Irish Nachos

Irish Nachos Crispy, golden potato slices piled high with melted cheese, crispy bacon, sour cream, green onions, and all your favorite nacho toppings — a brilliant, hearty twist on classic nachos that is outrageously delicious, endlessly customizable, and absolutely impossible to stop eating.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 0.5 teaspoons onion powder
• 8 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 0.5 cups sour cream
• 0.5 cups pickled jalapeños, sliced
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 0.5 cups diced tomatoes
• 0.25 cups red onion, finely diced
• 0.25 cups fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 1 cup guacamole or diced avocado (optional)
• hot sauce, for serving

STEPS

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil. Using two pans and spreading the potatoes in a single layer is essential — crowding the pan means steamed, soggy potatoes instead of golden, crispy ones.
2. Season the potatoes: In a large bowl, toss the sliced potatoes with the olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and onion powder until every slice is evenly and thoroughly coated on both sides.
3. Roast the potatoes: Arrange the seasoned potato slices in a single layer across both prepared baking sheets with no overlapping. Roast at 425°F for 20 minutes, then flip every slice and continue roasting for another 15–20 minutes until the potatoes are deep golden brown, crispy around the edges, and completely cooked through. The potatoes must be properly crispy before loading — soft potatoes will go completely limp under the toppings.
4. Cook the bacon: While the potatoes roast, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until deeply crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, cool, and crumble into generous pieces.
5. Load the nachos: Transfer all the crispy potato slices to one large baking sheet or oven-safe platter, overlapping them slightly. Scatter the crumbled bacon evenly over the top. Combine the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack and pile generously over everything, covering the potatoes and bacon completely.
6. Melt the cheese: Return to the oven at 425°F for 5–7 minutes until the cheese is completely melted, bubbling, and golden in spots. Alternatively, broil on high for 2–3 minutes for a more deeply golden, slightly blistered cheese topping — watch closely under the broiler.
7. Add the toppings: Remove from the oven and immediately top with the sliced pickled jalapeños, diced tomatoes, red onion, and sliced green onions. Dollop sour cream generously over the top and add guacamole or diced avocado if using. Scatter fresh cilantro over everything if desired.
8. Serve: Serve immediately straight from the pan with hot sauce on the side. Irish nachos do not wait — serve the moment the cheese is melted and the toppings are on.

NOTES Tips: Getting the potato slices as crispy as possible before loading them with toppings is the single most important step — soft, underbaked potatoes will turn completely limp under the weight of the cheese and toppings within minutes. Roast them until they are genuinely golden and crispy at the edges before adding anything on top. Slicing the potatoes to an even 1/4-inch thickness is important for even cooking — a mandoline makes this quick, effortless, and perfectly consistent. Do not skip flipping the potatoes halfway through roasting — both sides need direct contact with the hot pan to crisp properly. Add the cold toppings like sour cream, fresh tomatoes, and green onions after the cheese is melted — never before, or they will cook and wilt in the oven. These are best eaten immediately and fresh — Irish nachos do not hold well once assembled but the roasted potatoes can be made up to 2 hours ahead and re-crisped in a 425°F oven for 5 minutes before loading.