Loaded Nachos Pulled Pork (Printable)

Crispy chips layered with tender pork, creamy cheese, spicy jalapeños, and fresh toppings for a satisfying snack.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pulled Pork

01 - 2 cups cooked pulled pork
02 - 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce (optional)

→ Nachos Base

03 - 9 oz tortilla chips

→ Queso

04 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
05 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - 1¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese
08 - ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
09 - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
10 - ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - Salt, to taste

→ Toppings

12 - ½ cup pickled jalapeño slices
13 - ½ cup sour cream
14 - ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
15 - ¼ cup diced red onion
16 - 1 medium tomato, diced
17 - 1 avocado, diced (optional)
18 - Lime wedges, for serving

# Method:

01 - Set the oven to 375°F and allow it to reach the temperature.
02 - If cold, combine pulled pork with barbecue sauce and heat in a skillet over medium heat until hot.
03 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until slightly thickened (2–3 minutes). Incorporate cheddar, Monterey Jack, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
04 - Arrange tortilla chips evenly on a baking sheet or oven-safe platter. Top with warm pulled pork, then drizzle half of the queso sauce over evenly.
05 - Place the assembled nachos in the oven and bake for 8–10 minutes until heated through and edges of chips are crisp.
06 - Remove from oven. Drizzle remaining queso sauce and scatter jalapeños, red onion, tomato, avocado, and cilantro over the top. Add dollops of sour cream and serve immediately with lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You can have restaurant-quality nachos on the table in under an hour, with most of the effort just layering and watching.
  • The queso stays creamy and cohesive because of the flour roux—no broken, greasy mess like when you just melt cheese.
  • It's the kind of dish that works for feeding two people or ten, scaling up without any real extra thought.
02 -
  • Make your queso while the oven heats so it's fresh and pourable when you need it—sitting queso starts to thicken and get grainy as it cools.
  • Don't pour all the queso on top—layering half before the oven means it distributes better and every chip gets coated, not just the top ones.
  • Add cold toppings after the oven step, not before, or they'll wilt and release their moisture into the whole dish.
03 -
  • Keep your queso warm in a small pot or slow cooker set to low if you're making nachos for a group, so you can drizzle extra sauce on each plate without the original batch solidifying.
  • Toast your chips lightly in the oven before assembling if they're slightly stale—five minutes at 350°F brings them back to life.
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