These easy pulled pork nachos are loaded with melty cheese, beans, juicy tomatoes, jalapeños, guacamole and sour cream, all baked together on a sheet pan. They’re a fun way to use up leftover pulled pork and an easy appetizer for feeding a crowd.
Find more leftover pulled pork recipes here.
Ever since we mastered our kamado grill, we make the best smoked pulled pork. Even my dad, after living in Houston for 35 years, is convinced that our smoked brisket is just as good as what he enjoyed in Texas.
My poor kids get no sympathy from their friends when they complain that we have 6 pounds of smoked pork at home. Again. Yeah, first-world problems in my house. With all that leftover pulled pork, we end up finding some pretty fun ways to use it. And that’s where these nachos come in.
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Laura says :
Why this recipe works
- Easy: Layer everything on a sheet pan, pop it in the oven and you’ve got a hot, cheesy appetizer ready for a crowd.
- Great for leftovers: Have leftover pulled pork hanging around? Nachos are one of my favorite ways to turn it into something completely different.
- Loaded with toppings: Melty cheese, pulled pork, beans, jalapeños, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream give you plenty of flavor and texture in every bite.
- Feeds a crowd: A quarter sheet pan makes enough for 4–8 people, depending on whether you’re serving these as an appetizer or making them the main event.
- Easy to customize: Use your favorite cheese, beans and toppings—or just raid the fridge and see what you’ve got. That’s half the fun of making nachos!
Ingredients you need
- Tortilla chips: Use whatever chip base you prefer. Some options include flour tortilla chips, corn tortilla chips and large Frito’s. You can also go fancy and use blue corn tortilla chips or make your own tortilla chips. Don’t choose a super thin chip, as it needs to be able to hold the weight of all those fixings.
- Shredded cheese: I used shredded Mexican blend cheese, but you can also use cheddar, Monterey jack or pepper jack. More details below.
- Shredded pulled pork: Use whatever leftover pulled pork you have available.
- Beans: Use black beans, pinto beans, refried beans or omit altogether.
- Cherry tomatoes: I love the sweet flavor from cherry tomatoes. You can also use grape tomatoes or any variety you have available.
- Red onions: You can also use yellow or white onions.
- Jalapeño: These are mild peppers, but if you can’t handle the heat, you can omit them. For more heat, try serrano chiles. If you don’t have fresh peppers, you can use canned or jarred varieties instead.
- Avocado: Nachos need guacamole, but you can omit this if you don’t like it.
- Garlic: I like to add fresh garlic to my guacamole. You can substitute with garlic powder or omit if you prefer.
- Fresh cilantro: This is a must for Mexican food. You could use dried cilantro, but the flavor is not the same as fresh.
- Sour cream: Again, if you prefer not to use it, you can omit it or serve on the side.
- Lime: I like to serve nachos with lime wedges, for my sour lovers. Again, totally optional.
Step-by-step directions
- Start with the chips. Lightly coat baking sheet with with nonstick spray and place half of the chips on top.
- Pile on the cheese. Top chips with half of the cheese, pulled pork and beans.
- Next layer! Place another layer of chips, cheese, pork and beans. Cut half of the jalapeño into thin slices and arrange over top of nachos. Dice the remaining jalapeño and discard seeds. Reserve.
- Bake. Bake at 350ºF for 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and the edges of the chips are crisp.
- Make the guac. While nachos are baking, make the guacamole and pico de gallo. For guacamole, scoop out avocado flesh, place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add cilantro, garlic, diced jalapeños and lime juice. Set aside.
For something really special, try my smoky guacamole with bacon, or if you are short on time, you can also use store bought guacamole.
- Make the pico. For the pico de gallo, dice tomatoes and mix in a bowl with chopped red onions, cilantro, lime juice and diced jalapeños. Set aside. You can also use store bought pico de gallo or salsa.
- Add the toppings. When nachos are done, top with guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, remaining cilantro. Serve with remaining lime wedges.
Best toppings for pulled pork nachos
The beauty of nachos is that you can make them as simple or as loaded as you like. I usually go with gooey cheese, black beans, jalapeños, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and plenty of fresh cilantro. But don’t stop there!
Fresh toppings
- Pico de gallo
- Tomatoes
- Avocado or guacamole
- Cilantro
- Green onions
- Radishes
- Jalapeños
- Bell peppers
Hearty toppings
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- Black beans
- Pinto beans
- Refried beans
- Corn
- Pulled pork
Extra toppings
- Black olives
- Bell peppers
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Queso
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
What Cheese Is Best for Pulled Pork Nachos? There are also two camps in the nacho world: shredded cheese and liquid cheese. If you prefer a liquid consistency, then you just need to heat up your queso (like my 2-ingredient white queso recipe) and pour it over the chips.
For shredded cheese, choose something that melts well without turning rubbery. Monterey Jack is a great choice, but I usually reach for a Mexican cheese blend. Mine typically includes Monterey Jack, Asadero, Cheddar and Queso Quesadilla.
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Scale up or down. When I am making a large batch of nachos for a crowd, I like to bake them on a baking sheet. This recipe fits a quarter sheet baking pan. This feeds 4-8 people, depending on how large the appetites you are feeding.
You can double the recipe to fit a larger half sheet pan. When you are making leftover pulled pork nachos in a baking sheet, the best way to melt the cheese is in the oven. I bake at 350ºF/177ºC for about 10-20 minutes, until all the layers of the cheese is melty and gooey.
Microwave. You can also make nachos in the microwave. If I am making a batch of nachos for one or two people, then I assemble everything on a microwave safe plate. Heat on high for 60-90 seconds or until the cheese is melted.
If you love these nachos, then you need to try my loaded tater tots (tachos). And yes, it’s made with leftover pulled pork, too!
StoringInstructions
TO STORE: Nachos are best enjoyed fresh. Reheating nachos is tough because you will have soggy chips and hot guacamole. But if you still want to keep your leftovers, store them an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
For me, the best flavor comes from fresh ingredients. I like to add a meat of some kind, like carne asada or pulled pork. I also use Mexican blend shredded cheese. For toppings I like to add chopped tomatoes, salsa, bell peppers, jalapeños, red onions, beans (black beans, pinto beans or refried beans), corn kernels, black olives, sour cream, guacamole, avocados, pico de gallo, salsa, fresh cilantro, fresh green onions, radishes and/or lime wedges.
For shredded cheese, choose something that melts well without turning rubbery. Monterey Jack is a great choice, but I usually reach for a Mexican cheese blend. Mine typically includes Monterey Jack, Asadero, Cheddar and Queso Quesadilla.
I’d say no, not fully assembled. You can prep the toppings ahead, but assemble and bake the nachos just before serving so the chips stay crisp.
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Pulled Pork Nachos
Ingredients
- 4 oz tortilla chips
- 1 lb shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 8-10 oz shredded pulled pork
- ½ cup black beans
- 5 oz cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped red onions
- 1 jalapeño
- 1 avocado
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with silicone baking mat.
- Place half of the chips on the baking sheet and top with half of the cheese, pulled pork and beans.
- Place another layer of chips, cheese, pork and beans.
- Cut half of the jalapeño into thin slices and arrange over top of nachos. Dice the remaining jalapeño and discard seeds. Reserve.
- Bake nachos until cheese is melted, about 15-20 minutes.
- While nachos are baking, make the guacamole and pico de gallo.
- For guacamole, cut avocado in half and remove seed. Scoop of avocado flesh, place in a bowl and mash with a fork.
- Mix in with the avocados 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, crushed garlic and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Add half of reserved diced jalapeño and set aside.
- For the pico de gallo, dice tomatoes and mix in a bowl with chopped red onions, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon lime juice and remaining diced jalapeños. Set aside.
- When nachos are done, top with guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, remaining cilantro.
- Serve with remaining lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura BasharÂ
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
Love nachos! And I often make them using pulled pork, or probably more typically pulled chicken. Your version looks terrific — thanks.
Love the sheet pan idea and the double layer of chips and toppings! These are gorgeous and delicious!
It’s all about the toppings for me – for nachos and pizza!
Nachos are my go-to comfort food, and when I need comfort, it’s usually just cheese melted on chips. But when I pull out all the stops, I love your ideas for delicious toppings. I need to remember to cut up a lime to squeeze over right before eating, too!
We love the zing of lime on all kinds of foods. And now my kids are asking for pulled pork nachos for dinner tonight!