TikTok’s viral ‘reheating nachos’ meme explained

TikTok’s ‘reheating nachos’ meme is taking over the app, leaving many confused about what it means. Here’s everything you need to know.

‘Reheating nachos’ or ‘reheat nachos’ has become viral internet slang used to critique celebrities who unsuccessfully attempt to recreate someone else’s or their past self’s vibe or style.

The comparison suggests that, much like reheated nachos, these attempts lack the original’s freshness and appeal, often falling flat.

This slang builds upon the precursor term “wanted nachos,” which originated from a viral clip of Baddies West cast member Natalie Nunn eyeing Stunna Girl’s nachos. That term symbolized the desire for attention or clout that someone else has.

Origin of ‘reheating nachos’

The concept began circulating online after TikToker baddiesfunny posted a December 3, 2023, clip from Baddies West, where Natalie Nunn is eyeing Stunna Girl’s nachos while talking to her.

Captioned “You can tell Natalie lowkey wanted Stunna Girl’s nachos,” the post gained over 191,000 likes and spurred the slang term “wanted nachos.”

This term evolved into “reheating nachos” in 2024, with early mentions appearing on X. On September 4, 2024, user K3YON3R replied to a since-deleted tweet, writing, “Reheating Doja’s nachos real bad LMAO,” marking the first known use of the phrase.

The slang went viral on January 9, 2025, when X user hyphenkordei captioned a post about Doja Cat with, “Kinda need her to reheat these nachos for the next album,” amassing over 62,000 likes.

How it’s used on TikTok

TikTok users have also embraced the viral slang with humorous videos applying it to pop culture moments.

For example, TikToker o011010oo0110o10o01100oo captioned a clip of Lady Gaga’s song Abracadabra with, “ok she reheated her own nachos but she has an air fryer so they came out kinda crispy.” This post gained over 1.3 million views.

Even the popstar’s cosmetics brand, Haus Labs by Lady Gaga, chimed in on the joke, commenting, “The good kind of crispy + with toppings,” under the post.

Similarly, content creator Tristantaylormay joked that Tate McRae “keeps reheating Nelly Furtado’s nachos,” racking up 244,000 views.

Meanwhile, TikTok user Brandonbwins requested that Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, and Kesha reheat their nachos “exact same way” Gaga did in her new song.

The term continues to go viral on social media, sparking a mix of reactions. While some users are baffled by its meaning, others enthusiastically embrace and build on it.

It is just one of the many trends gaining traction on TikTok, alongside the hilarious ‘Here I Am’ Camp Rock challenge and the popular “of course we’ll have a look” craze.