bean fan.
• Salsa: Any style of salsa works – red, green, chunky, or smooth. You can even use pico de gallo or hot sauce mixed with diced tomatoes.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest challenge when making nachos in a bag is preventing the chips from getting soggy – always make sure your meat mixture and beans are well-drained and not too wet before adding them to the chips. A common mistake is crushing the chips too finely at the start; instead, give them just a gentle crush while they’re still in the bag, leaving some larger pieces for better texture. When it comes to the beef, don’t skip draining it after browning, as excess grease can make your chips unpleasantly greasy and limp. For the best experience, serve and eat these right after assembling – letting them sit too long will result in sad, soggy chips that nobody wants. If you’re serving these at a party, consider setting up a “nacho bar” where guests can assemble their own bags, keeping all ingredients separate until the last minute.

What to Serve With Walking Tacos?

These fun, portable nachos in a bag (also called walking tacos) are already pretty much a complete meal, but you can definitely round them out with some tasty sides! Mexican street corn (elote) makes an awesome companion – just slather grilled corn with mayo, chili powder, and cotija cheese. A simple black bean and corn salad is another great option that’s super easy to make ahead and serve at parties or picnics. If you’re feeding a crowd, set up a DIY toppings bar with extra fresh ingredients like diced onions, jalapeños, and different salsas so everyone can customize their bag just how they like it.

Storage Instructions

Prep Ahead: Want to make nachos in a bag for a party or gathering? You can cook the taco meat mixture with beans up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, just warm up the meat mixture and assemble your bags. This makes party prep so much easier!

Keep Fresh: If you have leftover taco meat and bean mixture, pop it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store all your toppings separately – keep the lettuce, tomatoes, and other fresh ingredients in their own containers to maintain their crunch and freshness.

Assembly Tips: For the best experience, only assemble the bags right before eating – nobody likes soggy chips! If you’re taking these to a picnic or outdoor event, pack the warm meat mixture in a thermal container and bring the chips and toppings separately. This way, everyone can build their own fresh bag when they’re ready to eat.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	12-15 minutes
Total Time	22-30 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2500
• Protein: 140-160 g
• Fat: 120-140 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-220 g

Ingredients

• 8 small bags of doritos (1 ounce each, any preferred flavor)
• 1 pound minced beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning (1 ounce)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup thick salsa (such as pace)
• 1 can black or pinto beans, drained (15 ounces)
• Grated colby jack cheese
• Preferred taco toppings: chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, homemade guacamole, extra shredded cheese, or sour cream

Step 1: Cook and Season the Ground Beef

Place a large pan over medium heat and add the ground beef.

Cook the meat, stirring occasionally, until it is no longer pink.

This process should take about 8 minutes.

Once cooked, strain the excess grease from the ground beef to ensure it’s not too oily.

Step 2: Add Flavor to the Beef

Return the drained ground beef to the pan and add taco seasoning along with a little water according to the package instructions.

Stir in some salsa if desired, as it adds an additional layer of flavor to the meat.

Cook the mixture for another 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until it slightly reduces.

Remove the pan from heat and set the seasoned beef aside.

Step 3: Prepare the Walking Tacos Buffet

Create a Doritos Walking Tacos buffet by setting out individual-sized bags of Doritos along with a variety of toppings.

Offer choices like black beans, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, salsa, pinto beans, and pickled jalapenos to allow everyone to customize their tacos.

Step 4: Assemble Your Walking Taco

Choose your preferred method to open the Doritos bag: either cut lengthwise or across the top.

Open the bag and add a generous spoonful or two of the taco-seasoned ground beef directly into it.

Choose your desired toppings and add them to the bag.

Popular options include pinto beans, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and pickled jalapenos.

Mix gently with a fork.

Step 5: Enjoy Your Doritos Walking Taco

Grab a fork and dig into your customized Doritos Walking Taco!

It’s a fun and efficient way to enjoy all the flavors of a taco in a convenient, portable package.

Enjoy!