An elevated twist on a Mexican classic, these Duck Carnitas Nachos are topped with succulent duck, earthy black beans, crisp radishes, spicy jalapenos, and of course a layer of gooey cheese.
If you are looking to take your nachos to the next level, consider making these duck carnitas nachos instead of your usual beef or chicken. Duck legs are braised in a mixture of beer, orange zest, and chiles and then shredded and finished by sautéing in their own residual fat.
Along with black beans and a combination of Mexican cheeses, the duck carnitas are layered between crunchy tortilla chips. Paper-thin slices of radish, chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, and jalapenos finish off the nachos, along with some sour cream or Mexican crema.
These next level nachos are perfect for the big game! Pair them with ice cold Samuel Adams Boston Lager for the ultimate game day experience.
Ingredient notes
- Duck Legs: You may need to look at specialty meat markets for this ingredient, or you can likely special order duck legs from the butcher at your local supermarket (that's what I've done in the past). In some cases it could take weeks for special orders to arrive, so plan ahead accordingly.
- Beer: The type of beer recommended for this recipe is a Vienna lager style beer, not only for cooking the duck legs but for pairing with the finished duck nachos. There are many options for Vienna lager beer, but a few popular ones are Samuel Adams Boston Lager (Boston Beer Company), Negra Modelo (Grupo Modelo), Eliot Ness (Great Lakes), Lincoln Park Lager (Goose Island), Special Amber (Sprecher). With that said, you could use another style beer if you can't find any of these.
- Cheese: Use a blend of Mexican cheeses (like a four cheese Mexican blend available in many supermarkets) for the most complex and flavorful nachos. You could also stick with a combination of just cheddar and Monterey Jack if you'd like. Ideally I would recommend grating your own cheese for optimal results, as pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt as smoothly.
How to make it
In a dry skillet toast a dried New Mexico or guajillo chile, turning occasionally, until puffy and deep brownish-red but not black. Stem, halve, discard the seeds, chop and set aside.
Nestle the duck legs in a heavy pot. Add the toasted chile, orange peel, garlic, and salt. Pour in the lager, then add enough water to barely cover.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Simmer gently until the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork, about 1 ½ hours. Transfer the duck legs to a cutting board using tongs.
Discard the orange peels from the braising liquid. Raise the heat to high and boil until the liquid is almost completely evaporated and about all that’s left is the duck fat.
Meanwhile, discard the skin and shred the meat into bite-size chunks. Discard any excess fat and the bones (or save the bones to make duck stock).
Return the duck meat to the pot and fry over medium heat until the meat is browned and crisp on the outside but still moist and tender inside. Drain the meat in a colander (or lift it from the fat with a slotted spoon).
Preheat the oven to 350°F, Spread about half the tortilla chips in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Top with about half each of the duck, the beans, and the cheese. Repeat to create a second layer.
Bake the duck carnitas nachos until the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown in spots, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with pickled jalapenos, sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, and sliced radishes. Serve immediately with the salsa, crema, and lime wedges on the side.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
Duck carnitas can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator, covered in the fat. When you're ready to assemble the nachos, reheat the meat in a small saucepan, and then drain off the fat.
You can either make these duck nachos in 1 sheet pan (as directed above) and make double the layers or make 2 sheet pans of duck nachos with a single layer each (as I have in these photos).
This recipe can serve as little as 8 or up to 12 people (depending on the serving size). You can also halve this recipe relatively easily. Simply use half a beer for the braise and drink the rest!
Other recipes you may like
- Buffalo Chicken Nachos
- Build-Your-Own Nacho Bar
- Chilaquiles Rojos (Red Chilaquiles)
- Guajillo-Braised Beef Short Rib Tacos
- Grilled Fish Tacos
- Pepito (Mexican Steak Sandwich)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Duck Carnitas Nachos
Ingredients
Duck Carnitas:
- 1 dried New Mexico or guajillo chile
- 3 pounds duck legs, rinsed
- 2 pieces fresh orange peel each about ¾-inch wide and 2-inches long
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle Vienna lager (such as Samuel Adams Boston Lager)
Nachos:
- 16 to 20 ounces thick corn tortilla chips
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 pound shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend
- ½ cup sliced pickled jalapenos (preferably homemade)
- 4 scallions white and green parts, thinly sliced½
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 6 thinly sliced radishes
- Salsa, Mexican crema or sour cream, and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- To make the duck carnitas: Heat a small, heavy, dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chile and toast, turning occasionally, until puffy and deep brownish-red but not black, 2 to 3 minutes. Stem and halve the chile, discard the seeds, and chop finely. Set aside.
- Nestle the duck legs in a heavy pot just large enough to fit them snugly in a single, slightly overlapping layer. Add the toasted chile, orange peel, garlic, and salt. Pour in the lager, then add enough water to barely cover (it’s okay if a few points protrude).
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Simmer gently until the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork, about 1 ½ hours. Transfer the duck legs to a cutting board using tongs.
- Discard the orange peels from the braising liquid. Raise the heat to high and boil until the liquid is almost completely evaporated and about all that’s left is the duck fat, about 10 minutes or longer as needed. First the bubbles will become large and foamy, and then the foam will begin to subside.
- Meanwhile, discard the skin and shred the meat into bite-size chunks. Discard any excess fat and the bones (or save the bones to make duck stock).
- Return the duck meat to the pot and fry over medium heat until the meat is browned and crisp on the outside but still moist and tender inside, about 10 minutes. Stir often, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Drain the meat in a colander (or lift it from the fat with a slotted spoon).
- To assemble the nachos: Preheat the oven to 350°F, Spread about half the tortilla chips in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Top with about half each of the duck, the beans, and the cheese. Repeat to create a second layer.
- Bake the nachos until the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown in spots, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the pickled jalapenos, scallions, cilantro, and radishes. Serve immediately with the salsa, crema, and lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Recommended Brews (Vienna Lager style): Samuel Adams Boston Lager (Boston Beer Company), Negra Modelo (Grupo Modelo), Eliot Ness (Great Lakes), Lincoln Park Lager (Goose Island), Special Amber (Sprecher)
- Duck carnitas can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator, covered in the fat. When you're ready to assemble the nachos, reheat the meat in a small saucepan, and then drain off the fat.
- You can either make these duck nachos in 1 sheet pan (as directed above) and make double the layers or make 2 sheet pans of duck nachos with a single layer each (as I have in these photos).
- This recipe can serve as little as 8 or up to 12 people (depending on the serving size). You can also halve this recipe relatively easily. Simply use half a beer for the braise and drink the rest!
- Adapted from Beer Bites
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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