Whet your creativity & your appetite with a build-your-own vegan nacho bar.
Fill a table with toppings like spicy black beans, non-dairy chili cheese dip, salsa, and guacamole. Then let your guests pile them onto chips, exactly how they like.
Nacho bars are lots of fun for all ages. And it’s a relatively low cost way to have a dinner party!
Everyone loves build-your-own nachos, because well, nachos.
But also each person can make their nachos exactly to their preferences.
(Just like vegan walking tacos!)
If you like lots of non-dairy queso, pile it on.
If you need things hot and spicy, add plenty of jalapeño pepper slices & hot sauce.
If you prefer a more minimalist affair with black beans and salsa, so be it.
In this post:
What cheese to use?
I like to offer a couple types of non-dairy cheese options for the nachos.
First, chili cheese dip, which can be made ahead of time.
Vegan chili cheese dip is especially convenient, because it uses leftover chili.
So if you have any lentil chili, vegan three bean chili, or smoky vegan bean chili with Soy Curls on hand or even in the freezer, thaw if necessary. And then put it into your sauce.
You can also offer shredded non-dairy cheese, for those who prefer to melt it onto their tortilla chips in the oven.
How to serve individual nacho plates
You can certainly have people make their nachos on the plates that are already in your cupboard.
Or take the fun up a notch with individual 6.5 inch cast iron skillets. (You can find them online or at big box stores like Target.)
They are small enough that you can easily do a couple rounds of nachos. Or just pile them on and do it all in one!
The added benefit of cast iron skillets is that you can put them directly in the oven if you’d like to heat the chips, or melt non-dairy cheese shreds onto them.
How to set up a nacho bar
To have a vegan nacho bar, preheat the oven to 350 degrees for anyone who wants to warm their chips and/or melt shredded non-dairy cheese onto their nachos.
Then set up the table with all of your nacho bar toppings.
While I offer a pretty sizeable list of toppings below, keep in mind that you can easily remove anything that you don’t have the time or inclination to make.
As long as you have non-dairy queso, salsa, and chips, you’re golden.
If you really want to make it easy on yourself, invite your guests to bring their favorite toppings!
Nacho bar toppings
Here are some tasty toppings for your vegan nacho bar.
- Vegan chili cheese dip
- Shredded non-dairy cheese
- Spicy black beans
- Refried pinto beans
- Refried black beans
- Chipotle black bean dip
- Vegan chorizo
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Tomatoes
- Bell peppers
- Cilantro
- Spring onions
- Quick pickled jalapeños
- Pickled red onions
- Hot sauce
- Tortilla chips
Get creative!
It can also be fun to add some unique ingredients to the nacho bar like vegan BBQ Soy Curls, barbecue sauce, buffalo Soy Curls, and vegan blue cheese dressing. BBQ jackfruit nachos are always a winner!
That way if guests want to have a couple different kinds of nachos, one batch can be totally different from the next.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Build your own vegan nacho bar
Ingredients
- 1 batch vegan chili cheese dip
- 1 cup shredded non-dairy cheese
- 1 batch spicy black beans
- 1 batch vegan refried beans
- 1 cup vegan chorizo warmed in pan
- 2 cups salsa
- 2 batches easy guacamole
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 or 3 spring onions sliced
- 2 or 3 different bottles of hot sauce
- Jar of jalapeno pepper slices
- 1 or 2 large bags of tortilla chips
Instructions
- Put all of the toppings on the dinner table for guests to serve themselves.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If guests would like to warm their tortilla chips or melt non-dairy cheese onto them, make sure to offer oven-safe skillets. Melting cheese onto the chips will take about 10 minutes in the oven. If they want to just use the chili cheese dip, then the skillets won't need to go into the oven, and you can skip the pre-heating step.
Nicole Dawson
Taco bars seem to be on the weekly just for us at dinner time. It makes it so much easier allowing everyone to make it to their own liking ….which includes a TON of jalapenos for me. Next time though, I’m going to take your idea and serve them up in mini cast iron skillets. Such a cute idea.
Cadry
I agree! Taco bars are a real crowd pleaser. I’m all about the jalapenos too. Can’t get enough of them.
Alisa Fleming
What a fun and delicious idea! I would be all over that cheesy dip, and sliced black olives would also be on the table!
Cadry
Good thinking! Olives are always welcome. 🙂
Susan
Sounds like so much fun!
Cadry
Thanks, Susan! It was a really fun evening.
Matthew Di Clemente
Fantastic! Thank you, Cadry!
Cadry
You’re welcome, Matthew!
Dianne
This sounds like so much fun! I want to come over and carve pumpkins, too! 🙂
Cadry
I would love to have you here for our yearly tradition!