Irish Nachos Recipe
Forget everything you know about nachos, because these Irish Nachos are about to become your new favorite comfort food! A platter of golden, crispy potato slices piled high with rich, melted Dubliner cheese and smoky bacon crumbles are then garnished with a dollop of sour cream and a fresh, zesty pico de gallo for a hearty twist on a crowd-pleasing classic.
If you’re searching for the ultimate recipe to elevate your St. Patrick’s Day spread, these Irish nachos are an absolute must-try. By swapping traditional tortilla chips for hearty, home-baked potato slices, this dish captures the soul of Irish comfort food with every crispy, golden bite.
Layers of sharp, melted Dubliner cheese and savory bacon crumbles nestle between the potatoes, creating a rich and indulgent base that’s beautifully balanced by fresh toppings. A dollop of cool sour cream, vibrant pico de gallo, and a sprinkle of jalapeño and cilantro add the perfect burst of freshness. This recipe is easily doubled for a larger crowd – just be prepared to watch them disappear!
What are Irish nachos?
Irish nachos are a hearty twist on the classic snack, swapping tortilla chips for crispy, oven-baked slices of yellow potato. Once crisp from baking, the seasoned potato slices are layered with sharp, nutty Dubliner cheese and savory bacon pieces, and returned to the oven until melty.
A fresh scoop of pico de gallo, a dollop of cool sour cream and a sprinkle of jalapeño and cilantro finish the dish, blending rich and zesty flavors. It’s a shareable, crowd-pleasing appetizer that’s perfect for St Patrick’s day or whenever you want to kick back with an Irish-inspired snack and a cold Guinness beer!
Just think appetizer – or a delish potato Irish side dish!
Why you’ll love these Irish nachos
- A hearty, Irish-inspired party appetizer designed to satisfy a hungry crowd, offering a fun and festive twist on a classic game-day favorite. Or, a great Irish side dish (served with Corned Beef and Cabbage).
- Easily customizable to suit any taste. Swap in your favorite cheeses, load up on extra toppings, or add protein to make it a more substantial meal for your guests.
- Crispy, golden-brown potato slices steal the spotlight, proving that homemade baked “chips” can easily outshine traditional tortilla chips. After all, in the Irish version of nachos, the potato is the true star of the show!
Ingredients needed to make this Irish nachos recipe
- Potatoes: Make sure to use yellow potatoes (not Russet potatoes) for these Irish nachos. Leaving the skin on adds crispy texture and helps the chips hold their shape.
- Olive oil: Always use high-quality olive oil to coat the sliced potatoes. Avocado oil is another option.
- Seasoning: Season the potato slices with kosher salt, paprika, and black pepper.
- Shredded cheese: I’ve used Dubliner cheese for these Irish-inspired nachos, known for being sharp, nutty, and slightly crumbly. If you can’t source this, use an aged cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese.
- Bacon: Cooked and crumbled as a deliciously savory and salty topping.
- Sour cream: Add a big dollop in the middle of the assembled potato nachos. You can use Greek yogurt instead, if you like. I always serve my Irish nachos with extra on the side for guests to dip into.
- Pico de Gallo: A Pico de Gallo-style salsa (like this Spicy Black Bean Salsa) pairs beautifully with these Irish nachos as a topping. Be sure to serve extra on the side too!
- Jalapeno: Seeded and diced for garnish. It’ll add a lovely touch of heat without being overwhelming.
- Cilantro: For a pop of fresh flavor and color, garnish your assembled Irish nachos with chopped cilantro leaves.
How do you make Irish nachos?
Prepare and bake the potato slices:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- In the meantime, wash and dry the potatoes, leaving the skin on.
- Slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch rounds and place them in a large bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil and the seasonings over the potatoes. Stir to combine.
- Place the potatoes in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, making sure they don’t overlap. Use two baking sheets if necessary.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the potatoes and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until golden and crispy.
Add the toppings:
- Once baked, transfer the potatoes to a baking dish, slightly overlapping the edges.
- Arrange half the potatoes in a single layer and top with half the shredded cheese and bacon.
- Add a second layer of potatoes and toppings and continue until you have used up all of your potatoes.
Melt the cheese:
- Return the assembled potatoes to the oven for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Garnish and serve:
- Garnish the Irish nachos with chopped cilantro and jalapenos, and a big dollop of sour cream in the middle with pico de gallo, or a similar salsa.
- Serve and enjoy!
Serving
Once assembled, serve these Irish nachos immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Serve them as is for your St Patrick’s holiday party snack or appetizer, or add them to a charcuterie board, surrounded by sliced apples, clumps of green grapes, hot peppers, toasted or candied nuts, Irish Pub Cream Cheese, Easy Corn Pico de Gallo Salad, Irish Slaw Dip, and Corned Beef Sliders.
Check out this St. Patrick’s Day Charcuterie Board and St. Patrick’s Day Snack Board for more ideas of the types of finger foods you can add to the mix.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: These Irish nachos are meant to be eaten immediately as the crispy potato slices will quickly soften from the moist toppings. Leftover fresh toppings should be stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge and used up within 1-2 days.
- Type of potato: Yellow potatoes are the best choice for Irish nachos because their waxy texture holds up during slicing and baking, creating sturdy, crispy chips. Russet potatoes are too starchy and dry, making them prone to breaking and turning crumbly instead of crisp.
- Use a mandolin: Use a tool like a mandolin to slice the potatoes into uniform ¼-inch thick rounds. Not only will the nachos look more presentable, the potatoes will also bake and crisp at an even rate in the oven.
- When serving on a charcuterie board: When serving homemade Irish nachos on a charcuterie board, I like to position a potholder in the center of a board and place the prepared nachos on top of the potholder to prevent any damage to the board.
- Don’t overcrowd the potatoes: If your baking pan is small, use two instead of one so that the sliced potatoes don’t overlap while baking and steam instead of getting crispy.
- Bake twice: For a melted cheese topping, don’t forget to place the assembled nachos back into the oven for 3-4 minutes, until the shredded cheese has melted. Only add the fresh garnish (jalapeno, Pico de Gallo, cilantro, and sour cream) just before serving.
Variations:
- Irish nachos with chips: If you want to skip making the potato base for these Irish nachos, feel free to use store-bought sturdy potato chips or tortilla chips instead – the kind that retain their structure under the weight of the toppings and can withstand some heat from the oven.
- Topping ideas: Don’t be afraid to switch up the toppings to suit your own preferences. Use crispy prosciutto or chopped ham instead of bacon, add sliced or diced red bell peppers, shredded Parmesan, halved cherry tomatoes, and red onion as delicious alternatives.
- Vegan Irish nachos: Ditch the cheese, sour cream, and bacon. Instead, opt for vegan-friendly cheese (or nutritional yeast), coconut cream or dairy-free yogurt, and add extra veggie toppings.
- Protein boost: Add shredded chicken, pulled pork, ground beef, or crumbled sausage to these Irish nachos for extra meaty flavor and a boost of protein.
If you loved these Irish nachos, don’t forget to try my Breakfast Scrambled Eggs Nachos, Strawberry Vegetarian Nachos Recipe, or Italian Nachos. There’s a nacho recipe for every occasion and taste!
More Irish snacks and sides you’ll love
Get the Recipe:
Irish Nachos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds yellow potatoes, cleaned, and sliced ¼ inch thick (we buy Yukon Gold)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
Toppings:
- 1 ½ cups Dubliner cheese, shredded
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup pico de gallo style salsa, plus more for serving
- 1 large jalapeno, seeded, diced for garnish
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- In the meantime, wash and dry the potatoes, leaving the skin on.
- Slice the potatoes into ¼-inch rounds and place them in a large bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil and the seasonings over the potatoes. Stir to combine.
- Place the potatoes in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, making sure they don’t overlap. Use two baking sheets if necessary.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the potatoes and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- Once baked, transfer the potatoes to a baking dish, slightly overlapping the edges.
- Arrange half the potatoes in a single layer and top with half the shredded cheese and bacon.
- Add a second layer of potatoes and toppings and continue until you have used up all of your potatoes.
- Return the assembled potatoes to the oven for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
- Garnish the Irish nachos with chopped cilantro and jalapenos, and a big dollop of sour cream in the middle with pico de gallo, or a similar salsa.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Sandy’s tips and variations:
- Storage: These Irish nachos are meant to be eaten immediately as the crispy potato slices will quickly soften from the moist toppings. Leftover fresh toppings should be stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge and used up within 1-2 days.
- Type of potato: Yellow potatoes are the best choice for Irish nachos because their waxy texture holds up during slicing and baking, creating sturdy, crispy chips. Russet potatoes are too starchy and dry (I use Yukon Gold), making them prone to breaking and turning crumbly instead of crisp.
- I use a mandolin: Use a tool like a mandolin to slice the potatoes into uniform ¼-inch thick rounds. Not only will the nachos look more presentable, the potatoes will also bake and crisp at an even rate in the oven.
- Irish nachos “with chips”: If you want to skip making the potato base for these Irish nachos, feel free to use store-bought sturdy potato chips or tortilla chips instead – the kind that retain their structure under the weight of the toppings and can withstand some heat from the oven.
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- MAKE VEGAN: Ditch the cheese, sour cream, and bacon. Instead, opt for vegan-friendly cheese (or nutritional yeast), coconut cream or dairy-free yogurt, and add extra veggie toppings.
- TOPPINGS: Don’t be afraid to switch up the toppings to suit your own preferences. Use crispy prosciutto or chopped ham instead of bacon, add sliced or diced red bell peppers, shredded Parmesan, halved cherry tomatoes, and red onion as delicious alternatives.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
