Loaded Irish Nachos

A delicious (and EASY) appetizer or meal that combines crispy roasted potatoes with all of your favorite nacho toppings.

Irish Potato Nacho Recipe

So you might be thinking, what the heck are Irish nachos? Simply, they are nachos using thinly sliced gold potatoes instead of tortilla chips.

Thin sliced, roasted potato rounds make an unexpectedly good swap for corn chips. They are crispy on the edges, soft in the middle and taste incredible with guacamole, onion, and cheese!

Bring these potato nachos to your next game day event or back yard bbq and you'll have people pleasantly surprised by the delicious combo.

Ingredients For Potato Nachos

So I have a few tips when it comes to choosing the potatoes you'll use for these loaded nachos. You want something that cooks relatively quickly, but will definitely crisp up around the edges.

I ended up going with gold potatoes because they are buttery soft when roasted and the edges get a toasty, golden brown that tastes amazing.

• gold potatoes
• olive oil
• flaky sea salt
• red onion
• raddishes
• guacamole
• shredded Mexican cheese or cotija cheese
• tomato
• extras: bacon, jalapeños, limes, sour cream

These nachos are totally customizable, I love tons of fresh red onion but if that doesn't appeal to you, swap it out for something you love! Go crazy with the toppings.

Making Irish Nachos

You could definitely fry these potatoes, but why? Roasting them is so much healthier and honestly its delicious! So here are the steps to making these loaded Irish nachos...

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees with the sheet pan or skillet in the oven.
2. Thinly slice your potatoes.
3. Remove the pan from the oven and layer the potatoes on, barely overlapping each one.
4. Spray with light cooking oil or drizzle with olive oil and season with flaky sea salt.
5. Put them back in the oven for 20 minutes.
6. Bump up the oven to the broil or convection broil setting and cook for an additional 5 minutes until golden brown on the edges.
7. Remove from the oven and immediately top with your favorite toppings. If you want to melt the cheese, simply place it back in the oven for a couple more minutes.
8. Enjoy!

Sheet Pan or Cast Iron Skillet?

Because I like to do the hard hitting research for you guys, I prepped these nachos both ways.

Sheet pan: Not as crispy on the edges but more "buttery" in the middle of the potato. This version would be great for a large batch of potato nachos and easy to serve a family!

Skillet: This got much hotter during the preheat portion of the instructions and my potatoes immediately started cooking on the bottom when placed down. This is great for an appetizer sized portion or a meal for 2-3 people.

My consensus? Cast iron skillet was my favorite method!

TIPS! How To Get Crispy Potatoes In The Oven

I knew when I made these that half of the enjoyment would be those delectable crispy edges of the potatoes. I also like to keep things light around here and so I wasn't going to fry them, so here is how it went down...

To get the crispiest potatoes in the oven...

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees WITH your sheet pan or cast iron skillet in the oven. The potatoes will start cooking as soon as they hit that hot pan.
• Cut the potatoes as thinly as you can with a knife or mandolin. Hello crispy edges!
• Generously spray cooking spray or olive oil on the potatoes
• Move the rack in the oven closer to the top, not the very top row but in the upper half.
• For the last 5 minutes or so, set your oven to convection broil and watch them get the ultimate crispy edges!

Air Fried Irish Nachos

Short on time or just making a small batch of nachos? The air fryer is an equally easy way to make them.

Following the same idea as above, preheat the air fryer before adding the thinly sliced potatoes.

Air fry the thin potatoes for about 15 minutes at 375. If you want them crispier, increase the temperature for the last couple of minutes.

Top your nachos and enjoy!

What Potato Is Best For Irish Nachos?

I mentioned above that I used golden potatoes for these. I've seen it done with russet potatoes also, but I chose to stick to the golds!

There are a few options you have, and you can swap any of these in for this recipe...

• Yukon gold - buttery soft center, perfectly browned edges
• Russet potatoes - probably the crispiest edges, but a more "fluffy" center vs buttery.
• Sweet potato - if you go this route, be sure to get them sliced very thin!
• FRENCH FRIES! Yep, that's right. If you want to save time or not hassle with thinly cutting the potatoes, get some frozen seasoned French fries and enjoy.

Can I Make This For Dinner?

TOTALLY! Grab your favorite meat for making tacos (ground beef, turkey, or even pork) and season it up with taco seasoning.

Just top the nachos with the ground taco meat and then add your veggie toppings. It would be a filling meal that is a unique spin on traditional loaded nachos.

FAQ

Are Irish Nachos Baked or Fried?

You can bake or fry these potatoes before topping them. I'm choosing to bake them for a lighter version, but if you'd like to fry them, go for it!

I also outlined above how to prepare them in the air fryer!

Can You Make Irish Nachos with Fries or Waffle Fries?

Sure can! I'd suggest going with fresh potatoes because I prefer the taste of them but honestly who doesn't love a plate of loaded French fries?!

Tools Needed To Make This Recipe?

• Sheet pan or cast iron skillet
• sharp kitchen knife
• spatula for scooping the nachos

How To Store Leftovers?

I would remove all of the toppings that are "wet." Extra tomatoes, guacamole, or salsa and then place the potatoes in a Tupperware and the toppings in a separate Tupperware.

Reheat on a sheet pan or in the air fryer at 400 for a few minutes and enjoy them again!

📖 Recipe