Irish Nachos
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This recipe for Irish Nachos is easy to make with potato chips, smothered in a rich, creamy beer cheese sauce, then topped with crispy bacon. It’s the perfect pub food to make at home for a party snack, game day appetizer, or a great side dish to pair with Reuben Sandwiches!
Table of contents
After making the best creamy beer cheese dip, I knew that I had to find other ways to use it besides just as a dip. It has wonderful flavor and pairs perfectly with salty pretzels, or salty chips!
Irish nachos came to mind immediately, and the deliciousness that ensued was off the charts! Crunchy, salty kettle chips, topped with a creamy, cheesy sauce, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and creamy sour cream. The combination is oh-so-good!
There are several variations of these Irish pub nachos, using different types of potatoes as the base. Yes, you can use waffle fries, potato wedges, or thinly sliced roasted potatoes, but my favorite (and the easiest) way to make these pub nachos at home is with crispy potato chips. I recommend kettle chips, or the thickest chips you can find, so that they hold up to all the delicious toppings.
This variation on traditional nachos, made with tortilla chips, is a fun twist on the popular appetizer and one that I know you will love!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s easy to make in 15 minutes!
- It’s great for sharing!
- The combination of flavors and textures is so delicious!
Ingredients
- Beer cheese sauce – click the link for all of the details and tips and tricks on how to make a simple beer cheese sauce for these nachos. I’ve also included the instructions in the recipe card below. You can make the sauce ahead of time (like I did!) then just reheat it on the stove before putting the nachos together.
- Potato chips – I recommend kettle chips, or the thickest chips that you can find. You’ll want the flavor to be original or sea salt.
- Bacon – use my recipe to make perfect oven baked bacon, fry bacon on the stove, or purchase real bacon bits at the grocery store. The bacon can be cooked and crumbled ahead of time, then sprinkled on top of the nachos later.
- Green onions – a delicious, crunchy topping for the nachos.
- Tomatoes – a tasty, juicy topping for the nachos.
- Sour cream – the perfect finish to these nachos is a big dollop of sour cream in the middle. You can also serve a bowl of sour cream on the side for dipping, or spooning on top of the nachos as you eat them.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare the beer cheese sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add flour to the pan and whisk to combine the ingredients to form a roux. Slowly pour heavy cream into the pan, and whisk to combine it with the roux. Add beer, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika, and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer then turn the heat on the stove to low. Add shredded sharp cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese to the pan. Stir continuously until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Arrange the chips in an even layer in a skillet, on a sheet pan, or on a large plate. Pour the warm beer cheese sauce evenly over the chips in the pan.
- Add the toppings. Sprinkle cooked, crumbled bacon over the nachos. Dollop sour cream in the middle of the nachos, then top with diced green onions and diced tomatoes.
Recipe variations
If you want to switch out the chips for another potato base, feel free to try any of these recipe variations for Irish nachos.
- Waffle fries – to make this recipe with waffle fries, start with 22 ounces of frozen waffle fries. Cook the fries on a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven according to the package directions. While the fries are in the oven, prepare the beer cheese sauce. When the fries come out of the oven, pour the cheese sauce over the fries on the baking sheet, then add the other toppings.
- Potato wedges – purchase a 28 ounce bag of frozen potato wedges, or steak-cut fries. Cook the potato wedges on a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven according to the package directions. While the potatoes are in the oven, prepare the beer cheese sauce. When the potato wedges come out of the oven, pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes on the baking sheet, then add the other toppings.
- Raw potatoes – if you want to start with raw potatoes, just follow these instructions. Wash 1 1/2 pounds of russet potatoes in cold water, but do not peel them. Use a sharp knife, or mandoline, to thinly slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Toss the potato rounds with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon fry seasoning (or 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon paprika). Place the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes, flip and bake for an additional 20 minutes. During the second baking time, prepare the beer cheese sauce. When the potatoes are brown and crispy, remove them from the oven. Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes on the baking sheet, then add the other toppings.
You can also mix up the toppings on these nachos and substitute the bacon with diced up corned beef, and the diced green onions with pickled onions. You can also add any of your favorite nacho toppings that you’d find on traditional nachos.
Recipe notes
- These Irish nachos are best served when they’re freshly made, so I don’t recommend trying to store and reheat leftovers. The chips will be soggy and the nachos will not have the delicious texture that they had when they were freshly made. Instead, you can make just as many nachos as you want in one setting. Store any leftover beer cheese sauce in the fridge to make more Irish nachos another day.
- If you make the beer cheese sauce ahead of time, simply store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to make the nachos, reheat the cheese sauce in a small pot on the stove over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir until the cheese sauce is hot.
- When making the beer cheese sauce, the alcohol will cook off during the process of heating the sauce on the stove. But if you prefer, you can use nonalcoholic beer to make the sauce.
- To add spice to these nachos, stir 2-3 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce into the beer cheese sauce, or add nacho sliced jalapenos on top.
- Omit the bacon on top to make the nachos vegetarian.
More appetizer recipes
Try these other popular appetizer recipes, perfect for parties, or game day snacks!
Irish Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 cup beer cheese sauce, click the link for the full recipe, or view it in the notes section below
- 4 cups kettle potato chips
- ½ cup cooked, crumbled bacon, approximately 6 slices bacon
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup green onions, diced
- ¼ cup diced tomato
Instructions
- Prepare the beer cheese sauce according to the directions in the notes section below.
- Arrange the kettle chips slightly overlapping on a large plate, skillet, or sheet pan.
- Pour warm beer cheese sauce evenly over the chips. Top with the cooked, crumbled bacon.
- Dollop sour cream in the middle of the nachos, then top with diced green onions and tomatoes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Grate 1 cup cheddar cheese and ½ cup Swiss cheese, then set them aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in 2 tablespoons flour to form a roux. Once combined, slowly pour in ½ cup heavy cream and whisk to combine.
- Add ¼ cup beer, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, and stir to combine.
- Bring to a gentle simmer then turn the heat on the stove to low. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese to the pan. Stir continuously until the cheese is fully melted and the dip is smooth and creamy.
Nutrition Facts
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