BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos

These BBQ pulled pork nachos are loaded with extra protein making this appetizer favorite suitable for a main meal, too. Easy and flavorful pulled pork, your favorite BBQ sauce, roasted corn, cheese, and more make this dish TOTAL comfort food.

One of my favorite indulgences when I'm out to eat with my husband is sharing a plate of nachos as our main dish. We always add an optional protein, usually grilled chicken, to make it a little more substantial and dinner-worthy.

Lately we've been eating nachos at home more often, especially now that I make a point to remember that it's an excellent choice for using up leftover meat. Well, that and the fact that we moved 2,000 miles away from our very favorite restaurant nachos, but still.

Since my slow cooker pulled pork makes 10-ish servings and we're a household of two, leftover portions frequently make an appearance on nachos. Sometimes it's good to switch up the usual chicken/salsa/guacamole routine, you know?

Recipe Ingredients

Base Ingredients

At its base you'll need three foundational ingredients for this recipe: tortilla chips, pulled pork, and cheese.

• Tortilla Chips: Any kind you like is great! My personal preference is to use lightly-salted/low-salt tortilla chips to keep the sodium level in check, especially if enjoying these pulled pork nachos for a full meal.
• Pulled Pork: Leftover crockpot pulled pork, take-out, or store-bought. Many different spice and seasoning blends work just great here. It just needs to be fully cooked.
• Cheese: Choose a variety that works with the flavor direction you're going. If drizzling BBQ sauce on your nachos, any sort of cheddar, smoked gouda, or colby jack would be great. If no BBQ sauce and you're leaning Tex-Mex, cheddar, pepper jack, or any kind of Mexican three or four cheese blend are good options.

Pulled Pork Nacho Toppings

Pulled pork nachos can be more BBQ-flavored or they can lean Tex-Mex. You might also like the flavors combined! My preference is to choose one direction or the other so I've separated out the different topping ideas, but mix and match as your tastebuds direct.

For either style, I love skillet roasted corn. This is definitely a quick/cheater's version, but it gives a regular old can of corn a LOT of roast-y oomph and flavor. Jalapeño peppers, pickled or otherwise, are also a universal nacho favorite.

For BBQ pulled pork nachos, consider your favorite BBQ sauce, cooked black beans (or leftover baked beans!), diced red onion, and coleslaw.

For Tex-Mex pulled pork nachos, consider pico de gallo or halved cherry tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, sliced black olives, white or yellow onion, black or refried beans, or chipotle salsa.

How to Make Pulled Pork Nachos

It all starts with the pork, as that will need to be fully cooked and shredded before beginning. Also prepare any toppings that require cooking or extra steps, such as roasting the corn or preparing homemade salsa.

1. Place an even layer of tortilla chips on the bottom of a large sheet pan. Try not to overlap them too much.
2. Evenly distribute pulled pork over the chips, as well as any toppings you'd like served hot: roasted corn, beans, onion, etc.
3. Drizzle with BBQ sauce (if using).
4. Top with lots of shredded cheese.

5. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the edge tortilla chips are nice and crisp.
6. Add the remaining nacho toppings: jalapeño rings, cilantro, more BBQ sauce (if using), salsa, guacamole, sour cream, black olives, etc.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Prevent sogginess. Arranging these BBQ pulled pork nachos in a single layer on a large rimmed pan helps avoid the sogginess that can arise from stacking two layers of tortilla chips on a smaller pan.
• Easy clean up. Line the sheet pan with parchment paper for easier clean up.
• Reheat leftovers. Place leftover portions on a pan in a lower oven or toaster oven, around 325°F or so, and cook until thoroughly warmed throughout. Avoid the microwave as this will lead to soggy nachos. If you know you'll have leftovers, try and avoid dolloping sour cream or guacamole all throughout the nachos when serving as they don't heat well.

Related BBQ Recipes

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!