These Brisket Waffle Fry Nachos are wonderfully indulgent and perfect for entertaining and special occasions. They’re made with a simple homemade queso and topped with cooked brisket and the works!
Years ago, we had these Brisket Waffle Fry Nachos at a place called Native Hostel here in Austin. Sadly, it’s since closed, but thankfully their appetizer is easy to recreate at home!
With a generous amount of brisket, red onions, cilantro, jalapeños, and tomatoes, there’s no shortage of toppings here. Then there’s the rich, buttery queso that easily compares to anything you’d get at a Tex-Mex restaurant.
Once it’s all assembled, you’re left with a heavenly tray of loaded waffle fry nachos, big enough to serve a crowd. You can even drizzle on your favorite salsa for an extra kick!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great for Entertaining: Whether you’re entertaining for game-day, Father’s Day, or the holidays, these waffle fry nachos make a great crowd pleaser!
- Easy Recipe: There’s minimal effort required for this recipe and most of the work is just assembling it all together.
- Homemade Queso: Making restaurant-quality queso at home is pretty simple. It only takes a few minutes to make on the stove (no roux needed)!
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Waffle Fries: The shape works perfectly as an alternative for tortilla chips.
- Cooked Brisket: Use thick-cut brisket that you can dice up.
- Jalapeños: You’ll need 3 for the entire recipe.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Large tomatoes work too, just cut them into small pieces.
- Red Onions + Cilantro: For topping the nachos.
- American Cheese: This is the best cheese to use for Tex-Mex queso since it melts seamlessly and maintains a smooth texture. We usually gets ours at the deli counter at the grocery store.
- Unsalted Butter: The key to delicious restaurant-quality queso.
- Yellow Onion: This adds flavor to the cheese.
- Whole Milk: You can also use 2%.
- Sour Cream: We like to use Mexican crema, but regular sour cream is fine too.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
STEP 1: Bake the waffle fries. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the waffle fries. Bake according to package instructions.
STEP 2: Prep the toppings. While the fries are baking, chop up the tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and brisket. If you’re using leftover cold brisket, heat it back up on the stove or in the microwave.
STEP 3: Make the queso. Heat the butter in a small saucepan then add the onion and jalapeño, sautéing until softened. Add the cheese along with half the milk and whisk until melted. Slowly add in the remaining milk and whisk until smooth.
STEP 4: Assemble the waffle fry nachos. Top the fries with the cooked brisket and queso. Sprinkle over the remaining toppings and drizzle with sour cream. You can top the whole tray or make individual servings.
Expert Tip
- Reheat thickened queso. As the queso cools, it’ll thicken significantly. Don’t worry, just pop it in the microwave or reheat it on the stove to thin it back out. If it’s still too thick, add a splash of milk.
- Prep the toppings in advance. To save a little more time, chop all the veggies and brisket earlier in the day. Though, we recommend making the queso right before serving.
FAQ
Yes! Feel free to use barbacoa, chicken, ground turkey, etc.
Black beans, pinto beans, guacamole, pickled red onions, pickled jalapeños, and fajita veggies are all good options. We also like to top ours with a generous drizzle of carrot habanero salsa (recipe coming soon)!
Depending on how hot your jalapeños are, they could range from mild to decently spicy. We personally don’t find them very spicy which is why we like to add a bit of salsa on top.
If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!
📖 Recipe
Brisket Waffle Fry Nachos
Ingredients
For the Waffle Fries:
- 2 22-oz (623 g) bags frozen waffle fries
- 1 cup (170 g) cherry tomatoes quartered
- Heaping ½ cup (66 g) red onion finely diced
- 2 jalapeños deseeded and finely diced
- ¾ cup (24 g) cilantro chopped
- ½ pound (226 g) cooked brisket diced
- Mexican crema or regular sour cream for serving
For the Queso:
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (33 g) yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeño deseeded and diced
- 8 oz (226 g) block American cheese shredded
- ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven and bake the waffle fries according to package instructions.*
- Meanwhile, prep and chop all the toppings (tomatoes, red onion, jalapeños, cilantro, and brisket). If you're using cold leftover brisket, reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.
- To make the queso, melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the yellow onions and diced jalapeño, sautéing until softened.
- Add the cheese along with half the milk and whisk until melted. Slowly whisk in the remaining milk, mixing until smooth. It will thicken more as it cools.
- To assemble the fries, top them with the cooked brisket and queso followed by the tomatoes, red onion, jalapeños, and cilantro. Drizzle with Mexican crema or sour cream and enjoy right away.
Notes
- Waffle Fries: The temperature and bake time could vary depending on the brand. We baked ours at 425°F (220°C) for about 25 minutes.
- The longer queso sits, the thicker it gets. To revive it, just heat it back up on the stove or in the microwave. If you find that it's still too thick, add a splash of milk.
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