Pork Rind Nachos

Crunchy, savory pork rinds stand in for tortilla chips in this keto nacho recipe. Topped with taco meat, lots of cheese, creamy guac, and any of your other favorites for a quick and easy Mexican-inspired dinner or app.

Prep: 15

Cook: 20

Total: 35

Yield:4 servings

Equipment

Large skillet
Large wooden spoon
small baking sheet

Ingredients

For the Taco Meat

½ pound lean ground beef
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup water

For the Nachos

1 2.5-ounce bag pork rinds divided, see Notes
8 ounces shredded fresh pepperjack cheese or shredded fresh monterey cheese, divided

Suggested Toppings (All Optional)

guacamole
sliced jalapeños fresh or pickled, drained well
pico de gallo drained well
chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream or crema

Instructions

For the Taco Meat

Place ½ pound lean ground beef in large skillet and place skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef, stirring frequently and breaking up beef into crumbles, until ground beef is completely browned.
Once ground beef is browned, add ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to skillet. Pour in ¼ cup water and stir to incorporate water, spices, and ground beef.
Simmer mixture 3 to 5 minutes or until liquid fully evaporates and/or is absorbed into meat.

For the Keto Nachos

Preheat broiler on high. If needed, reposition oven racks so that sheet pan can sit approximately 6 to 8 inches beneath heating element.
Spread half of 1 2.5-ounce bag pork rinds across baking sheet. Sprinkle half of shredded cheese evenly across top of pork rinds, then top cheese layer with half of prepared taco meat.
Layer remaining pork rinds on top of taco meat, then top pork rinds with evenly-distributed layers of remaining shredded cheese and remaining taco meat.
Place baking sheet under preheated broiler and broil nachos just until shredded cheese melts. Be careful not to broil nachos too long or pork rinds can burn or lose their crisp texture.
Once shredded cheese is melted, remove baking sheet from oven. Top nachos with desired toppings and serve immediately.

Notes

Pork Rinds: I love to use jalapeño-flavored pork rinds for this recipe, but any flavor and any brand will work. Make sure whatever pork rinds you use are totally keto-friendly, without any sneaky carbs or hidden non-keto ingredients. And be sure to use large, puffy pork rinds, not cracklins or chicharrones.
Shredded Cheese: Always shred your own cheese straight from a fresh block! Prepackaged shredded cheeses contain starches and fillers to prevent clumping. Those agents add unnecessary carbs and also keep the cheese from melting quite like it should, sometimes making the melted cheese gritty or grainy.
Pico de Gallo: If you're following a strict keto lifestyle, go very light on the pico, if you use it at all. Tomatoes and onions add up really quickly when you're counting carbs!

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik