20 DIY nacho bar ingredients for your next party or gathering

Everyone loves a hearty plate of delicious nachos. That’s why they are always a hit at parties. So, here’s all the essentials you’ll need to make your own DIY nacho bar and let the celebrating begin. Check it out!

I like to do something fun and festive for Cinco de Mayo. That’s why this year I did a nacho bar. But you don’t have to wait for Cinco de Mayo. A nacho bar is perfect for any party including birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, girls night or just for fun! Here’s everything you need to get started.

Gather your nacho bar ingredients

Nacho bars are kind of like charcuterie boards, there are so many different delicious ingredients that you can add. Listed below are some ideas of ingredients you can use for your nacho bar.

Tortilla chips
Juanita’s nacho cheese sauce
Fresh pico de gallo (here’s a video of how to make it)
Carne asada or cooked ground beef
Sour cream
Guacamole
Olives
Cotija cheese
Mexican street corn (here’s a yummy recipe)
Chopped cilantro
Black or pinto beans
Green onions
Jalapeños
Lime wedges
Lettuce or cabbage
Shredded cheese
Cilantro lime dressing
Ranch dressing
Pickled onions
Hot sauce

Cook your make-ahead ingredients first

I like to make my pico de gallo and Mexican street corn the day before so that I’m not as stressed out. I found a really delicious recipe for street corn. It adds a really savory flavor to your nachos. You can make it the night before and just warm it up before you serve.

You can also served salsa from a jar with your nacho bar, but nothing tops fresh pico de gallo. I like to have a container of pico in my fridge at all times and it’s easy to make. Just throw it together the night before and it will be fresh and ready for your nacho bar the next day. Here’s a quick video showing how I like to make my pico in just 10 minutes!

Assemble your nacho bar

One of the easiest ways to elevate the presentation of your nacho bar is by placing your tortilla chips in the bowl of an upright sombrero. You can buy these for fairly cheap online or find one second-hand. Just make sure the sombrero is clean (obviously) before putting the chips in or you can line it with saran wrap on the bottom.

Tortilla chips in a sombrero — *Serve your tortilla chips in a sombrero for an easy, fun decoration.*

Also, I like to serve my guacamole, pico and/or nacho cheese sauce in a molcajete. These traditional mortar and pestal grinders are not only functional for making fresh salsas and guacamoles, they double as the perfect decoration and serving dish.

*Fresh pico de gallo served in a molcajete*

You can place your remaining ingredients such as sour cream, taco meat, beans and olives in small serving bowls around the chips and molcajetes. It’s so easy and looks like it took hours to prepare. You can also place labels next to each of the ingredients if you really want to get fancy.

I don’t always serve all of the nacho bar ingredients listed above and that’s okay. That’s why I love doing nacho bars because you can just grab whatever is in your pantry. It’s the perfect weeknight meal or fancy party buffet. Whatever you want!