Low carb and keto nachos make it possible to enjoy tasty nachos on a low carb diet. Simply replace the high carb tortilla chips with crunchy pork rinds!
Of course you can still enjoy nachos on a low carb diet! In these low carb and keto nachos, simply replace the high carb tortilla chips with crunchy pork rinds.
Then add your cheesy toppings and bake until warm and bubbly. Genius – and delicious.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
- Olive oil: A healthy oil, but feel free to use avocado oil instead if you worry about cooking with olive oil.
- Ground beef: I use lean ground beef.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount you use.
- Spices: chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Plain pork rinds.
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese: You can also use sharp cheddar.
- Pickled sliced jalapenos.
How to make keto nachos
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- Cook the ground beef until no longer raw. Drain, then mix in the spices.
- Spread the pork rinds in a greased baking dish. Top with the ground beef, then the cheese, and finally the jalapeños.
- Bake briefly to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes at 400°F.
- Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.
How to serve them?
They are obviously a great appetizer or party snack. But I often serve them as our main course at dinner.
The kids love it, and so do we! As a main course, this recipe feeds four. As an appetizer, it can easily feed six or more.
Are these keto nachos as good as the real thing?
Almost. I would say that the only downside to using pork rinds is that they get soggy faster than tortilla chips.
In my experience, though, this hasn’t been an issue. Because unless you’re trying to keep leftovers, the pork rinds remain crunchy for the time it takes to finish this meal.
What to do with leftovers?
You can keep leftovers of the meat mixture for 3-4 days in the fridge, in an airtight container.
But I don’t recommend trying to keep leftovers of the whole dish. The pork rinds will become soggy.
More pork rind recipes that you might enjoy
I love pork rinds and use them often in my low carb cooking. In addition to these low carb keto nachos, one of my favorite recipes using pork rinds is this recipe for low carb breaded shrimp, where I use crushed pork rinds as the coating.
And another good one is this recipe for pork rind crusted pork chops.
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Low Carb Keto Nachos
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for the pan
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (4 oz bag) plain pork rinds
- 4 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup pickled sliced jalapenos
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a rimmed casserole dish with olive oil (a 9 X 13-inch baking dish will work).
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until no longer raw, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
- Return the drained beef to the skillet. Over medium heat, stir in the kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Spread the pork rinds in a single layer on the prepared pan. Top with the cooked ground beef, then sprinkle the cheese evenly on top and top with the jalapenos.
- Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, with your choice of toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.
More Recipes to Try:
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.