Description
Irresistible smoked pulled pork nachos blend smoky meat with crispy tortilla chips and melted cheese. Layers of flavor create a crowd-pleasing appetizer you won’t be able to resist.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4.5 lbs (2.04 kg) pork shoulder (Boston butt)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 large bag tortilla chips
- ½ cup BBQ sauce (optional, for tossing)
- ½ cup BBQ sauce (drizzle)
- ½ cup apple juice (for spritzing)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup guacamole
- ½ cup pickled jalapenos
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup salsa
- ¼ cup BBQ rub (your favorite blend)
- ¼ cup sliced black olives (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- Wood chips or pellets (hickory, apple, or cherry)
Instructions
- Seasoning Preparation: Massage pork shoulder with olive oil, thoroughly coating with smoky BBQ rub to ensure complete flavor penetration.
- Smoking Setup: Ignite smoker to 225F, selecting hickory or apple wood chips for deep, aromatic flavor infusion.
- Smoking Process: Position seasoned pork in smoker, spritzing with apple juice hourly to maintain moisture and enhance flavor profile.
- Temperature Monitoring: When internal temperature reaches 165F, wrap pork in aluminum foil to preserve tenderness and continue smoking.
- Meat Perfection: Continue smoking until pork reaches 200-205F internal temperature, approximately 2-3 additional hours for optimal texture.
- Resting and Shredding: Allow pork to rest 30 minutes, then meticulously shred into tender pieces, optionally tossing with BBQ sauce.
- Nacho Assembly: Preheat oven to 375F, using large baking sheet or cast iron skillet to create layered nacho masterpiece.
- Layering Technique: Create alternating layers of tortilla chips, melted cheese, pulled pork, jalapenos, red onions, and tomatoes.
- Baking Finale: Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese transforms into gloriously bubbling golden landscape.
- Serving Presentation: Garnish with black olives and cilantro, drizzle with additional BBQ sauce, and serve alongside sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.
Notes
- Master Wood Selection: Choose hickory or apple wood chips for balanced, rich smoky flavors that complement the pork without overpowering its natural taste.
- Control Temperature Precision: Maintain a consistent 225F in the smoker and use a reliable meat thermometer to track internal temperatures, ensuring perfect tenderness and avoiding dry meat.
- Optimize Moisture Technique: Spritz pork with apple juice hourly during smoking to prevent drying and enhance flavor absorption, creating incredibly juicy pulled pork for nachos.
- Layer Strategically for Nacho Perfection: Build nachos in multiple layers to distribute pulled pork and cheese evenly, guaranteeing each chip receives maximum flavor and prevents soggy bottom layers.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg