Sheet pan shrimp nachos
Crunchy chips piled with smoky shrimp, black beans and melted cheese, then showered with pico and cilantro, a fun dinner straight off the pan.
- 25 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.44 a serving
- 600 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 6 oz frozen raw shrimp, thawed, peeled, tails off and chopped
- 8 oz tortilla chips
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1½ cups Mexican blend cheese
- ½ cup pico de gallo
- 2 tbsp pickled jalapeños (optional)
- ½ cup sour cream (optional)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
Each serving has about 600 calories, 29 g protein, 57 g carbs and 29 g fat, and costs about $2.44 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No black beans? Pinto beans or kidney beans work.
- No Mexican blend cheese? Shredded cheddar or cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No pico de gallo? Salsa works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 400°F and line a large with foil.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
the shrimp dry and with the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and oil.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Spread half the chips on the pan and scatter half the beans, shrimp and cheese over them. Repeat with the rest.
Dolly’s tip: Two thin layers beat one tall pile. Every chip gets some topping and some cheese.8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is and bubbling and the shrimp are pink and opaque.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: Chopped shrimp cook fast under the cheese. Peek under a piece to check it’s opaque.Food safety: Shrimp are done when they turn pink and opaque all the way through and curl into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked, not unsafe.
Top with the pico de gallo, jalapeños, spoonfuls of sour cream and cilantro, and serve straight from the pan.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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30-minute dinners ›One-pan dinners ›What to make with black beans and Mexican blend cheese ›