Pulled Pork Nachos
Pulled Pork Nachos Say it: PULLD PORK NAH-chohz
Pulled pork nachos are the American bar-and-tailgate answer to a hungry crowd: a heap of crisp tortilla chips loaded with smoky shredded pork, black beans and melted Monterey Jack, then finished with pickled jalapeños, cool sour cream and a squiggle of barbecue sauce. They bake in one pan, they are eaten with your hands, and the pleasure is in the contrast — crunch, salt, smoke, heat and something cool on top. The pork braises low until it falls apart; the rest takes minutes.
Pulled Pork Nachos
Pulled Pork Nachos
Pronounced PULLD PORK NAH-chohz
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 20 min
- Total
- 2 hr 45 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the pulled pork
For the nachos
Method
Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Toss the pork chunks with the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper until every piece is evenly coated.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in a single layer, turning occasionally, for 6–8 minutes, until deep golden on several sides.
Pour in the stock and cider vinegar and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 2 hours, until the pork pulls apart with no resistance from a fork.
Lift the pork into a bowl and shred it with two forks, discarding any large pockets of fat. Stir in 3 tbsp of the braising liquid and 2 tbsp of the barbecue sauce so the meat stays moist and glossy.
Raise the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread half the chips in a 12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet or on a large rimmed sheet pan. Scatter over half the cheese, then all the pork, the black beans and half the jalapeños.
Top with the remaining chips and the remaining cheese, keeping the layers loose so the heat can reach the middle.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling at the edges and the exposed chip edges are toasted golden — watch closely, as chips scorch fast.
Warm the remaining barbecue sauce briefly and drizzle it over the pan. Scatter on the red onion, tomatoes, avocado, remaining jalapeños and cilantro, dot with the sour cream and serve at once with lime wedges.
Regional variants
Swap the pork for shredded smoked chicken or chopped leftover brisket, or add a ladle of warm queso for extra-gooey nachos. Baking them in a cast-iron skillet gives the bottom layer a crisp, toasted edge.
Cook's notes
- Use thick restaurant-style chips and build in two loose layers; a tight pile steams instead of crisping and the cheese never reaches the bottom.
- The pulled pork is even better made a day ahead — the flavor settles and the fat sets, so it is easy to skim.
- Barbecue sauce and some stocks contain gluten; choose corn tortilla chips, a gluten-free barbecue sauce and gluten-free stock if you need the dish to be gluten-free.
Serve with
Cold beer, a michelada or a pitcher of limeade, with a crunchy slaw or pickled onions on the side.
Make ahead and storage
The pulled pork keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freezes for 2 months; reheat with a splash of stock. Assemble and bake the nachos just before serving — they do not hold.
