Asian Nachos With Pork and Cabbage

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These Asian-inspired nachos offer all the flavor of pork and cabbage dumplings, but with much less effort and a lot more crunch. They're topped with a variety of fresh vegetables and a spicy mayo for a fun twist on two classic foods.

a tray of nachos with wontons and pork and cabbage

This take on nachos is like a crunchier, much less effort version of pork dumplings. Instead of filling and steaming store-bought wonton wrappers, you bake them first, which gives them a beautifully crisp, cracker-like consistency.

Rather than spending time filling and sealing wontons, the ground pork and cabbage are cooked separately, then spread over the wonton chips with some usual nacho ingredients, like jalapeños, cilantro, and scallions. A spicy mayo sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds finish it all off. And a little hoison sauce doesn't hurt if you have it.

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✨ Why this recipe works
🐖 Ingredients
Substitutions & Variations
🔪 Instructions
✨ Top Tips
🍳 Equipment
🥡 Storage
🙋🏻‍♂️ FAQ
🍹 Pairing
📖 Recipe
🍔 Related Recipes
💬 Comments

You could also say this recipe is nothing like dumplings or nachos, and you'd be correct. Either way, it's a tasty, easy dish to share with friends or enjoy as a fun meal any night of the week.

✨ Why this recipe works

The pork is full of flavor. Seasoned with ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and more, it's a delicious nacho topping that, in my opinion, is way better than plain ground meat.
Baking the wontons turns them into a crispy alternative to tortilla chips. And even better - they can handle plenty of toppings. So don't be afraid to load them up.
With cabbage, radishes, scallions, jalapeno, and cilantro, these nachos provide plenty of freshness and satisfying crunch. So what I'm saying is this is basically a salad, too.

I love growing cabbage in my garden and finding creative ways to cook the humble vegetable, like in nachos. For more cabbage recipes, try my Roasted Napa Cabbage, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, or Instant Pot Cabbage and Apples.

🐖 Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make this recipe.

Ingredient notes

Ground pork: Offers the most flavor and is the key component in pork dumplings, which is what we're emulating here. Use ground pork with some fat content in it, so it doesn't dry out during cooking, as leaner meats like chicken or turkey tend to.
Wonton wrappers: A basic package of wonton wrappers, often found in the refridgerated area of a produce department, is perfect for the nachos. The packages typically include 40-50 wontons. If you can't find wontons, your favorite tortilla chips will certainly do the job.
Red cabbage: You only need about half of a small red cabbage for this recipe. You could certainly use green cabbage or another kind of cabbage, such as Savoy or Napa cabbage. But I like the red cabbage's color in the nachos, and since it's only cooked for a few minutes, it retains its vibrant hue.
Scallions, ginger, and garlic: The aromatic flavor base for the pork. I like to use plenty of garlic and ginger, so they're present in every bite of nachos. Don't skimp out on either.
Hoisin sauce: Adds a touch of complex salty and savory flavor to finish off the nachos. But it's not necessary and could be left out if you don't have it handy. Or, if you enjoy it as much as I do, you could make your own hoisin.

Check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

Other ground meat: You can make these nachos with ground beef, chicken, or turkey.
Yogurt instead of mayo: If you're mayo-adverse (hey, I get it), try Greek yogurt in its place.
Pickled radishes: If you have more time and can prep ahead, try doing a quick pickle of the radishes. Some pickled red onions would also make a great topping, while you're at it.

🔪 Instructions

wonton wrappers on a tray being brushed with oil

Step 1: Lay the wonton wrappers out on two baking sheets or in two batches. Brush both sides lightly with cooking oil. Bake for 8 minutes at 400°F until golden and crispy.

cabbage, scallions, and ginger on a cutting board being chopped

Step 2: Meanwhile, thinly slice the cabbage into strips. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Then roughly chop the scallions and cilantro. Prep and chop any other fresh toppings, such as the radishes and jalapeno.

ginger, garlic, and scallions cooking in a pan and being stirred

Step 3: In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and the white parts of the scallion. Cook for two minutes. Stir often.

Step 4: Add the ground pork, breaking it up with your spoon. Cook for 6-8 minutes until browned.

Step 5: Add the cabbage, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and vinegar. Stir well to combine, then cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened up a bit.

Step 6: Spread half of the wonton chips out on the baking sheet. Top with half of the pork and cabbage filling.

Step 7: Layer on the remaining chips, then the remaining pork and cabbage. If you like, you can warm the nachos in the oven for a few minutes.

Step 8: Whisk together the mayo and sriracha.

Step 9: Top the tray of nachos with the radishes, jalapeno, cilantro, remaining scallions, and the sesame seeds. Or use whatever toppings you prefer.

Step 10: Drizzle the sriracha mayo and hoison sauce over top and serve.

✨ Top Tips

Be careful not to over-bake the wonton wrappers, as they can become brittle and/or burn.
Serve the nachos immediately after assembling. They'll get soft if they sit around for too long. If you want to prep the recipe ahead of time, you can do everything but assemble the nachos until you're ready to eat them.

🍳 Equipment

Sheet tray/baking sheet: A basic baking sheet (half-size) is perfect for baking the wontons and assembling the nachos. If you have two, you can speed up the cooking of the wontons. But it's not necessary.

🥡 Storage

These nachos are best enjoyed the day they're prepared. If not, they can be gently reheated on a baking sheet in the oven the next day. Try warming them at a lower heat, around 250 degrees F.

🙋🏻‍♂️ FAQ

What are good toppings for Asian nachos?

You can top these wonton nachos with many of your favorite traditional toppings, including pickled onions and radishes, jalapenos, chopped cilantro, and scallions. I don't include cheese; instead, I use a spicy mayo that pairs well with the flavors of the pork and cabbage.

Why do wonton wrappers make good nachos?

When baked, the wonton wrappers crisp up beautifully and make a sturdy base that can hold up well to plenty of toppings. They may even be more sturdy than tortilla chips.

What kind of cheese would go well on these nachos?

Dairy isn't very common in Asian cooking. Instead of typical nacho cheese, try the spicy mayo in the recipe. It's just a light drizzle over the wonton nachos, but you could double it if you want more of a creamy sauce.