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–+ servings

Chiefs Nachos

Time :3 hours 30 minutes
Yield :6 servings
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The Scoop

These nachos did not come to play!
They showed up in full game-day gear, brought three sauces, and somehow convinced a perfectly innocent bag of tortilla chips to become dinner.
You’ve got smoky, spice-rubbed pulled pork, glossy homemade BBQ sauce, a ridiculously creamy cheddar sauce, and cool cilantro-lime sour cream piled onto crunchy chips. It's messy, over-the-top, and exactly what game day ordered. Just remember: once these hit the table, there are no spectators. Everyone's on the nacho team.
Hack it:
Add black beans, corn, diced avocado, or pickled red onions. • Pile on jalapeños, hot sauce, or extra cayenne in the pork rub.
Try Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a Cheddar Jack blend for a different melt.
Use leftover pulled pork or store-bought pulled pork when game day has arrived faster than expected.
Finish with diced tomatoes, scallions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. • Build smaller nacho piles on sheet pans so everyone gets their own perfectly loaded serving, no chip left behind.
Leftovers:
Breakfast nachos: Reheat the pork and chips, then top with fried eggs, avocado, and hot sauce.
BBQ pork tacos: Skip the chips and pile the leftover pork into tortillas with the cilantro-lime cream and pickled jalapeños.
Loaded fries: Swap the tortilla chips for crispy fries and recreate the whole situation.
Game-day quesadilla: Stuff the pork and cheese sauce into a tortilla with extra cheddar, then griddle until crisp.

Ingredients

For the pulled pork:

  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1 (3 1/2-4-pound) pork shoulder or pork butt, fat-cap intact
  • 1/2 cup lager-style beer
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke

For the homemade barbeque sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup steak sauce or marinade
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the cheddar sauce:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • kosher salt, to taste

For the cilantro-sour cream sauce:

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • kosher salt, to taste

For the nachos:

  • 1 (12-ounce) bag tortilla chips
  • pickled jalapeños, to taste
  • queso fresco or cotija cheese, to taste, crumbled
  • salsa verde, to taste, for serving
  • hot sauce, to taste, for serving

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • In a bowl, add the paprika, 1 tablespoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper, the garlic powder, the chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon of the dry mustard powder, and the cayenne pepper and whisk to combine.
  • Massage the spice mixture into the pork on all sides.
  • In a Dutch oven, add the seasoned pork, the beer, 1/2 cup of the cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of the liquid smoke.
  • Cover the Dutch oven and roast, while basting occasionally, until the pork easily falls apart and it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 3 hours.
  • Transfer the pork to a cutting board while it is still hot.
  • Carefully trim the excess fat from the pork. You may need gloves.
  • Shred the pork.
  • Return the shredded pork to the Dutch oven and toss it with the cooking liquid.
  • Cover the Dutch oven and set it aside.
  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
  • Add the ketchup, 1/3 cup of the Worcestershire sauce, the steak sauce, the maple syrup, the brown sugar, the remaining cider vinegar, the onion powder, the remaining liquid smoke, and the ground pepper, to taste, and whisk to combine.
  • Bring the sauce mixture to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
  • In a medium saucepan, add the eggs and the evaporated milk and whisk to combine.
  • Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and add the remaining mustard powder, the remaining Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of the hot sauce, and 1/2 of the cheddar cheese.
  • In a small bowl, add the cornstarch and the water and whisk to combine.
  • Once the cheese sauce mixture starts to warm, add the slurry and whisk to combine.
  • Cook the cheese sauce mixture, while whisking frequently, and gradually adding the remaining cheese until the sauce reaches your desired thickness, about 10-13 minutes. You may not need all of the remaining cheese.
  • Season the cheese sauce generously with the salt, to taste.
  • In a small bowl, add the sour cream, the cilantro, and the lime juice and whisk until well-combined.
  • Season the cream sauce with the salt, to taste.
  • Chill the cream sauce for 1 hour.
  • On a large serving platter, arrange the tortilla chips.
  • Top the chips with the warm pulled pork, the homemade barbeque sauce, and the cheddar sauce.
  • Garnish the nachos with the pickled jalapeños and the queso fresco.
  • Serve the nachos topped with the cilantro-sour cream sauce, the salsa verde, and the remaining hot sauce.
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