These EPIC VEGAN GRANDE NACHOS are better than TACO BELL’s and approved by my non-vegan parents and neighbors!

As a teenager, I remember going to Taco Bell every so often. I also remember occasionally getting the Bell Grande Nachos and always being disappointed. I think after that, I just assumed that Nachos were always going to leave me feeling sad and soggy. Then in my 20s, when I moved to Los Angeles, I discovered the countless amazing late night Mexican stands and trucks. I realized that I probably shouldn’t base my opinion on a dish from Taco Bell.

These Vegan Grande Nachos are way more reminiscent of the ones I used to get from some of those late-night outings than of Taco Bell. Loaded up with Vegan Beef, Beans, Cheese, Pico de Gallo, Sour Cream, and Guacamole, they are perfectly seasoned and well balanced!

They are super filling too, so I highly encourage sharing (but hoarding is okay too!) Even with the amount that I made, I still had some leftover beef, cheese and guacamole. We had Tostadas for dinner, then I made a Torta for breakfast the next day, so suffice to say, the leftovers are half the fun!

RECIPE NOTES

You can really customize them however you like! There’s quite a few ingredients listed with no measurements, and that’s because this is really to taste!

I prefer to use canned whole pinto beans and reserve most of the juice that comes with them. This way, we get something that’s halfway between refried and whole beans.

For the cheese sauce, I used my old pal Sodium Citrate, an emulsifier. You can just melt your favorite vegan cheese and pour in unsweetened plant milk until it’s the consistency that you like!

Lastly, you can really make the beef and beans at the same time since they are so low maintenance. Keep them warm on low and make your cheese sauce so everything is ready to go at the same time!

Handy Dandy Video HERE!

Don’t wanna use store-bought plant based meat? Use this TOFU GROUND BEEF Recipe instead!

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Vegan Grande Nachos

Ingredients

Chips
Pico de Gallo
Vegan Sour Cream
1 pound plant-based meat (like Impossible, Beyond, Gardein etc)
1 avocado
Lime juice (to taste)
Garlic salt (to taste)
1 can whole pinto beans (liquid reserved)
8 oz. Vegan cheese shreds
1/2 tsp sodium citrate (optional)
Unsweetened plant-milk (to taste)

Taco Seasoning (for the beef)

1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Salt & pepper to taste

Taco Seasoning (for the beans)

1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the guacamole, mash up your avocado, then add in lime juice and garlic salt to taste! You can also add anything else your heart desires. Start off conservative with both the lime and garlic salt. I used about 1/2 a lime for 2 avocados, and probably a 1/2 tsp of garlic salt.
Add some oil to a skillet over medium heat and crumble and brown your vegan beef. Let it sit undisturbed for a few minutes to develop some nice browning and a crust, then stir every 2-3 minutes. Once most the pink has disappeared, add in the taco seasoning and stir to combine. Then add in about 1/2 a cup of water (or more if desired) and the juice of half a lime. Stir again, and reduce until you reach your desired consistency. Tate for seasoning. Cover and keep warm on low.
To make the beans, simply cook them in about 2/3 of the liquid they came in. Add the taco seasoning for the beans, then stir and reduce to desired consistency as well. Taste for seasoning. Cover and keep warm on low.
To make the cheese sauce with the sodium citrate, add 4 oz. of water per 8 oz. of vegan cheese, then 1/2 tsp of sodium citrate. Bring to a light boil to dissolve and then add in your vegan shreds. Whisk until melted and smooth. If you aren't using sodium citrate, add in your vegan shreds and a little unsweetened plant milk. Whisk until melted. If it feels too thick, add in more plant milk until you get your desired consistency. For reference, when I've made these with Daiya shreds, I used about 2 cups of plant milk to thin it out. But start off with less. I would add 1/2 cup at at time.
To build your nachos, layer some chips down. Then add a little beef and beans to each chip. Drizzle on some of the cheese sauce. Then simply repeat this process until you've built your nachos as high as you'd like! Top with Pico de Gallo, vegan sour cream and guacamole!
ENJOY!