How To Get Oven-Quality Nachos Using A Microwave

A microwave, without a doubt, is one of the best appliances to have in a kitchen. It helps with all kinds of useful tasks, from reheating leftovers to melting butter, and chances are you use it nearly every day. When it comes to making actual meals, however, a microwave doesn't exactly substitute well for the stove or oven despite the fact that it has heating properties. If you've ever tried to make chicken in the microwave, for example, you'll quickly find that it turns out rubbery and dry, and while your chicken will technically be cooked, it won't taste as good, as per Epicurious.

With nachos, on the other hand, it's a different story. Given that their basic components are tortilla chips and melted cheese, nachos actually do quite well in the microwave. While most of us have probably microwaved a slice of American cheese over some tortilla chips at least once in our lives, there's one technique that produces far more appetizing results.

The first step to achieving oven-quality nachos in the microwave is to microwave the tortilla chips by themselves before you add the cheese. This will allow them to stay extra crisp, Serious Eats shares. While bread when microwaved turns either hard or mushy, tortilla chips are different because they're made of corn rather than wheat flour, and they've been previously fried and therefore rid of excess moisture.

Per Still Tasty's recommendation, the best way to go about microwaving tortilla chips is to microwave them on top of a paper towel for 15 seconds. If necessary, repeat in 10-second intervals until the chips are extra crunchy. Once the tortilla chips have been microwaved, you can go ahead and add the cheese and the toppings of your liking, and per Serious Eats' instructions, microwave for a final 30 seconds. At this point, the cheese should be perfectly melty and the nachos ready to enjoy.