In the present investigation chromium nanoparticles at different mass fractions were dispersed in ethylene glycol to have chromium nanofluids. The UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy results verified that the nanoparticles (NPs) uniformly distributed in the base liquid. Thermal and optical properties of the prepared nanofluids were investigated using photoacoustic spectroscopy and minimum deviation methods. Ethylene glycol, ethanol, and distilled water were used as standard liquids to optimise the experimental setup. The effective thermal effusivity and the refractive index of chromium nanofluids, in ethylene glycol, were measured and the effects of mass fractions were clarified. The results showed that NPs significantly enhance the thermal and optical properties of the investigated nanofluids.