National Nachos Day 2026 is on Friday

About National Nachos Day

Nachos are usually credited to Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, a maître d' in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, across the Rio Grande from Eagle Pass, Texas. As the story is usually told, in 1943 a group of wives of US servicemen stationed near Eagle Pass arrived at the Victory Club restaurant when the cook could not be found. Anaya put together fried tortilla pieces, grated yellow cheese and sliced pickled jalapeños, warmed the plate, and the dish became known by his nickname. Texas Highways notes a twist: food writer Robb Walsh quoted a 1961 interview in which Anaya placed the dish's birth at another Piedras Negras restaurant, El Moderno. Chef and author Adán Medrano has described nachos as home cooking of the border region that likely existed before Anaya gave them a name.

Nachos spread far beyond the border in the 1970s. San Antonio businessman Frank Liberto introduced nachos with a pumpable cheese sauce at Arlington Stadium, then home of the Texas Rangers, in 1976, and the snack became a concession-stand standard.

No founder or founding year for the November 6 observance is documented, and it has no official status; it is used mainly by restaurants and the media. It should not be confused with the International Day of the Nacho on October 21. Piedras Negras set that date to honor Anaya after his death in 1975 and holds an annual nacho festival in October.

Sources: Texas Highways: How Nachos Became an International Hit (November 6, 2020, archived), CNN: Google Doodle honors the man who invented nachos (August 15, 2019), TIME: The International Day of the Nacho Would Not Be Possible Without This Man (October 20, 2016). How we check dates.

How to mark National Nachos Day

• Make the original three-ingredient version: fried tortilla wedges, shredded mild cheese and pickled jalapeño slices, warmed until the cheese melts.
• Fry your own chips from day-old corn tortillas instead of using a bag, for a sturdier base that holds up under toppings.
• Build a nacho bar for a game night with beans, grilled vegetables or meat, salsa, guacamole and crema in separate bowls.
• Read about the food of the Texas-Mexico border, where nachos, fajitas and much of Tex-Mex cooking took shape.
• Try a regional twist, such as nachos topped with brisket, black beans or roasted green chiles.

National Nachos Day dates