Carnitas Sweet Potato Nachos
Carnitas Sweet Potato Nachos is a delicious combination of sweet and savory flavors. This recipe uses frozen sweet potato waffle fries to make preparation easy, shredded pork, black beans, and lots of cheese. Whether you're hosting a party or need a simple dinner on a busy weeknight, these nachos will have everyone coming back for seconds.
What You'll Love About Carnitas Sweet Potato Nachos:
- Sweet and savory contrast
- Easy to customize
- Simple to make using leftover carnitas
- Short-cut with sweet potato waffle fries
- Minimal clean-up
If your stomach isn't grumbling after that first photo then you must be a robot!
I am determined to build a huge nacho recipe section here on the blog and I'm thrilled to add these Carnitas Sweet Potato Nachos for an exceptional, and unique nacho experience.
The combination of sweet and savory is the star of this dish. Crispy, sweet potato waffles fries smothered with pork carnitas, beans, cheese, and all the fresh toppings. These nachos are incredible! Even if you don't like sweet potatoes, I am confidant you will love them this way.
This recipe can serve as both a fun party snack or easy weeknight dinner, and if you have leftover pork, even better, you can have these nachos whipped up in about 30-minutes. Mom win!
For classic nachos using tortilla chips, try my Green Chicken Chili Sheet Pan Nachos. Your family will devour these.
Simple Ingredients:
- Waffle fries- I use sweet potato waffles fries for a fun twist and delicious combination with savory pork.
- Pork- Here we use pork carnitas but any leftover shredded pork will work.
- Cheese- Colby Jack melts super creamy.
- Beans- Black beans are the perfect size and have a creamy texture.
- Toppings- Pico de Gallo, cilantro, sour cream, and fresh avocado.
Additional Toppings and Substitutions:
- Waffle fries- The sweet potato waffle fries really make these nachos special but you could also use regular potato waffle fries.
- Meat- Swap out the pork for shredded chicken or your favorite taco meat-ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
- Cheese- For authentic flavor use Cojita or Queso Fresco cheese to crumble over the top as a garnish.
- Additional toppings- Try other toppings like diced red onion, guacamole, fresh or pickled jalapenos, or sliced black olives.
What Does Carnitas Mean?
Pork carnitas is a popular Mexican dish made by slow-cooking pork with spices and citrus flavors like orange and lime juice. The name "carnitas" means "little meats" in Spanish.
Once the pork is tender, it is shredded into bite-sized pieces and often times crisped up in the oven on a sheet pan. This gives it great texture. Carnitas are typically used in tacos, burritos, over rice, or as a topping for nachos like we're doing here.
Keep in mind you can use just about any shredded pork for these nachos. If you have leftover pork from a roast this would be a great recipe.
How To Make Carnitas Sweet Potato Nachos:
See full instructions in recipe card below
Step One. Make pork carnitas unless you already have leftover pork. You can find a simple recipe HERE for carnitas or make my Slow Cooker Pork Verde which makes flavorful shredded pork for nachos.
Step Two. Place sweet potato waffle fries in an even layer on a large sheet pan and bake according to the package directions. Transfer baked waffle fries to an oven safe large platter.
Step Three. Layer waffle fries with cheese, black beans, shredded pork, and more cheese. Place the platter in the oven to melt the cheese. Top with fresh Pico, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream.
Tips:
- 💡Bake waffle fries until crisp- Make sure to bake waffle fries until crisp so they hold up well under the toppings.
- 💡Serve sweet potato nachos immediately- Sweet potato waffle fries will lose their crispness if left too long after baking, so try to serve your carnitas nachos immediately after assembling.
Common Questions:
Make sure nachos are completely cool and store in an air tight container for up to 2 days. Keep in mind leftover nachos are only best if you don't have fresh toppings like tomatoes, lettuce, or sauces like sour cream and salsa.
Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350℉ in a shallow pan until warmed through.
Yes! You can use traditional tortilla chips or regular potato waffle fries.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Vegetarian Sheet Pan Quesadillas
- Sweet Breakfast Waffle Nachos
- Quick Irish Nachos
- Viral Chicken Caesar Salad Nachos
- S'mores Nachos
Carnitas Sweet Potato Nachos
Equipment
- 1 large half sheet pan
- 1 large platter
Ingredients
- 1 (20) bag sweet potato waffle fries I use Alexia
- 1 ½ cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, divided
- 1 (15) ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups cooked, shredded pork use carnitas pork or other leftover shredded pork
Additional toppings:
- fresh Pico de Gallo
- fresh chopped cilantro
- fresh diced avocado
- sour cream
Instructions
- Make pork carnitas unless you already have leftover pork. You can find a simple recipe HERE for carnitas or make my Slow Cooker Pork Verde which makes flavorful shredded pork for nachos.
Preheat oven to 425℉
- Place the whole 20 ounce bag of frozen sweet potato waffle fries in an even layer on a large sheet pan. Bake in preheated oven according to the package directions, about 25 minutes or until crisp. Turn the heat down to 350℉ and arrange baked waffle fries (it's okay if they are overlapping) on an oven safe large platter.
- Layer waffle fries with ¾ cup cheese, 1 can black beans, 1 ½ cups shredded pork, then top with remaining ¾ cup cheese. Place the platter in the oven to melt the cheese. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
- Top waffle nachos with fresh Pico, cilantro, diced avocado, and sour cream.
Notes
- Bake waffle fries until crisp- Make sure to bake waffle fries until crisp so they hold up well under the toppings.
- Serve sweet potato nachos immediately- Sweet potato waffle fries will lose their crispness if left too long after baking, so try to serve your carnitas nachos immediately after assembly.
- Waffle fries- The sweet potato waffle fries really make these nachos special but you could also use regular potato waffle fries.
- Meat- Swap out the pork for shredded chicken or your favorite taco meat-ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
- Cheese- For authentic flavor use Cojita or Queso Fresco cheese to crumble over the top as a garnish.
- Additional toppings- Try other toppings like diced red onion, guacamole, fresh or pickled jalapenos, or sliced black olives.
Nutrition
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