It’s quite possible that these are the best carnitas nachos ever, and after trying them you’ll see why! Crispy chips layered with pork carnitas, black beans, corn salsa, and melty gooey cheese. Plus, it’s all baked on a single sheet pan and ready in about 10 minutes!
Pork Carnitas Nachos – The EASY Way!
This Pork Carnitas Nachos recipe couldn’t be easier when you have leftover carnitas. This slow cooked pork carnitas recipe is super simple if you want to prepare your own, or you could use whatever carnitas you have.
What’s really great about these loaded pork carnitas nachos is adding the toppings to satisfy your flavor palette. Add jalapeno slices, avocado, diced tomatoes, pico de gallo, or sour cream… The sky is the limit!!
Even better, when you remove the oven baked carnitas nachos top with my Jalapeno Ranch, yum!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- SO Simple! – Carnitas nachos in the oven are easy to make and take no time to bake. You’re layering ingredients and baking for about 10 minutes.
- One Pan – A sheet pan is all that’s needed to make these nachos.
- Easy clean up – The clean up is already quick by using one pan. Go a step further by lining your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Hearty – there’s already so much flavor in the pork and nachos that added the corn salsa is a flavorful addition. And the beans really bulk up the dish for a hearty bite.
- Makes the most of leftovers – Carnitas are one thing that is so easy to make in a big batch, then use the leftovers to make dinner super fast and easy on other nights though out the week!
Recipe Notes
This Leftover Carnitas Nacho recipe is as simple as promised! Just 15 minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Shredded slow cooked pork carnitas – use this recipe to make your own carnitas. It’s a big batch that will give you many meals to make, such as this leftover sheet pan carnitas nachos recipe.
- Tortilla chips – I use about 14 oz of chips but this recipe is easy to scale. This is definitely ok to just eyeball, and adjust the toppings as it feels right.
- Cheese – I use Colby Jack but cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican blend would work just as well for melting.
- Black beans – using beans bulks up this recipe and helps the pork stretch even farther for a wholesome, hearty meal. Try pinto beans, or cannellini beans as a substitution.
- Corn Salsa – we absolutely love this Chipotle Corn Salsa recipe, but you can use store bought OR just use a can of corn that has been drained if you are in a pinch.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Carnitas Nachos.
Spreading the tortilla chips in a shallow layer over a large baking sheet. Add half of the cheese to the top.
Add the black beans and corn salsa.
Then, add the carnitas, and the rest of the cheese. Bake on the lower oven rack for 8-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Add any additional toppings like jalapeno peppers, sour cream etc.
Recipe Tips
- Preheat oven – allowing the oven to preheat will ensure even cooking and keep the tortillas from becoming too crisp. Once preheated, your baked carnitas nachos will only take about 10 minutes.
- Everything in one bite – Assemble your nachos on the sheet pan. You want to ensure all your ingredients are distributed evenly. I start with the chips, followed by cheese, beans, corn, meat, and REPEAT to get layers of flavor and texture in every bite!
. - Bake on lower rack – With a toasty preheated oven I’ve found that the lower rack offers the best results. Everything cooks and melts evenly without over crisping or browning the tortilla chips.
- Best Fresh out of the Oven – The best texture is straight out of the oven when the tortilla chips are still warm and crispy and the cheese oozy with melty goodness.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- BBQ Carnitas Nachos– How quickly the flavor can change by switching out the base sauce for these Carnitas Nachos. Add a drizzle of BBQ sauce over the meat layer, and then again on top when you take it out of the oven.
- Breakfast Carnitas Nachos– Add fried eggs right on top of your nachos with a drizzle of Mexican crema, or sour cream thinned with lime juice on top.
- Spicy Carnitas Nachos– Layer jalapeños and a spicy salsa with the pork carnitas nachos for an extra kick. Don’t forget the hot sauce!
What to Serve with Homemade Carnitas Nachos
Since this dish is infused with bold and bright Mexican flavors, it will pair well with many of your favorite Mexican style side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Carnitas Nachos Topping Ideas
I have included a couple go-to toppings we like to put on our nachos in the recipe card below, but you can load these nachos up as much as you want with all sorts of delicious topping options! This is a more comprehensive list of topping ideas for nachos to get you started:
- Sour cream
- Pico de gallo
- EASY Tableside Guacamole
- Chopped cilantro
- Shredded lettuce
- Salsa
- Jalapeno ranch
- Sliced jalapeños
- Black olives
More EASY Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my Tex-Mex recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Chicken Fajita Nachos
- Homemade Chicken Fajitas {Tex-Mex Style}
- Carnitas Enchiladas
- Carnitas Quesadilla
Carnitas Nachos
Ingredients
- 2 cups carnitas, shredded
- 12-14 oz tortilla chips
- 8 oz shredded colby jack, or Mexican blend
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1.2 cup corn salsa, or plain corn
Toppings (optional)
- sour cream
- pico de gallo
- fresh jalapeno slices
- guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Assemble the nachos by spreading the tortilla chips in a shallow layer over a large baking sheet. Add the toppings evenly over top of the chips, starting with half of the cheese, then the black beans, corn salsa, the carnitas, and finishing with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake on the lower oven rack for 8-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted, the carnitas are crispy, and the edges are starting to brown.
- Top the cooked Carnitas Nachos with your choice of pico de gallo, a drizzle of sour cream, and fresh jalapeno slices.
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