Loaded Nachos Pulled Pork (Printable)

Crispy chips topped with pulled pork, melted cheese sauce, jalapeños, and fresh garnishes for a savory treat.

# 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

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat the 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 one minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add cheddar, Monterey Jack, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt; stir until smooth and fully melted. Remove from heat.
04 - Arrange tortilla chips evenly on a large baking sheet or oven-safe platter. Top with warm pulled pork. Drizzle half the queso over the chips and pork.
05 - Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is heated through and edges of the chips are crisp.
06 - Remove from oven. Drizzle remaining queso over the nachos. Sprinkle jalapeño slices, diced red onion, diced tomato, diced avocado, and chopped cilantro on top.
07 - Dollop sour cream over the nachos and serve immediately with lime wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This comes together in under an hour, which means you can actually enjoy time with your guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen.
  • The queso is silky and real—not that scary orange stuff from a jar—and it genuinely tastes like you know what you're doing.
  • It's designed to feed a crowd without requiring fancy plating or stress; everyone just digs in and has fun.
02 -
  • Don't skip tempering the milk into your roux—I learned this the hard way with a lumpy sauce that was honestly sad. Go slow and whisk constantly.
  • The queso splits if you overheat it after adding cheese, so keep the heat medium and stop cooking the moment everything is melted and smooth.
  • Timing matters here—the fresh toppings go on after the bake so they stay crisp and bright, not wilted into the warm layers.
03 -
  • Make your queso ahead and reheat it gently in a saucepan with a splash of milk if it's thickened up—it saves you stress when people are arriving.
  • Prep all your toppings before you start cooking so the final assembly happens in seconds and everything goes on while the nachos are still hot.
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