Sergio’s Nachos Recipe

Trim excess fat from chicken and steak. Slice chicken thighs into 1/2" strips; slice steak thinly across the grain into 1/4" strips. Pat shrimp dry. Combine olive oil, lime juice, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a bowl and whisk to make a marinade.

Divide marinade: place chicken in one bowl with about half the marinade, steak in a second bowl with ~1/4 of the marinade, and shrimp in a third bowl with the remaining marinade. Marinate at room temperature 15–20 minutes or refrigerate up to 1 hour. Do not over-marinate shrimp (15–20 minutes max).

While proteins marinate, core and slice bell peppers into 1/2" strips, slice onion into 1/4" rings or strips, dice tomatoes, thinly slice green onions, and roughly chop cilantro. Cut avocado and set aside or mash into guacamole.

Cook chorizo

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo (remove casing if needed) and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked chorizo to a plate, leaving rendered fat in the pan. If the chorizo is lean, add 1 tsp butter or 1 tsp oil.

Sear steak

Heat a grill pan or heavy skillet over high heat with 1 tsp oil. Sear steak strips in a hot pan in a single layer (work in batches if needed) about 1–2 minutes per side for medium-rare to medium depending on thickness. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then slice crosswise into bite-size pieces.

Cook chicken

Using the same pan (or a hot grill), add a little oil and cook chicken strips over medium-high heat until nicely browned and cooked through, about 4–6 minutes, flipping once. Internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C). Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Cook shrimp

In the hot pan, cook marinated shrimp 1–2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Do not overcook. Remove and keep warm with the other proteins.

Using any remaining fat in the pan (add up to 1 tsp oil if needed), add sliced onions and bell peppers. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes until softened and slightly charred at edges. Season with a pinch of salt and reserve.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). On a large rimmed sheet pan or oven-safe platter, spread half the tortilla chips in an even layer. Scatter half of the shredded cheeses over the chips.

Evenly distribute half of the cooked chicken, steak pieces, shrimp, chorizo, and half of the sautéed peppers & onions over the chips. Top with the remaining chips and cheeses, then the remaining proteins and vegetables to build a two-layered nacho pile. Scatter pickled jalapeños now if you want them baked in.

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 6–8 minutes. For extra browning, switch to broil for 1 minute—watch carefully to avoid burning.

Remove nachos from oven. Dollop sour cream or crema, spoon salsa or pico de gallo, and add guacamole or sliced avocado on top. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and sliced green onions over the nachos. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Optional: pass additional hot sauce or pickled jalapeños at the table. Serve immediately so chips remain crisp and cheese stays gooey.