Pork Rind Nachos
Crunchy pork rinds loaded with spiced taco beef and melted cheddar, then piled high with fresh toppings — all the fun of nachos without the tortilla chips.
Nutrition per serving
¼ of the pan- Net carbs
- 3.5g
- Calories
- 439kcal
- Protein
- 31g
- Fat
- 33g
- Total carbs
- 5.3 g
- Fiber
- 1.9 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Chicken: Diced chicken thighs cooked in the same taco spices — leaner than beef and just as good under melted cheese.
- Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken pieces 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until browned and cooked through (165°F/74°C). Add the spices and water and simmer as written.
- Leftover shredded chicken works too: warm 1½ cups of it with the spices and water for 2–3 minutes.
Chorizo: Fresh Mexican chorizo brings its own chile and garlic, so you skip most of the spice measuring and get a richer, redder topping.
- Brown the chorizo over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles, until cooked through with no pink (160°F/71°C), 6–8 minutes. Spoon off most of the red fat.
- Chorizo is already seasoned: add just the garlic powder, salt and a splash of the water if it looks dry, then build and bake the nachos as written.
Dairy-free: No cheese and no sour cream: extra guacamole and a quick lime "crema" made with mayonnaise keep every bite creamy.
- Without cheese there is nothing to melt, so just warm the pork rinds on the sheet pan for 3 minutes, then top with the hot taco beef and jalapeño.
- Whisk the mayonnaise with the lime juice and a pinch of salt, thin with a few drops of water and drizzle over the nachos with the extra guacamole and pico.
- Taco beef
- Nachos
- Toppings
- Nice to have (optional)
- Taco beef
- Nachos
- Toppings
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Taco beef
-
2 tsp chili powderleave out -
1 tsp ground cuminleave out - Nachos
- Toppings
- Nice to have (optional)
- Taco beef
- Nachos
-
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican-blend cheeseleave out - Toppings
-
¼ cup sour creamleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $10.08 for 4 servings ($2.52 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Brown the beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains (160°F/71°C), 6–7 minutes. Spoon off excess fat.
-
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and water. Simmer 2–3 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the meat looks glossy.
-
Spread the pork rinds in a snug single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan or in a large oven-safe skillet. Scatter the beef over them, followed by the cheese and jalapeño slices.
-
Bake 5–6 minutes, just until the cheese melts. Any longer and the rinds start to lose their crunch.
-
Top immediately with pico de gallo, spoonfuls of guacamole and sour cream, and the cilantro. Serve right away.
Tips for success
-
Buy large, sturdy pork rinds — the small, airy kind collapse under the toppings. - Add the cold toppings only after baking so the rinds stay crisp.
- Swap the beef for leftover carnitas or shredded chicken, or drizzle with warm cheese sauce instead of shredded cheese.
Nice to have, not needed
- A cast-iron skillet makes a handsome serving dish that keeps the nachos warm — a parchment-lined sheet pan works just as well.
- Pickled jalapeños and a squeeze of lime are nice finishing touches if you have them.
Storage & meal prep
- Best eaten fresh
Reheat: Rewarm leftover taco beef in a skillet, then build fresh nachos — assembled nachos go soggy.
Prep tip: Cook a double batch of the taco beef on prep day; it keeps 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer, so nachos take 10 minutes any night.
Best eaten straight from the oven. Refrigerate leftover taco beef separately up to 4 days and assemble fresh nachos as needed.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosChicken
ProteinDiced chicken thighs cooked in the same taco spices — leaner than beef and just as good under melted cheese.
- ground beef (80/20) → boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- + 1½ tsp avocado or olive oil
3.5 g net · 379 kcal · 32 g protein · 26 g fat · ≈$2.19 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Chorizo
ProteinFresh Mexican chorizo brings its own chile and garlic, so you skip most of the spice measuring and get a richer, redder topping.
- ground beef (80/20) → fresh Mexican chorizo
- no chili powder
- no ground cumin
5.2 g net · 457 kcal · 28 g protein · 35 g fat · ≈$2.36 per serving (+1.7 g net carbs vs the original)
Dairy-free
DietNo cheese and no sour cream: extra guacamole and a quick lime "crema" made with mayonnaise keep every bite creamy.
- guacamole → guacamole (a double portion)
- + 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- + 2 tsp fresh lime juice
- no shredded cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese
- no sour cream
2.5 g net · 368 kcal · 24 g protein · 28 g fat · ≈$2.42 per serving (−1 g net carbs vs the original)
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