Fat Head nachos are an incredible stroke of genius if I don't say so myself. Low carb, grain-free nacho heaven.
Oh, and did I mention the melted cheese and sour cream are gooey and beyond delicious.
Are you drooling yet?
If you have been missing nachos because you want to avoid the high carbs, corn and unhealthy oils that are in regular nachos, then these will be an absolute treat for you.
Fat Head Nachos
We have recently been away on vacation, and I love to cook and develop recipes when I have more time on my hands.
Fat Head nachos is a recipe that has been on my mind for so long, but because I thought it would take a lot of preparation, I had just never managed to find the time to make it.
In reality, it didn't take any longer than if I had just made the meat sauce. I used the time whilst it was cooking away on the stovetop to make the Fat Head tortilla chips.
Now I really must give credit to Tom Naughton (comedian and former health writer), and his Fat Head movie. Tom is the original creator of the infamous Fat Head pizza. If you haven't seen his movie on nutrition take a look here. And if you want a real laugh (if it weren't so sad) take a look at his stand up comedy lecture on science for dummies smart people. He really is a genius, above and beyond his Fat Head pizza invention (or was it his brother?).
Fat Head Tortillas
To make the Fat Head tortillas, you simply make the Fat Head pizza base, but instead of adding herbs such as rosemary or other pizza flavours, I added 1 teaspoon of dried coriander/cilantro, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder and a good pinch of chili to the Fat Head pastry mix.
Roll it out as shown here, between two sheets of baking parchment/paper as thin as you can. Bake it until one side is golden, then flip it over and bake the other side until golden.
Remove from the oven and with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the Fat Head pastry into triangle tortilla shapes, then pop them back on the baking tray one last time to really crisp up.
TOP TIP - keep a watchful eye on them, it will only take a minute or two before they are ready. Make sure they don't burn. It is better to eat a slightly soft tortilla chip than a burnt one.
Fat Head Nachos - the toppings
This really is when you can go to town.
I love meat sauce, avocado, salsa, sour cream, and melted cheese. The toppings are really what brings Fat Head nachos to life and adds so much colour.
I would have added jalapenos but we were away from my pantry and couldn't find any in the local store. But add whatever you love and make it colourful. Who wants boring beige anyway? #banishthebeige
Fat Head Nachos - the quick & easy recipe
Fat Head Nachos
Recipe Video (tap to play)
Calculate ingredients
Ingredients
Fat Head Tortilla Chips
- 170 g (1 ¾ cups) pre-shredded/grated mozzarella
- 85 g (¾ cup) almond meal/flour
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) cream cheese
- 1 eggs - medium
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) cumin powder
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) coriander/cilantro powder
- pinch chilli powder
Nacho Meat Sauce
- 1 red onion diced
- 500 g (1.1 lb) ground/mince beef
- 400 g (14 oz) tinned/canned tomatoes diced
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) chilli powder, or to taste
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
Topping Options
- guacamole
- salsa
- shredded/grated cheese
- sour cream
- jalapeños
Instructions
Nacho Meat Sauce
- Gently fry the diced onion in oil until clear then add the meat, breaking it up into tiny pieces as it cooks and browns. This should take up to 5 minutes.
- Add the spices and tinned/canned tomato and tomato paste. Stir then simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes (uncovered to thicken the meat sauce) whilst you make the Fat Head tortilla chips and toppings.
Fat Head Tortilla Chips
- Mix the shredded/grated cheese and almond flour/meal in a microwaveable bowl. Add the cream cheese. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute.
- Stir then microwave on HIGH for another 30 seconds. Remove and stir again. Add the egg, salt, and spices. Mix.
- Place the Fat Head pastry between 2 pieces of baking parchment/paper and roll into a thin, rectangle (see photos here). Remove the top baking paper/parchment.
- Slide the baking paper/parchment with the Fat Head pastry, on a baking tray (cookie tray) or pizza stone, and bake at 220C/425F for 12-15 minutes, or until browned on the top. Flip the FatHead pastry over (onto baking paper/parchment) and brown the other side.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and cut into tortilla chip triangle shapes. Bake again at 220C/425F for 3 - 5 minutes.
Putting It All Together
- Place a handful of Fat Head tortilla chips on a plate or serving dish.
- Spoon the hot meat sauce over the tortilla chips.
- Add the grated/shredded cheese which will melt on the hot meat sauce all by itself, then top with everything you love. Serve with a big side salad and plenty of olive oil (optional).
Notes
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Marie Ann Mann
Can I store the FH Tortilla Chips, or can I store the pre cooked dough. I make the full recipe but give my husband real Corn Chips so they last me a while.(he won't eat these) Thanks.
Libby Jenkinson, MPS
It is advisable to only store the cooked fat head nacho chips. I store them in an airtight container or a ziplock bag. However, my kids tend to eat them all in one sitting so I often make a double batch and keep the leftovers for their packed school lunch this way. You can't store the uncooked dough because the recipe calls to add a raw egg to warmed cheese. The warmed raw egg needs cooking immediately.
Paris Wright
Tried this with my family and it was delicious. Easy to make and want time consuming. Thanks for the recipe.
Jodie Gibson
Hi, i'm going to be giving this a go tonight, but was wondering if there is a version I can make without cheese? I know, cheese is pretty integral and holds the base together, but my daughter hates cheese - in any form! I'm trying to sneak less carbs into the families meals without them noticing / complaining (too much) 😉 Thanks, Jo 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Sorry, no. The recipe is pretty much cheese 🙁 You can reduce the carbs in your meals by reducing the high carb side dishes, that's how we started out years ago. Maybe try to cut back or stop items such as bread, rice, pasta and begin to introduce lower-carb alternatives. You can see all the family-friendly low-carb recipes here. Many are cheese-free - yay!
Brie
I am dairy free, can I substitute something for the cream cheese?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
The entire nacho pastry recipe contains dairy so this one isn't for you. Why not try making the nacho meat sauce and serving in lettuce cups? My kids love it like this.
maria bernal
Been using Costco pre shred cheese blend and fat bread comes out perfect every time, even pizza, cinnamon breads,
Dana
Can you use this recipe to make lasagna? I have a recipe I currently use with store bought almond flour tortillas, but they still have more carbs than I prefer.
I was thinking not baking until in dish.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
The minced beef/ground beef is a Mexican flavoured dish. I would use the beef mixture in my spaghetti bolognese recipe and instead of lasagne sheets or tortilla wraps, then yes, the Fat Head pastry would be amazing!
Angela blight
I would do the meat sauce but use pancakes a pasta sheets or roll and stuff them with meat sauce, cover with cheese sauce and top with cheese and bake in the oven till golden brown
Ran
Fat Head dough sounds great. How do you make the dough if you do not have a microwave? Thanks!
Erin
You can make it using a double boiler method.
Jess
Worked perfectly for me! Thanks for the amazing recipe.
Debbie
I haven't tried to make the tortilla with the fat head dough but when I do I am going to add a small amount of sweet corn food flavoring to give it a more "corn tortilla" flavor. Thanks
Sharon Sin lair
This did not work well for me! The chip batter stuck to the parchment paper and I had to throw it out because the paper would not peel off! I'll try them again using a well oiled cookie sheet and take my chances! What a HUGE disappointment!
Ashfyr
Did you make sure that it was parchment paper, not wax paper? It is a common mistake that would explain why you couldn't take it off of the paper.
Kathleen Powers
I used the silicon mat on the cookie sheet with parchmenton that then flipped and had no problem
Pam
Mine stuck too - the recipe seems a bit off ... I added more mozzarella cheese and almond flour and it worked much better!
Juli Southard
I’m wondering if I needed to poke holes in the dough, because it rose like a balloon. I found it was very easy to put together. Mine was a little dry, would you suggest more cream cheese?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yes, you can go over the surface of the dough with a fork and make little holes to prevent this from happening. Alternatively, as you see it rise I flip it over to crisp it up on both sides, that generally flattens the dough out.
Elle
If it's dry it's overcooked.
Vanessa
This looks great1 How long to the chips last?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
In my house? Only 1 meal - no seriously, they would last up to 3 days stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
Eve
Nah turns out to be like bread and not chisps...
Jodi
These look amazing!! We have a tree nut allergy, is there a substitute for Almond meal or flour? We also have reactions to coconut flour. It makes Keto baking hard!
Ann
I read on one of the recipes that some said you could substitute garbanzo bean flour. I on't know, but it might be worth reading up on this substitute.
Rocco
If you're on a keto diet, the garbanzo flour will be too high in carbs. Try using Coconut flour if you can't consume almond flour.
Rosa
Coconut is also a tree nut
Melinda
I’ve not tried it but I found you can use sesame flour as a replacement.
Mallory | Your Adventure Coach
These were amazing!!! Thank you so much! Although, I did follow you on the chips and we made our own taco meat, but we had CHIPS again! I'll definitely be making more of these.
Amber
You're a godsend. I used coconut flour and added a little bit of ghee to the mix, because last time I made fathead dough it came out a little dry. It was hard to roll the dough very thin like you did, so mine are kind of like hybrid pita/tortilla chips, which is fine by me! Thank you so much for having this site with great recipes!
Louise James
It says 8.1 grams - carbs - for how many nachos? Thanks...
Kathleen Powers
The whole recipe is 48 carbs... 30 net carbs.... at 6 servings... or 5 carbs per serving..you have to figure out how many servings you are eating..
Karen
Tried these for a second time as my first ones burnt and tasted awful. This time I was very successful! I omitted the cream cheese and instead used about 2 cups of asiago. I've been reading the less moist your cheese the easier it is to cook to a hard texture. Needless to say they came out amazing!
Rob
Can I replace nutritional yeast for the Mozzarella cheese? If so, how much nutritional yeast?
Brittany
Probably not, the cheese is used for a binder.
Diane Gunty
Would you know the nutrition information for just the batch of chips?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
The Fat Head chips are made using this recipe for the fat Head pizza base. The pizza base nutrition is for 1 slice, makes 6 slices.
Cheri
For a crispier chip - pop them in the air fryer for about 4 minutes instead of the final bake step. I thought nachos and pizza were a thing of the past, but not anymore! Even the carb eating people in the house thought they were amazing.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
LOVE this tip!
Beverly
How do you measure a serving size of the nacho chips? How many servings does this recipe make? Maybe I missed that part somewhere in the recipe.
Naomi
You are a GENIUS, Libby! Dear Husband wanted nachos tonight; I knew there had to be a low-carb way. Sure enough, you came to the rescue with Fathead Nacho Chips.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Ahhh, always happy to help a low-carb cooking emergency 😉
Michelle Hellens
I made these to goo with my taco salad on Saturday. These are brilliant! Without spices,they are perfect with hummus. Thank you so much. You and Kindra get me through each day of LC. ?
Ben
Made these and loved them. For the first time I wasn't sure exactly how thick to make them so did them from thicker to super thin. thinner is definitely better otherwise they do not crisp up. Has been added into the regular dinner rotation.
Diane Boerstler
My foodie hubby didn't even wait for the fathead chips to cool! He smelled them, popped up from his seat and started eating them right from the pan saying, "I can eat a ton of these!" I didn't even bother to top them =) We didn't have cumin/coriander handy so we swapped out 1 tsp of taco seasoning. 4 picky kids went after them like a hungry swarm of vultures right after they said they were too full to finish lunch. #WINNING! - I got 2 total lol. Next time I'll made a quadruple batch...
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Diane, this is the best recipe review ever! I can just envisage a swarm of hungry vultures descending on their meal knocking you out on their way through!
Jane
I'm making this for dinner this weekend. Looks fantastic!!!
NoobCook
Hi is 85 g almond meal/flour ---> 1/4 Cup of Coconut flour?
Is that right? Can we have the coconut flour measurements in gram too please.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
1/4up coconut flour = approx 25g
Caitlin
Just tried the chips and they are tasty! How do you store the chips if you do not use them all in one sitting (without toppings). Can they sit in a tuber wear counter or should they be refrigerated ?
Thank you!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I store them in an airtight container. In the summer I keep that in the fridge, when it's cooler, I keep in in the pantry and eat within 3 days.
Miranda
So I've been reading through all of your fathead posts and I'm trying the pizza tonight! If it really is as good as everyone is saying... you should branch into desserts.: fathead cinnamon crisps, fathead dessert pizza (think cinnamon flavor!), fathead cobbler with the crust used as a crunchy cinnamony crumble over the top. Now I'm drooling!
Miranda
Can you tell I really like cinnamon?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I cannot wait to publish all the recipes currently sitting in my drafts folder. 🙂 Stay tuned.
Theresa
How would you prepare this if you do not have a microwave?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Just heat gently on the stove top in a saucepan.
Michelle W.
I just made these tonight for the first time. I don't own a microwave. I put the first 3 ingredients in a glass pie dish at 350 for 5 minutes. Stirring frequently till soft throughout and cheese around edges just started to melt. Followed their instructions for the rest. Turned out great!
Jud
Hey -- has anybody tried to use the FatHead dough mix as the base for a lowcarb pita or naan substitute?
nick
Yeah makes a good naan - just add a fair old whack of garlic powder in there and maybe some basil. If you add a pinch of baking powder you can get it to stay really thick (and gets a bit more fluffy then if you dont)
Melissa
Just tried this recipe and it was spot on. I made the chips and it was the first time using a fat head recipe. I happened to have some ranch powder too so sprinkled it on. Haven't tried it with the whole cheese and meat etc yet. His highness and I thought we would like to dip them in salsa and queso instead - but they are very nice. Thanks for posting.
Erin
I get the flavor may be slightly different, but have you ever tried using a mexican cheese blend rather than the mozzarella in the base? I would think the flavor would be more in line for the tortilla but wasn't sure if the texture would still work. (and I made the Fathead pizza last night- was so many levels of amazing!!)
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I have never seen a Mexican cheese blend here. Sorry, I can't advise as it may behave differently from mozzarella. Anyone here tried this idea?
Beverly
I have Mexocsn blend cheese in my fridge. I am going to try that today! I'll post how it worked.
Carol
how did it work?How do I measure the cheese/almnd flour in cups? thank you
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Every recipe on my website has some large red buttons below the ingredients list. You can swap between metric and cups. You can also dial up different serving sizes too above the recipe.
The Artful Gourmet
OK I am so psyched to have found this recipe. I have been doing low carb on and off my whole life and the main reason i always cave or give up is because i miss pizza, crackers, quiches/tarts and bread! This is amazing and I'm so going to experiment with different recipes with this - thanks for sharing..i'm INSPIRED! 🙂 Kristen Hess/The Artful Gourmet
Ashley
I imported this recipe into my fitness pal and there seems to be a discrepancy in the nutrition facts. According to my fitness pal there is 17g carbs and 6 fiber so that would equal 11g carbs per serving not 8.1...thought this recipe was too good to be true =(
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Nutrition panels are a guide only and are so dependant on which brands you use. I also have stopped using My Fitness Pal because it is so inaccurate (too many "user added" entries). I use cronometer.com which is the most accurate tool out there. Well done for checking with the brands you used, they vary so widely huh?
Andrea
I am allergic to milk. Do you have any advice on substitutions for the cheese and cream cheese? Thanks!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Sorry not for this recipe. It is based too heavily on dairy to make substitutions.
Donna Freeman
I have used plant based non dairy cream cheese and non-dairy mozz cheese works great
405 IT
I'm on week one of my low/no carb diet and already dying for chips and queso.
What kind of torturous diet says eat all the sausage queso you want but hey, no chips!
This recipe is gonna help...I hope.
I'm gonna try the cheese thing too, but that seems like it would be a greasy mess!
Hannah
Back in the day when I was low-carbing, I used bell peppers for "chips". As I like bell peppers, it was a win for me.
Nick
Hi Libby,
I have just discovered your site and I am very excited to start trying some of your recipes. My 7yo daughter is a T1 diabetic and I am always looking for new low carb recipes to try that she will actually like (a real challenge).
There are plenty of great looking recipes for me to trial here - I am bound to hit some home runs!
One question re: the nachos pastry, we don't have/use a microwave. What would you suggest as an alternative to the two 30 sec blasts on High when preparing the pastry?
Thanks,
Nick - Australia
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Hi Nick and your amazing 7yr old. Are you a member of TypeOneGrit? I always point T1 in their direction, they are the most phenomenal bunch of supportive parents discussing all things T1. Back to the Fat Head. Yes it is easy to make without a microwave. Simply melt the cheeses together on the stove top very gently. Remove from the heat and add the flours then the eggs (so they don't cook) and flavourings or seasonings. You will love it. Have you seen my Fat Head sausage rolls too? Great for school lunch boxes. 🙂
Erika
These look awesome. I'm going on a weekend trip this week, and I want to make nachos. These would be perfect to use, so I'm just wondering how long would these last in the fridge? I plan on making them today or tomorrow, and then won't be using them till Saturday
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I would keep them in the fridge for about 4 days, but you could freeze them so they would last longer. Once defrosted, keep in an airtight container somewhere cool, cheese doesn't like to sit around anywhere warm.
Jeab
If you left overs, what is best way to store? I used baggies on different recipes and had them go soggie. Thank you
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I would keep any leftover nachos in an airtight container in the fridge. I would also line the container and wrap over the nachos, with baking parchment to ensure they don't go soggy. You can always heat them up in the oven and that would crisp them up again.
Carol
When I took them out of oven to flip over they stuck to the parchment paper? What have I done wrong?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Was it non-stick parchment/baking paper?
Rebecca
Would corn Starch make a good substitution for the Almond flour?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
No, sorry. Corn starch is incredibly high in starch (hence the name). In fact it is 90% net carbohydrates 9% fibre. Also corn starch has completely different properties to almond flour/meal. This is a good guide on low-carb flours if you are new here. It really helps explain them all.
Stephanie Romero
I made the tortilla chips tonight, but instead of rolling them out, I divided the 'dough' into equal portions and pressed them out using a tortilla press. It worked perfectly! I pressed the 'dough' between a folded piece of parchment then carefully peeled the tortilla and placed it onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. I adjusted the cook time due to the smaller portions. They only needed 7-8 minutes.
Madilyn
Great idea! I'm going to try this!
Cheryl
Could I bake these a little while longer after I've added the toppings or would they burn? I like my cheese nice and melted and the veggies warm.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Sure, that would be great. My kids are always in a rush to eat these so there is never a chance to delay dinner 😉
Cas
Are these crunchy (like tortilla chips, hard and crispy?). All the low carb/keto crackers and chips I have tried turn out on the softer side. I'm really looking for something with that same texture.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
They will never be as hard and crunchy as a fried tortilla, but that are definitely crispy. Especially if you roll the Fat Head pastry out thin enough. Mine were snapping as I cut them, so that's an indication of how crisp they go. You'll love them.
Jnew
Cas, this recipe isn't bad for a cruncy tortilla chip...https://thethingswellmake.com/recipe/flaxseed-paleo-tortilla-chips-and-taco-shells/#_a5y_p=6118025. I'm looking forward to trying this fat head tortilla recipe for a softer tortilla 🙂
Krystal
About how many chips total will this make? Or how many chips per serving?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I'm afraid I didn't count the chips when I made them and they will always be different sizes and quantities each time I make them. The recipe stated it serves 6 so just make the tortilla chips and make 6 equal portions.
Diana Hansberry
can fathead dough be made with ground flax or chia instead if we don't have almond on hand?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I haven't made it with flax or chia, but there are some variations left in the comments of Fat Head pizza by readers who have tried. I have made it with ground sunflower seeds, and it turned out nice.
Sandi
Is the nutritional info for one serving and how much is one serving? ty.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
The recipe states it serves 6.
Sandi
Hi,
I looked and couldn't find this info (hopefully not right in front of me lol). What makes a serving - is the nutritional information for the entire recipe of chips and meat sauce?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yes, it is the nachos and meat and sauce for the entire recipe divided by 6 (serves 6). I haven't included cheese or additional optional toppings as everyone is different and how much we add would be different. Great question, never be afraid to ask.
Lisa
I have a nut allergy. What can be substituted for the almond flour and how much would be required.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I ran out of almond meal one night and managed to whizz some sunflower seeds up in the coffee grinder and it worked a treat.
E. B. Dean
Do you think these would travel well? The chips I mean. We often struggle with temptation at Mexican restaurants when they bring out the chips, salsa, and queso dip. A baggie of these might be a good solution.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yes, I have made the fathead crackers before and kept them in the fridge, then brought them to room temperature (to stop any condensation) then popped them in an airtight box to take out with me. Works brilliantly.
Laura
Which is best for this recipe, "grated" cheese or "shredded" cheese? Thank you for your time.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Even though they are technically different grades of cheese, they are used interchangeably and won't make a difference.
Noline
Wow, I received this recipe in my inbox this morning. I can not wait to try it. I look forward to your next holiday if this is the type of recipe we can expect. 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Ha ha, you should see my drafts folder - eek.