Pulled Pork Nachos
intro
Crispy corn tortilla chips piled high with smoky pulled pork, melted cheese, and bright zesty toppings, perfect for sharing with friends.
Ingredients
Steps
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). In a medium mixing bowl, toss 350g shredded pre-cooked smoked pulled pork with 60ml of smoky sweet BBQ sauce, 1 tsp (3g) ground cumin, and ½ tsp (1.5g) smoked paprika until evenly coated. Warm the sauced pork in the microwave on high power for 1 minute to remove the chill, ensuring it will melt cheese evenly when baked.
Line a 38cm x 26cm (15in x 10in) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Spread 200g of thick-cut corn tortilla chips in a single, even layer across the sheet, filling in any bare gaps so every chip will be covered in toppings, with no stacked chips that won’t get cheese.
Sprinkle half (110g) of the shredded cheddar-Monterey Jack blend evenly over the tortilla chips to create a cheese base that sticks toppings to chips. Distribute the warmed, seasoned pulled pork across the cheese in small clumps, avoiding large piles that would crush chips. Top the pork with the remaining 110g of shredded cheese, covering all pork pieces and exposed chip edges.
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated 200°C (400°F) oven. Bake for 8–10 minutes, watching closely after 7 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted, bubbly around the pan edges, and just starting to turn light golden on the tallest points. Do not overbake, as chips will turn bitter and burn quickly once cheese melts.
Remove the baked nachos from the oven immediately once done. Evenly scatter 60g drained pickled jalapeño slices, 100g seeded and drained diced Roma tomato, and 50g finely diced red onion across the hot, cheesy surface, distributing toppings so every bite has a mix of flavors.
Drizzle the remaining 20ml of smoky sweet BBQ sauce in thin zig-zags across the top of the nachos. Dollop 120g of sour cream in 5–6 small spoonfuls evenly across the tray, sprinkle 15g of fresh cilantro leaves over the top, and tuck 4 lime wedges around the edges of the baking sheet. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.
Tips
2.Pat diced tomatoes and pickled jalapeños dry with a paper towel before topping to remove excess moisture that causes soggy, limp chips.
3.Shred cheese from a block for the smoothest melt; pre-shredded bagged cheese is coated in anti-caking agents that lead to grainy, unevenly melted cheese.
OMG these were the star of our Sunday football watch party! I used leftover smoked pulled pork from the weekend, layered on extra pickled jalapeños and a drizzle of sour cream, and every last bite was gone in 15 minutes. SO good, even my picky teen asked for seconds! Wait, quick question: can I prep the layers ahead for a potluck next week without the chips getting soggy?
Total game changer for quick weeknight dinners! I thought pulled pork nachos would be a whole production, but 25 minutes? No way, I was skeptical until I made it last night. Used store-bought pre-shredded pulled pork to cut even more time, and my husband said it’s better than the nachos at our local sports bar. 10/10 will be in our regular rotation.
Really solid recipe! I added a little extra chipotle powder to the pork to kick up the smokiness, and swapped regular cheese for pepper jack for extra heat. Only reason it’s not 5 stars is I wish there was a note about how to keep the bottom chips from getting a little too crispy under the broiler—mine burnt a tiny bit on the edges. Still tasty though!
Brought these to my office potluck yesterday and people were literally coming up to ask me for the recipe before we even finished eating. I loaded mine up with black beans, corn, diced red onion, and a dollop of guac on top. The smoky flavor from the pork pairs so perfectly with all the fresh toppings, I’m already planning to make them for my birthday cookout next month!
Made these for meal prep this week! Wait, before anyone comes for me, I kept the pork and cheese mixture separate from the chips and just assembled a single serving each night when I got home from work. It held up great all week! Only knock is I wish the recipe had a suggestion for a little sauce to drizzle on top, they were a tiny bit dry for me even with sour cream.
Bro I made these in my tiny dorm oven last night and my roommates lost their minds. I used that canned pulled pork you get at the grocery store, a bag of cheap tortilla chips, and shredded cheese from the dining hall, and it still slapped. 25 minutes is no lie, I was eating in less than half an hour after I got back from class. Absolute dorm meal staple now.
So happy I found this! I used gluten-free corn tortilla chips and made sure my pulled pork had no hidden gluten additives, and it was totally safe for my celiac. The smoky flavor is so spot on, I didn’t even miss the bar-style loaded nachos I used to get before going GF. Has anyone tried making this with jackfruit instead of pork for a vegan version?
Made these for my at-home date night with my girlfriend last weekend, paired with a couple of cold margaritas, and she said it was better than our usual takeout nacho order. I added a little sprinkle of cotija cheese on top right after pulling them out of the broiler, game. Changer. Will absolutely be making these again for movie nights going forward.
Made these for the Super Bowl party this year and they were gone before the national anthem ended. I doubled the recipe, added a whole pound of extra pulled pork, and set out a topping bar with guac, salsa, sour cream, pickled red onions, and jalapeños so people could load them up how they wanted. Zero leftovers, zero complaints. Perfect easy game day food.
Okay, this was my first time ever making anything in the broiler so I was super nervous, and they turned out… okay? I think I left them under too long because the cheese was a little more burnt than melty, and I forgot to season the pork a little extra so it was bland. Probably user error, not the recipe, I’ll definitely try again now that I know how fast the broiler works!
Wisconsin native here, take my word for it: the cheese pull on these is INSANE. I used a mix of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack like the recipe says, and when I pulled the tray out of the oven the cheese was stretching a full foot when I served them. The smoky pork cuts through all that rich cheese so well, it’s not heavy at all even when you pile your plate high.
My kids loved it! I’ve been struggling to find dinners that both my 7 year old and 10 year old will eat without complaining, and they both asked for thirds last night. I left the jalapeños off their portions and added a little extra cheese, and they ate every bite. Even my husband, who swears he ‘doesn’t like nachos for dinner’, had a full plate. Total family win!
The smoky flavor on these is absolutely perfect! I used pulled pork that I smoked myself with hickory wood for 8 hours the day before, and it paired so well with the melted cheese and crispy chips. I will say, I added a drizzle of BBQ sauce on top because I’m a sauce fiend, and it took it to the next level. 10/10, no notes.
Made these at 1am after a night out with friends and they hit DIFFERENT. I had leftover pulled pork in the fridge from a takeout order, threw it on some chips with cheese, broiled it, topped with hot sauce, and it was the best late night snack I’ve ever made. Way better than driving to Taco Bell, that’s for sure. Easy enough to make even when you’re half asleep, no cap.
Super easy recipe, I’ve made it three times in the last two weeks! The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is that the recipe says 25 minutes cook time, but for me it took closer to 35 because I had to heat up the cold pulled pork first before layering. Flavor is 10/10, just plan for a little extra time if your pork is straight out of the fridge!
Made these for my crew at the fire station last shift, and they were a massive hit. We’ve got a crew of 8 guys with huge appetites, so I tripled the recipe, loaded on extra meat and beans, and it was gone in 10 minutes flat. Easy to make in the station oven, minimal cleanup, and everyone left full. Already added it to our station meal rotation for slow shifts.
Wait, has anyone made these in an air fryer instead of the oven? I don’t love heating up my whole oven for a small batch of nachos for me and my partner, so I tested it in my air fryer at 400 degrees for 3 minutes, and it turned out perfect! Crispy chips, melty cheese, smoky pork, zero issues. Just thought I’d share the hack for other small-batch folks!