Loaded Nachos with Pulled Pork (Printable)

Crispy tortilla chips layered with pulled pork, melted cheese, jalapeños, and sour cream 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven 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. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook until slightly thickened, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in cheddar, Monterey Jack, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt until smooth. Remove from heat.
04 - Arrange tortilla chips evenly on a large baking sheet or oven-safe platter. Spread pulled pork evenly over the chips. Drizzle half of the queso sauce atop.
05 - Bake in preheated oven for 8–10 minutes until heated through and chips are crisp at edges.
06 - Remove from oven. Drizzle remaining queso over nachos. Evenly distribute jalapeños, red onion, tomato, avocado, and cilantro on top.
07 - Dollop sour cream over nachos and serve immediately with lime wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring hours of prep or a complicated technique you've never tried before.
  • The queso comes together in minutes and tastes nothing like the jarred stuff—rich, smooth, and you control exactly how much flavor goes in.
  • It's one of those dishes that looks like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
  • If your queso breaks or looks separated, don't panic—a splash of milk and gentle heat on the stove brings it back together, but the best prevention is whisking the milk in slowly and keeping heat at medium, not high.
  • Don't overload the chips before baking or they'll get soggy instead of crispy; a generous layer is enough, and restraint here pays off.
  • Add toppings after baking so jalapeños stay bright, avocado stays creamy, and sour cream doesn't pool into warm puddles.
03 -
  • Keep your chips on a preheated baking sheet so they start crisping immediately instead of steaming—it changes the final texture noticeably.
  • If you're making queso for the first time, medium heat and patience are everything; rush it and you'll break the sauce, but go slow and it becomes foolproof.
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