These incredibly flavorful pork nachos are served with melted cheese, corn, beans, tomatoes, avocado, a drizzle of sour cream and lime. The pulled pork is the star of this dish, rich and succulent and braised until fork-tender. You can have it ready in advance and assemble the nacho tray at the last moment.

Metal tray with pulled pork nacho bake, drizzle of mayo, lime wedges, tomatoes.

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Flavorful appetizer

Also known as sheet pan nachos, this is the best way to use a bag of tortilla chips, in my opinion.

Layers of pulled pork, nachos, cheese and fresh Mexican-inspired toppings. It's all baked and served hot to take advantage of the melted cheese and warm pork.

You'll get raves, and no one will know how easy it is to assemble it once you have the pulled pork ready.

This recipe is requested chiefly for 5 de Mayo (obvs!), game day, and Father's Day around here. Personally? I like to assemble it every time I have leftover pulled pork, no matter the day of the week or time of year.

For the pork, you can use the carnitas we use for the pork tacos, or make it in the slow cooker with BBQ sauce (use homemade and it'll be a breeze). They have different flavor profiles, and both work. So choose your adventure.

If you're more into chicken, the filling of chicken tinga tacos or spicy chicken taquitos also fits the bill.

Testing Notes

Ratio of ingredients: go easy on the cheese and balance it out with the amount of tortillas and pork to get a good bite. Too much of either of these and the appetizer will either lack flavor or one flavor will overpower the rest.

Divide the cheese into two parts: I found it melts better and doesn't get as clumpy when eating the nachos.

Serve it quickly after you take the tray out of the oven. A warm bite differentiates between a great appetizer and a soggy, uninteresting one. So plan.

Lifting a cheesy nacho with pork and beans from bake tray.

Ingredient Notes

Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.

Tortilla chips or nachos: homemade or store-bought.
Pulled pork: I like to use carnitas or make bbq pulled pork (see recipe card).
Baked beans: homemade or from a can.
Corn: fresh or frozen kernels, thawed.
Cheese: Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese are popular; we use them, but feel free to use another one.

White bowls with ingredients for pork nachos with beans, avocado, corn and sour cream.

The pulled pork

I give two options. Both work very well, of course, but bring different flavors to this appetizer dish.

Cutting the pork: it's the way to go if you're braising the meat and making carnitas. The pieces should be no smaller than 1-inch chunks in order to cook slowly but remain juicy.

Whole piece of pork: it takes longer, but it's more difficult to get dry meat. I recommend it if using a slow cooker (or Instant Pot).

Pork shoulder pieces cooked in a baking tray with orange pieces.

You can oven-braise the pork pieces until juicy. You mustn't let them dry out.

Slow cooker with cooked pork shoulder in barbecue sauce.

Using the slow cooker is another great way to get tender, juicy pork, especially if you cook the whole piece of pork shoulder.

Assemble the nacho bake

Two silver forks on a white platter with pulled pork. Top view.

Pull the pork

Use two forks to tear the meat into opposite sides, creating strings of pork. The juices will be mixed with the shredded meat.

Layer or corn chips on a metal baking tray. Top view.

Tortilla chips

Spread them out well so you can lift them more easily. They will overlay, and that is fine.

Cheese

The shredded cheese is layered in two parts so it doesn't get goopy or too clumpy.

Corn, beans and pulled pork over nachos on a metal tray.

Step 4

Spread the pork and add-ins to cover most of the tortillas so everyone gets a full bite.

Sauce drizzled over pork loaded nachos on a metal tray.

Nacho toppings

It's essential to add freshness to this dish. We love avocados, tomatoes, sour cream with lime, cilantro, and sometimes jalapenos. Adjust to your liking.

Kitchen Notes

Choose the right cut of pork: opt for well-marbled cuts like pork shoulder (my favorite) or pork butt, as they become tender and flavorful when slow-cooked, making them ideal for pulled pork.
Season generously—don't skimp on the seasonings. This is key for overall flavor. You can adjust the heat of the pork by using hot paprika, cayenne pepper or chili powder. Or add more jalapenos or a hotter chili at the end.
Crispy carnitas: for crispier pork edges, transfer the shredded pork to a skillet and cook it a bit longer after simmering, allowing the edges to caramelize and become crispy. Be careful not to dry it too much or make sure to add enough of the remaining roasting juices to moisten them.
Make the pulled pork ahead and keep it covered with its juices (important!) in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Serving: besides the fresh toppings in the recipe card below, you can also sprinkle chopped red onions or green onions. And serve the tray along with a bowl of guacamole, salsa or pico de gallo, and the sour cream on the side instead of drizzled.

Baking tray with pork, corn, cheese nachos. Sauce drizzle, wire rack, lime wedges.

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Flavorful appetizer

Testing Notes

Ingredient Notes

The pulled pork