Pork Loaded French Fries Recipe
What do you get when you mix French fries and nachos? Pork-loaded French fries, of course! This recipe is great because it combines French fries, which are already awesome by themselves, with all of the toppings that would normally go on nachos. If you think that it sounds good, then wait until you taste it because it actually tastes even better than it sounds! Think of a layer of fries, followed by a layer of shredded pork, onions, and a whole lot of cheese. You can either throw together this recipe with frozen fries, which makes it incredibly easy. If you want to go the extra mile, recipe developer Ting Dalton says that "you could also make your own by slicing russet potatoes and baking in vegetable oil." Either way, they will be top-notch.
Dalton says that this recipe is perfect for several reasons, but a big plus is being able to use the leftover pork for other dishes. "It's a great one for sharing, and there's also always some pork left over to make sandwiches," she raves.
Keep reading to find out how to make this nacho–French fry masterpiece.
Gather the ingredients for this pork loaded French fries recipe
To kick things off, gather all of the ingredients that you will need to throw this tasty recipe together. For starters, you will need to get two pounds of pork shoulder. In addition, grab some BBQ sauce, chicken broth, and vegetable oil.
One of the other main stars of this dish is frozen French fries. As we mentioned earlier, you can also try slicing some russett potatoes instead if you don't have French fries on hand. You will also need a red onion and some scallions. To complete your ingredient list, add shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and sour cream. The more cheese, the merrier!
Prep your Instant Pot
First, take out the Instant Pot and add in your vegetable oil. Once the oil is heated, brown each piece of pork on both sides. This should only take about three minutes. Once you have finished, set the pork to the side. Alternatively, Dalton says you can use a slow cooker: "If you've got more time, prepare in the same way but slow cook for six hours."
Next, add a cup of BBQ sauce and half a cup of chicken broth to the pot and mix well. Make sure you get all of the bits off of the bottom. Then, add the pork and the juices. Lock the lid and set to high pressure, then cook for an hour and 15 minutes. Be sure to set your timer as a reminder.
Let the Instant Pot naturally release and cook your fries
When your timer goes off, turn off the Instant Pot and allow the pressure to release naturally. This should only take about 20 minutes or so.
While the pot is naturally releasing, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, place the French fries on the baking tray and cook according to the instructions on the back of the bag. When you finish cooking the fries, you can remove them from the oven and set them to the side. You will need them in just a few minutes, so be sure to keep them close.
Remove the pork and strain the liquid
Once the valve drops on the Instant Pot, remove the pork and place it into a large bowl. Then, you'll want to shred the pork using two forks. Now, it should start looking more like pulled pork.
Strain the cooking liquid and make sure to reserve half of a cup for later. Then, put the Instant Pot back on sauté and add the shredded pork back in. Toss in another cup of BBQ sauce along with the reserved cooking liquid. Bring it to a simmer and keep stirring it for about five minutes.
Layer the fries
Take out a baking tray or skillet — you can use the same one that you have the fries on already. For the first layer, add half of the French fries, followed by half of the pork, half of the red onions, half of the scallions, half of the cheddar cheese, and half of the Monterey Jack cheese. Phew, it's a lot, but it will make sure you get a little bit of goodness in each bite. Repeat the process again for the next and final layer.
Bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese has melted. Take the tray out of the range and put it somewhere safe.
Serve the your pork loaded French fries
Once you take the tray out of the oven, add sour cream on the top. Now, you can serve the fries however you like. Feel free to have everyone grab off of the baking sheet or plate on individual bowls. Dalton shares that you can also top the fries with jalapenos if you're looking for an extra kick. Other topping suggestions include "chopped bell peppers, chili, and fresh parsley chopped," Dalton shares.
If you happen to have leftovers, they "will keep for one to two days in a suitable container in the refrigerator. You can reheat again in the oven for 15 minutes."
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2 equal pieces
- 2 cups BBQ sauce, divided
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 pound frozen French fries
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- Select saute on the Instant Pot and add the vegetable oil. Once heated, brown each piece of pork on both sides for around 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Add 1 cup of BBQ sauce and ½ cup of chicken broth to the pot and mix well, making sure you get all the bits off the bottom. Add the pork and the juices. Lock the lid and set high pressure and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- When the cooking time ends, turn off the Instant Pot and allow the pressure to release naturally, around 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place the French fries on the baking tray, and cook according to packet instructions.
- Once done, remove from the oven and set aside.
- When the valve drops on the Instant Pot, remove the pork and put it into a large bowl. Using two forks, shred the pork.
- Strain the cooking liquid, reserving ½ a cup. Put the Instant Pot back on saute and add the shredded pork back to the pot with another cup of BBQ sauce and the reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer and keep stirring for 5 minutes.
- In a baking tray, baking dish, or skillet, layer half of the French fries, half of the pork, half of the red onion, half of the scallions, half of the cheddar cheese, and half of the Monterey Jack, and then repeat again with another layer.
- Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese has melted. Add the sour cream and serve.
| Calories per Serving | 1,046 |
| Total Fat | 62.8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 24.3 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.4 g |
| Cholesterol | 184.7 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 71.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.2 g |
| Total Sugars | 40.1 g |
| Sodium | 1,937.2 mg |
| Protein | 46.5 g |
