Loaded Nachos with Pulled Pork (Printable)

Crispy chips topped with pulled pork, cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, and fresh cilantro for a flavorful 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 375°F.
02 - If using cold pulled pork, combine with barbecue sauce if desired and heat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
03 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook until slightly thickened, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add cheddar, Monterey Jack, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir until cheese is fully melted and sauce is smooth, then remove from heat.
04 - Arrange tortilla chips evenly on a large baking sheet or oven-safe platter. Spread the warm pulled pork evenly over the chips. Drizzle half of the queso sauce over the pork and chips.
05 - Place the assembled nachos in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until heated through and chip edges turn crisp.
06 - Remove from the oven. Drizzle the remaining queso sauce over the top. Scatter jalapeño slices, red onion, tomato, avocado if using, and cilantro evenly.
07 - Add dollops of sour cream on top and serve immediately with lime wedges.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • They're shareable without feeling like you're serving something ordinary—loaded nachos have genuine presence on any table.
  • Most of the work happens while you're doing other things, letting the oven handle the heavy lifting.
  • You can build them with whatever you have on hand, making them feel less like a recipe and more like controlled kitchen chaos.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roux step when making queso—flour and butter cooked together is what keeps the cheese from separating into pools of oil and grainy solids.
  • Add milk gradually while whisking, not all at once, or you'll end up with lumps that no amount of stirring fixes.
  • Half the queso goes on before baking, the other half after—this prevents it from breaking down from the oven heat while still getting everything warm and melted.
03 -
  • Make your queso while the pork warms, so everything finishes at roughly the same time—rushed execution breaks the spell of good food.
  • Use an oven-safe platter instead of a baking sheet if you can; it holds heat longer and keeps nachos warm longer once they leave the oven.
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