Irish Nachos

These cheesy Mexican potato skins, aka Irish Nachos, are layered with beans, tomatoes, and peppers. This recipe for Irish nachos is a family-favorite lunch or side dish. They are perfect for parties or for something different to serve on Taco Tuesday!

I am pretty sure I could live on just nachos. Between the chips, cheese, and salsa, I am one happy girl. Usually, I make mine with baked tortilla chips and all kinds of yummy toppings. However, sometimes it’s necessary to mix things up and baked chips are the answer.

I just have to say; Whoever came up with these Irish nachos is my hero. They are the perfect mix of nachos and potato skins and make the perfect addition to any appetizer spread. You can also make these with sweet potatoes, and they turn out pretty delish!

If you are looking for a fiber-rich alternative to nachos with tortilla chips, then these thin-sliced potatoes are going to become your new favorite side dish. When you add some chicken tinga or shredded Mexican beef, they become an entire meal.

Key Ingredients For Irish Nachos

There are only a few simple ingredients on these nachos. This gives you lots of room to customize them and make them taste how you want them.

• Potatoes: Make sure your potatoes are sliced really thin. I prefer to use russet potatoes but you could also use red or golden potatoes.
• Cooking Spray: This is a very important ingredient. If you don't use cooking spray, the potatoes will probably stick to the baking sheet.
• Salt and Pepper: This is for the potatoes. Don't use too much because you only want to give it a little bit of taste.
• Cheese: Use your favorite type of reduced-fat shredded cheese. I used cheddar, but you can also use Mexican-style shredded cheese or even pepper jack for a bit more heat!
• Bacon: To keep things light, I used turkey bacon in this recipe. You can swap in regular pork bacon, center cut will be the leanest option. Vegetarian bacon also works.
• Veggies: Add any veggies you like - bell peppers, onions, Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, black olives, jalapenos - everything works!

Note: For a full list of ingredients and detailed instructions on how to make these nachos, take a look at the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Recipe Tips and Ideas

Follow these tips to make sure that these nachos are perfect every single time!

• Use a mandolin slicer to slice the potatoes with the same thickness. If you try to use a knife, you might make some too thick and other pieces too thin.
• Thin potato “chips” will cook faster and crispier; however, if they are too thin, they won’t hold up the toppings very easily. We liked an 1⁄8-1⁄4” thick slice. Using a mandolin makes slicing incredibly fast and produces nice, even slices.
• Soaking the potatoes in ice water helps pull out some of the starches so that the potatoes will cook up more crisply. Likewise, the more excess water that you can soak up with the dish towel after they’ve soaked, the crisper the potatoes will be.
• I tried coconut oil, canola oil, and “baking spray” cooking sprays. I also tried a thin coating of olive oil and canola oil for cooking the potatoes. Any of these options will work. I liked the crispness and flavor of the coconut oil version the best (you couldn’t taste the coconut oil, they seemed lighter though).
• Roast the potato slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and flip them over halfway through the roasting time. This way, both sides will bake at the same rate.
• Put all the nacho toppings on top of the entire serving of potatoes and then bake it for five more minutes. This melts the cheese and makes the nachos nice and hot.

Side Dish ideas

The best thing about these nachos is that you can enjoy them for lunch, as a snack, or serve them at a party! We love serving them for parties with these easy Taco Cups for two fun twists on Mexican classics. 

No matter when you serve them, these turkey enchilada stuffed mushrooms are a big hit and would go along great. They are perfect for parties and fun to eat for lunch.

Want something lighter with a bit of spice? This Mexican shrimp skillet is both hot and light and tastes fantastic with the nachos!