Cooking With Beer – Oskar Blues Spicy IPA Nachos

Festive foods take on new meaning when made with serious beer. And who doesn’t like spicy habanero nachos, especially nachos made with the right craft beer?

This tasty recipe comes from the Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado. The original recipe was made with the brewery’s Can-O-Bliss IPA, which has been discontinued.

So we substituted Oskar Blues Western Mutant IPA, a 7% ABV West Coast-Style India Pale that’s hoppy, delicious and currently available year-round.

And simmering the onions, beef, and spices in this hop bomb takes these nachos to the next level.

So let’s do this!

Western Mutant IPA Spicy Nachos

Ingredients

2 tbsp neutral cooking oil, like canola

1/2 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp chipotle powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 lb ground beef

Salt and black pepper, to season

3-4 tbsp Can-O-Bliss IPA

1 bag tortilla chips

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups Monterey Jack, shredded

3 habanero peppers, thinly sliced*

1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped

1/2 cup Pico de Gall

Cilantro, sour cream, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, cooking until onions are little translucent, 3-5 minutes.

Step 3

Add chipotle powder, cayenne, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Stir onions around in spices until fragrant, 15-20 seconds.

Step 4

Add beef, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Spoon off any extra fat.

Step 5

Pour in Can-O-Bliss and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve beef in a separate bowl.

Step 6

Layer chips, cheddar, Monterey Jack, ground beef mixture, habanero peppers in skillet. Repeat layers ending with cheese.

Step 7

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Top nachos with pickled jalapeños, pico de Gallo, cilantro, and sour cream.

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Want more beer related recipes?  We’ve got them…

OSKAR BLUES CITRUS-CHILI WINGS

DALE’S PALE ALE STUFFED PIZZA BREAD

BEER CAN TURKEY

CHOCOLATE STOUT BROWNIES