Grilled Chimichurri Steak Nachos
Grilled skirt steak and chimichurri are already an incredible flavor pairing, but putting them together on nachos is like all my food dreams coming true! Bright vibrant and fresh chimichurri loaded with parsley and garlic is a perfect condiment for a tray of nachos! I went for a creamy cheese sauce on these nachos because its a good balance for the refreshing chimichurri. Add some grilled corn and poblano peppers and you have nachos for dinner!
The inspiration for this recipe
Georgina and I were able to have a nice camping getaway this past weekend at Sandy Pines Campground in Kennebunkport Maine. While we were there I made this nacho dish for lunch one day. I have always been a little unimpressed by campfire nachos so I made this version that used cheese sauce to try and keep it crispy, melty, and delicious. This is for episode 2 of my grilling series and you can watch the episode here!
Make the chimichurri
The baseline for a good chimichurri is parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt. After that, everything is up to you! You could do this in a food processor, but we were camping so I did it old school with a knife. I honestly think it has a slightly different flavor depending on which way you make it, but they are equally delicious on these grilled chimichurri steak nachos!
Lots of parsley. I usually add another couple herbs to this. I made this in late september so I added some autumn herbs- sage rosemary and thyme. If it was in the middle of the summer I probably would add cilantro and basil.
Grilling the veggies
Get the grill nice and hot and add the corn and poblano. Cook it to char on all sides.
Making the cheese sauce
I mentioned I think a lot of campfire nachos are sub par. This is because it is usually in foil and cooked over the fire. Nachos should be cooked with heat from above not below! This usually causes the chips to burn on the bottom before the cheese melts. Also wrapping them in foil can cause the chips to get soggy.
Cheese sauce solves all these problems! You can make a cheese sauce over an open fire in a pot, then pour it over the grilled chimichurri steak nachos!
I love cooking in cool spots like this! And look at that beautiful cheese sauce.
Grilling the steak
Because I was camping, I was trying to utilize the few ingredients I had in the best ways possible. I used half of the chimichurri as a steak marinade along with some worcestershire. The chimichurri was able to do double duty so I didn’t have to bring more ingredients or do more work for a marinade.
Grill the steak to char on the outsides and cook to medium in the center.
Assemble the grilled chimichurri steak nachos
Spread out the chips, then top with the veggies first, then the sliced steak, then the cheese, then the chimichurri.
Don’t skimp on the cheese!
So tasty! Grilled steak just tastes better by a campfire.
Twists on grilled chimichurri steak nachos
I mentioned that I was camping a lot in this article but these also work great in the kitchen. I wrote the recipe for if you are making them at home.
You can use green bell peppers if you cant find poblanos, or even jalapenos if you want it spicy. I also mentioned some other herbs you could put in the chimichurri if you wanted, like basil or cilantro.
If you love nachos, check out my jambalaya nachos, or my shepherds pie nachos!
Grilled Chimichurri Steak Nachos
Ingredients
Chimichurri
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 leaves sage
- 2 teaspoons roughly chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon roughly chopped thyme
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
Steak
- 1 pound skirt steak
- salt and pepper
- worcestershire sauce
- half of the chimichurri from above
Cheese sauce
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 8 ounces jack cheese shredded
Nachos
- 50 tortilla chips
- 2 poblano peppers roasted and chopped
- 2 ears corn roasted and kernels remove
Instructions
- Make the chimichurri by chopping everything really small or putting it all into a food processor or blender. Set half aside, and put the other half into a bowl with the steak and add some salt and pepper, and a few splashes of Worcestershire. Allow the steak to marinate for at least a half hour or up to 24 hours.
- Mix the evaporated milk with the cornstarch and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Whisk in the cheese until melted. Return to heat if needed to help it fully melt.
- Grill the steak over high heat to a medium doneness. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing thin.
- Put the chips down first, then top with the corn and poblano. Next add the steak, and then pour on the cheese sauce. Drizzle on some chimichurri before serving.
I love all of the food..! 💕