Pulled pork nachos – the best nachos recipe
Most of the time when you think of nachos, your mind will probably go to a traditional restaurant style nachos. I have a really great recipe, but these are a lot simpler and less labor intensive.
They have less ingredients – and so many less steps – and they’re more inspired by my favorite bbq chicken pizza. And, I can honestly say, I really believe this is the best nachos recipe ever. It’s simple, full of flavor and you can easily make enough to feed a crowd – sheet pan or two required.
Plus, they’re a great idea for using up leftovers. When I have leftover meat from favorite pulled pork sandwiches, I usually know exactly what to do with it – bbq baked potato, bbq pork banh mi or these pulled pork nachos.
If you like this recipe, you have to try this dairy free chili con queso dip, and this chipotle blender salsa and these oven roasted patatas bravas.
Searching for more game day appetizers? peanut butter and jelly wings / spicy Mexican chicken sliders / beer battered onion straws / fried pickle dip
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Dairy free cheddar shreds – We love using Daiya Vegan Cheddar Shreds when we need a melted cheddar alternative, but feel free to use your favorite brand. Just be sure to check out the dairy-free tip below for how to best melt the vegan cheddar shreds.
- Pulled pork – Use your favorite BBQ pulled pork recipe leftovers, pre-packaged pulled pork, or give my slow cooker pulled pork recipe a try.
- Red onion – You can rinse your red onion to mellow it out; it’s one of my favorite tricks for using raw red onion.
- Pickled jalapeños – Pickled jalapeños are my favorite because they aren’t as spicy as fresh jalapeños, so I still feel like I’m being tough, but I’m really a little bit of a wimp. You can definitely use fresh if you’re not afraid. You could also use these jalapeños, which are produced to have extra flavor without too much heat. Who knew?
- Aioli – I also made a quick chipotle aioli to add creaminess to the pulled pork nachos, but you could try avocado, dairy free sour cream or even guacamole.
- Additional topping ideas: Chopped fresh cilantro, black olives, pico de gallo, pickled peppers might be fun, too.
How to make bbq pulled pork nachos
Mise en place. Most of the ingredients in this recipe are store-bought or leftover, so you shouldn’t have much hands-on prep time. Once you have all your ingredients prepped and ready, preheat your oven to 400˚F.
If you don’t have any leftover meat, try this slow cooker pulled pork recipe, just skip the coleslaw and buns. I would definitely make it the day before you plan to serve the nachos though, or you’ll be eating you pulled pork nachos at midnight.
Layer your ingredients. The key to really great pulled pork nachos layering your ingredients. This means saving the fresh toppings like pico de gallo, cilantro and aioli for after you bake the nachos because those ingredients typically lose their flavor or texture when heated.
In your baking dish, layer tortilla chips, and top them with bbq pulled pork, red onion, pickled jalapeño and your dairy free cheese. Add a second layer of the same, and repeat until your dish is full.
Bake your nachos. Tent your pulled pork nachos with foil if you want to ensure the cheese retains moisture, but don’t completely seal it or you’ll end up with soggy chips. Bake them for about 10 minutes (if you have more than two layers, I would add a couple extra minutes).
Top with fresh ingredients. After you remove your nachos from the oven, add your fresh pico de gallo and extra fresh cilantro. You can also add other ingredients, like guacamole or black olives – anything you like.
* dairy free recipe tip
If you’re making these nachos with vegan cheese, like I did, I recommend tenting your nachos with foil before baking. This will keep moisture in and help your dairy free nachos from being dry. Adding extra aioli helps, too. But, these pulled pork nachos are so flavorful, you shouldn’t be able to notice the difference.
Ingredients
- Tortilla chips - about 1/2 bag
- 2 cups bbq pulled pork
- 2 cups dairy free cheddar cheese shreds
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup pico de gallo or salsa
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons chipotle adobo sauce
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
To make the nachos:
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- In a baking dish: layer tortilla chips, pulled pork, pickled jalapeños, cheese shreds, and red onion, until dish is full. Tent with foil (do not completely seal). Bake for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro, pico de gallo and chipotle aioli before serving.
To make the aioli:
- Combine all ingredients in a large cup for an immersion blender.
- Blend, starting at the bottom, working up until the ingredients are fully combined and are smooth.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chipotle adobo sauce
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Pinch of salt.
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