Fry Your Tortillas for Nachos al Pastor

Nachos al Pastor with Freshly Fried Blue Tortilla Chips

February 3, 2026

Great nachos don’t happen by accident. They start with freshly fried corn tortillas, stay balanced with just enough cheese, and finish with toppings that actually make a difference. Here, crispy blue corn chips are baked with warm al pastor meat (bonus points if you support your favorite taqueria with a purchase), melting cheese, and pineapple for sweetness, then finished with onion, cilantro, and salsa at the table. It’s a simple formula, but when each layer is treated with care, the result is a pan of nachos that feels just as good to make as it does to eat.

Organic Corn Tortillas

Nachos Al Pastor

Masienda Team

Servings

3-4

Ingredients

10 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups cooked al pastor meat
2 cups Mexican melting cheese such as Chihuahua, Oaxaca, or a mix
1 cup chopped pineapple

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½ cup finely diced white onion
½ cup chopped cilantro
Salsa
Lime wedges

Directions

Cut the tortillas into quarters or wedges. Heat about ½ inch of oil in a heavy pan to 350°F. Fry the tortillas in batches for 60–90 seconds, until crisp and lightly golden. Transfer to a rack or paper towels and season with a light pinch of salt.
Warm the al pastor meat in a skillet over medium heat until it’s hot, with a few crispy edges. Chop into bite-size pieces if needed and set aside.
Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the fried tortillas in a single, slightly overlapping layer on a large sheet pan or baking dish. Scatter the hot al pastor meat evenly over the chips, followed by the cheese and pineapple. Everything should be visible—no piling, just even coverage so every chip gets its moment.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling, with a few browned spots.
Remove from the oven and garnish with white onion and cilantro. Serve with red and green salsas on top or on the side and lime wedges if you want a little extra brightness.

3 comments

MASIENDA | April 8, 2026

Hi Jim! Thanks so much for your comment. You’ll want to make the tortillas first using masa harina, cook them on a skillet or comal until fully cooked, and then let them cool completely. From there, cut them into wedges and fry. Frying raw masa won’t give you the right texture—cooking them first is key. You can also use our pre-made 2-ingredient organic corn tortillas and follow the same process. Here’s our tortilla chips blog that walks through it step by step. Let us know if you have any other questions!

https://masienda.com/blogs/learn/masa-shapes-totopos-chips

JIM | April 8, 2026

I want to know how to make fresh corn tortillas from masa and fry them into tortilla chips. What are the steps and recipe? Do I make masa tortillas and cook them on the griddle or cast iron and then fry them, or do I make fresh masa tortillas and directly fry them? No one makes videos on this or recipes. It’s like it’s a known thing I’m supposed to know… how do I make great fried tortilla chips from fresh masa? I want the beginner 101 tutorial, please

CRÆG | February 13, 2026

Oh mama… Can’t wait to try these nachos. I know this review is not helpful in any way… Just wanted to make a comment because I love getting these Macienda recipes in my in-box.