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These ground venison tater tot nachos are a dinner dream come true! Made on a bed of tater tots instead of tortilla chips they’re loaded with melty cheese, perfectly seasoned ground venison, and all the fun nacho toppings you love! As a bonus, you can make them outside on the grill or inside in the oven.
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These totchos (tater tot nachos) are another ground venison recipe in a long line of winners that I’m absolutely in love with! Obsessed even?
See also: my ground venison tater tot hotdish (that's right, tater tots aren't just for nachos!), my cheesy baked venison enchiladas, and my sweet and spicy ground venison tacos!
I won’t claim to have invented tater tot nachos, but I might be so bold as to say I’ve perfected ground venison nachos! Because they’re not only ridiculously delicious but also incredibly easy!
A look at the ingredients
Making Venison Nachos
This is just a brief overview, detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Bake the tater tots. Either in the oven or on the grill. I love grilling this recipe on hot summer days.
- Prepare the ground venison topping. It's like an insane taco meat situation. Which would also be perfect for my venison taco salad!
- Assemble the nachos. We’re layering cheese, the venison, some fresh veggies, and more cheese on the tater tots!
- Bake until melty. A hot grill is a great way to get all that cheese to melt perfectly.
- Add your favorite toppings and enjoy! These tater tot nachos, like all nachos, are totally customizable.
Stovetop and Oven Instructions
While I love making this recipe on the grill, it can absolutely be made using your stovetop and oven.
- Bake your tater tots in a 425-degree oven for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile prepare the ground venison topping on the stovetop.
- Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees and layer the cheese, meat, and toppings on the tater tots as instructed in the recipe card.
- Bake until melty!
Grilled Nachos
It might seem a bit odd to some people to make nachos on the grill, but it’s such a fun way of making them!
Not only does it keep my kitchen cleaner and cooler, but it helps to flex a culinary muscle.
If you’re new to grilling, like I was (slash, still am!), I can’t recommend a gas grill enough! It’s easy to light, control the temperature, and is very user friendly.
The most important thing to remember is that you’re generally closer to your heat source on a grill, so while it may be tempting to really crank up the flame to reach 425 degrees quickly, you risk scorching the bottom of your tater tots!
Set the flame between medium and medium-low, letting the grill slowly come up in temperature and holding it there for perfectly golden brown and crispy tater tots!
Watch the recipe video!
Ground Venison Tater Tot Nachos
Equipment
- Cast Iron Pan
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen tater tots
- 1 pound ground venison
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tsp. hot sauce, optional
- 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup diced orange bell pepper
- ½ cup diced cherry tomatoes
- Sliced Jalapeño, for serving
- Avocado, for serving
- Sour Cream, for serving
- Cilantro, for serving
- Lime, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your grill slowly, adjusting the flames to be between medium-low and medium. Allow to preheat to 425 degrees. (Alternatively, preheat your oven.)
- While grill preheats, line a baking sheet (that you’re certain will fit in the grill) with foil and spray with baking spray. Spread the frozen tater tots into an even layer.
- When grill or oven is preheated, add the pan of tater tots and bake. The tater tots will bake for approximately 20 - 25 minutes, total.
- Meanwhile, set a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound ground venison and cook, breaking the meat up into small bits, until nearly browned, about five minutes. When meat is almost browned, add 1 packet of taco seasoning, 14 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, ¾ cup water, and a few shakes of hot sauce, if desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has reduced and is thick enough to coat the meat, about 10 minutes.
- While the sauce thickens, give the tater tots a gentle shake and rotate the pan to ensure they’re baking evenly.
- Once the meat is finished and the tots are golden brown, reduce the grill/oven heat to low. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese on top of the tater tots, followed by the prepared venison, ½ cup diced red onion, and ½ cup diced orange bell pepper. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake nachos until cheese is fully melted, about 5 minutes.
- Immediately top melty nachos with diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, sliced avocado, a drizzle of sour cream, a sprinkle of cilantro, and a squeeze of lime to serve.
Video
Notes
- See post for notes on baking these nachos in the oven.
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