Easy Irish Nachos Recipe: How to Make the Best Irish Nachos

This easy Irish Nachos recipe is a great twist on an all-time classic, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any time you are craving something crispy and cheesy. These are the best Irish Nachos around and are guaranteed to become your new favorite appetizer. Though I have been known to eat them as a meal all by themselves.

Irish Nachos up close

These nachos use potatoes instead of traditional corn chips. They are then loaded with your typical nacho toppings like cheese, bacon, jalapenos, and green onions; then served with a side of pico de gallo and sour cream. Complete nacho goodness!

Nachos are the ultimate fun, finger food, perfect for game days, family get-togethers or anytime you are feeding a hungry crowd. They are also a great snack for when the kids come home from school or as an appetizer at your next dinner party.

You can easily prep the potatoes ahead of time and then throw them back into the oven with the toppings once your guests arrive so they are hot and bubbling with cheesy goodness.

Looking for more crowd-pleasing recipes? Try this recipe for Instant Pot White Chicken Chili, Buckeye Cookies or this No-Bake Red Velvet Fudge.

This blog post contains affiliate links. The opinions are wholly my own from my own experience. I may earn a small commission from clicks through to the websites that end in a purchase.

Looking for more Irish Food Recipes? Check out this post below!

IRISH Recipes PIN

Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Irish Nachos

  • Great twist of a classic!
  • Simple to prepare
  • Perfect for a crowd
  • Customizable – use your favorite nacho toppings
  • Make ahead of time option

Equipment Needed

  • Sharp knife
  • Cutting board
  • Baking sheet
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Cheese grater

Ingredients For Irish Nachos

  • 6 small-medium russet potatoes, washed and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2.5 oz package of bacon pieces
  • 2 green onions, diced
  • 3 jalapeños, sliced
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup pico de gallo
ingredients for Irish Nachos

How to Make Irish Nachos

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Wash and dry the potatoes, then thinly slice them into rounds.
sliced potatoes for Irish nachos
  • Add potatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a bowl, and stir well to fully coat the potatoes.
pepper on potato slices
  • Wash and slice the jalapenos.
sliced jalapenos
  • Dice the green onions.
chopped green onions
  • Grease a baking sheet, and arrange the potatoes in a single layer.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until tender.
browned potatoes for Irish Nachos

  • Sprinkle the cheese and bacon bits all over the potatoes.
cheese on Irish Nachos
  • Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.
melted cheese on Irish Nachos
  • Once the potatoes are done, top them with jalapenos and green onions.
Irish Nachos on a sheet pan
  • Serve with pico de gallo and sour cream and your favorite nacho toppings.
  • Enjoy!
overhead view of Irish Nachos

Variations

  • Sprinkle cooked ground beef or corned beef over the potato nachos.
  • Play around with different kinds of potatoes.
  • Add a can of black or pinto beans to the nachos.
  • Dab the potatoes with some chipotle in adobo sauce for added spice.
  • Use a variety of cheeses; sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack.
  • Make the nachos vegetarian and omit the bacon.
  • Throw on some diced olives to add a more salty flavor. Green or black will both work. Just make sure they are pitted.
Irish Nachos on a white plate

Tips and Tricks

  • Dry the potatoes really well so they do not have any moisture.
  • To get the potatoes really thin use a food processor or a mandolin. You want the potatoes to be thin so they get nice and crisp in the oven. Too thick and the potatoes will be chewy.
  • Remove the seeds from the jalapenos to reduce the spice level. Just be careful not to burn yourself. Wear gloves or wash your hands really well after handling the seeds.
  • If you can’t find any pico de gallo you can use salsa; store-bought or homemade is fine too.
  • You can substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream if that’s all you have on hand.
  • No nachos dish is really complete without guacamole in my opinion to make sure to have some on the side ready to go. Or if you aren’t up for the task of making guacamole just dice the avocado and serve it with the other toppings.
  • For easier cleaning up, line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • If you are in a bind and don’t have much time to prepare the potatoes you can pick up a bag of frozen French fries and use them instead.
plated Irish Nachos

Irish Nachos Topping Ideas

  • sour cream
  • salsa
  • green onions
  • bacon bits
  • red onions
  • chili
  • jalapeño slices
  • ranch dressing
  • cooked ground beef
  • pickle relish
  • green chilis
  • banana peppers

It’s like I mentioned, just about anything makes a yummy topping for Irish nachos! Let me know what you try in the comments below.

FAQs

What are Irish nachos made of?

Irish nachos are made with potatoes instead of corn chips. They are still loaded with all the typical nachos toppings but potatoes are used as the base.

Why are they called Irish nachos?

These nachos are most likely named after the Irish Potato Famine from the mid 1800s.

What kind of potato is best to use to make Irish potatoes?

Any kind of potato will work but small, Russet potatoes are the best option, in my opinion.

Do I have to peel the potatoes to make these nachos?

No, you don’t have to peel the potatoes to make these Irish nachos. Unless your kids won’t eat them with the peels on.

How do you store leftovers of these nachos?

If you happen to have leftovers you can place them in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days and reheat them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up the potatoes and melt the cheese. I do not recommend freezing leftover nachos.

Irish Nachos Recipe PIN

Be sure to PIN this for later!

Looking for a fun and festive way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? The Irish know how to party, and you can too with my tips on how to have the perfect St. Patty’s Day celebration!

When is St Patricks Day PIN
Irish Nachos Recipe PIN

Easy Irish Nachos Recipe

This easy Irish Nachos recipe is a great twist on an all-time classic, perfect for St. Patrick's Day or any time you are craving something crispy and cheesy. These are the best Irish Nachos around and are guaranteed to become your new favorite appetizer. Though I have been known to eat them as a meal all by themselves.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 russet potatoes washed, dried, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese sharp
  • 2 green onions diced
  • 3 jalapenos sliced
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup pico de gallo
  • salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Wash and dry the potatoes, then thinly slice them into rounds.
  • Add potatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a bowl, and stir to coat the potatoes.
  • Wash and slice the jalapenos, and dice the green onions.
  • Grease a baking sheet, and arrange potatoes in a single layer.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until tender.
  • Sprinkle the cheese and bacon bits all over the potatoes, then place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.
  • Once potatoes are done, top with jalapenos and green onions.
  • Serve with pico de gallo and sour cream. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating