These Redneck Nachos Bring Your Favorite BBQ Foods Together On a Single Plate

Redneck nachos bring some of my favorite BBQ foods together onto one single plate; pulled pork, baked beans, and BBQ sauce.

I first tried redneck nachos at Moes Original BBQ, based out of Alabama, and they have been a staple in my house ever since.

The key to this recipe is the homemade deep-fried chips. The soft, crispy texture with seasoned salt tastes better than any store-bought chips I’ve tried.

It’s also another great dish to make if you’re looking to use up that leftover pulled pork.

Redneck Nachos

Ingredients you’ll need

• Potatoes – When it comes to fries or homemade chips, Russet potatoes are the best.
• Oil for frying – I used peanut oil.
• Pulled Pork –  There are many ways to cook pulled pork; use your favorite recipe or try one of ours.
• Baked Beans – you could use store-bought, use your favorite recipe, or try our smoked baked beans with bacon.
• Queso – a good queso is key here. Gordo’s cheese dip, which is store-bought, is my personal favorite, or try our homemade smoked queso dip.
• BBQ Sauce – You’ll want something a little sweet, Smoke Kitchen’s Sweet Barbecue sauce is perfect, or try our homemade bbq sauce.
• Mexican Crema – I prefer this to sour cream because it’s thinner, but either will work.
• Your favorite toppings – I top it with jalapeños and cilantro, but you use your favorite toppings.

Equipment you’ll need

• Mandoline – or a sharp knife for slicing the potatoes.
• Dutch oven – or similar vessel for deep frying.
• Instant read thermometer
• Large tray or platter

Are homemade chips worth the effort?

They are absolutely worth it! It takes more effort than using store-bought tortilla chips, but I promise you it’s worth it. It’s one of the key ingredients in this recipe. 

What is the secret of making homemade chips?

The secret to making homemade chips is using a mandoline to get even, thinly sliced potatoes. My mandoline has three different thickness settings, and I use the 1.5 mm thick setting.

Also, another great tip is to make sure to soak your sliced potatoes in cold water for at least 15 minutes to help remove any excess starch. 

What kind of cheese should I use?

When it comes to nachos, cheese options are unlimited. There’s shredded cheese, restaurant-style queso, homemade cheese sauce, or a combination of the three. 

I have found that restaurant-style queso works best for these. It’s easy to heat up in the microwave while you’re prepping the other ingredients. There is no need to melt it, which could throw off the texture of the homemade chips, and most importantly, it spreads easily, ensuring every chip is covered.

Why baked beans?

There is no greater BBQ side than baked beans. If you’re having a BBQ or going to one, I guarantee there are baked beans.

Adding baked beans to the nachos gives them a sweetness to balance out the tangy pulled pork, savory homemade chips, and the heat from the jalapeños. Adding the baked beans brings all those BBQ flavors into one bite. 

What toppings should I use?

Ultimately, you can add your favorite toppings here, but I like to keep it simple with BBQ sauce, Mexican crema, sliced jalapeños and cilantro. 

The BBQ sauce brings some added sweetness to the dish, like the baked beans, but gets balanced out with the Mexican crema and the heat from the jalapeños.

You can get creative here and use your favorite toppings: tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled corn, etc. 

How to make Redneck Nachos

1. Chips

Slice the potatoes thinly using a mandoline or sharp knife.

Place in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes, making sure all the potatoes are covered.

Change the water out halfway through.

Dry the potato slices on paper towels.

In a 5qt Dutch oven, heat the oil up to 375°F.

Fry the potato slices for 4 minutes or until they’re lightly golden brown. 

Once three-quarters of the chips are golden brown, I go ahead and remove them. This gives me a good balance of crispy chips that hold up the constructional integrity of the nachos and softer chips that remind me of a French fry. 

Once they’re done frying, immediately season them with seasoned salt so it sticks to the chip.  

2. Assemble

You want to make sure every chip is covered with toppings so that you’re not left with bland chips at the very end.

A large serving plate or tray is required. You want to spread your chips out in one layer, a little bit of crossover is ok. You want to ensure that every chip gets covered in delicious topping and no chip is hiding underneath. 

Add a good drizzle of queso. I like to go left to right to make sure all chips are covered evenly.

 Fling on some baked beans to make sure they are spread out.

Add as much or as little pulled pork as you like. 

Add a drizzle of Mexican crema and BBQ sauce.

Top it off with sliced jalapeños and cilantro, and they are ready to serve.

More ideas for easy sides to accompany that cold beer

• Smoked Mango Habanero Wings
• Smoked Pigs in Blankets
• Smoked Spinach Dip
• BBQ Pulled Pork Crostini
• Chili Oil Chicken Wings