Paleo Nachos [Whole30 & Keto]

Nachos are not only always delicious, they’re fun to make and are a crowd pleaser. These nachos are actually coined “leftover nachos” in our home as I think they are a great use of leftover protein. Whether it be carnitas, beef, chicken, and even shrimp, these will be a hit at any gathering!

Paleo Nachos

What does one Ketogenic say to a Paleo?
“Oh, these look good but I brought something to add to them.. but, it’s NACHO cheese.”

Yeah, that was terrible. I was hoping to come up with something a little more cheesy. I got jokes. One joke that is not is how easily these nachos can be modified. At first, I wanted to share this exact same recipe but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it to be a base line for your own creation. If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that we’re all trying to make healthier choices. At least it sure does feel like way with the 1MM+ shares with hashtags like “Paleo”, “Whole30, “Keto”, and “CleanEating”. I mean, praise these times because with what feels like half of the country trying to become lighter [if you will], showing up to any gathering with an appetizer like this is totally acceptable.

Are these really “Keto”?

Well, first. there is no such thing as a “Keto” food. Keto is short for ketosis and ketosis is a metabolic state that your body goes into when it has limited supply of carbohydrates.

Now, if the question is “can this nacho method fit into my ketogenic life?” I have to answer, yes! The bulk of the carbohydrates you are going to get with these nachos come from the red bell pepper bottom.

Red bell pepper weighs in at about 5.9 net carbs for 1/2 cup and if you plan correctly, you can enjoy 4-5 of these bell pepper chips [or even more]. Secondly, I know it’s all about the net carbs but if that is what prohibits you from eating a bell pepper, I want to challenge you to look further into your food for it’s actual nutrients.

Bell peppers are loaded with Vitamin C [well over 100%] and B6, along with K1, Potassium, Folate [hello preconception planning], E, and Vitamin A.

As we enter into the fall and winter seasons, our bodies will be pulling from all that we consume to keep us well. It’s important to follow our food plans and to fulfill the commitments we make to ourselves, but’s it’s even more important to do that while getting in the important nutrients.

How to Make Paleo Nachos [in pictures]

Trust me, making these nachos are so easy.

1. Cut the bell peppers into bit size pieces. Think about a “scoop” when cutting them as you will be able to stuff them with your filling!

2. Evenly arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400’F for 5 minutes. Then, broil them for and additional 2 minutes.

3. Stuff/ top away with your protein of choice. We typically look to our leftover meat when it’s just us snacking which seems to always be Carnitas.

Other great options are taco ground beef and fajita chicken!

4. Continue topping away with your favorites.

We topped with avocado, red onion, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of Siete Foods Habanero Sauce. Then, right before we all dug in, I gave it a nice squeeze of lime!

6. Serve!

Paleo Nachos [Whole30 & Keto]

While this recipe was created with football in mind, I would be lying if I said we haven't had these for a lunch or dinner. These nachos are light, filling, and drool worthy. Made with a bell pepper base, they are the perfect "chip" to fill with all of your nacho favorites.

• 3 large red bell peppers
• 1-2 pounds protein of choice, cooked [we opted for leftover carnitas]

Toppings

• red onion, diced
• fresh cilantro
• avocado, diced
• Salsa
• fresh lime juice

To Make Pepper "Chips"

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Begin by washing and drying your red bell peppers. Slice the pepper into 4 quadents beginning at the stem. Remove seeds.

3. Take each of the quadents and cut them into 3rds or 4ths, depending on how large your bell pepper is, creating 1-2 bite size pieces.

4. Place the peppers onto the sheet pan, evenly arranging them. Be careful not to overlap as this will cause them to steam when cooking.

5. place the peppers on your lowest oven rack and bake for 5 minutes.

6. Set the oven to "broil" and continue baking for an additional 2 minutes.

To Assemble Nachos

1. Begin with topping the peppers with the protein of your choice.

2. Continue building the nachos with the toppings above or your own favorite toppings.

3. Serve straight out of the sheet pan and enjoy!