An easy and filling meal, and perfect for feeding a crowd, these Loaded Chicken Nachos are everything you could want from nachos, and more. Crunchy tortilla chips loaded with leftover chicken and vegetables and then smothered with salsa and cheese. Then plenty of spoonfuls of guac and sour cream of course.
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Whenever we want a quick and filling meal, we turn to nachos. Bursting with flavour, easy to adapt and a great way to use up leftovers, they really do have it all.
This recipe is made using leftovers from our Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas too, making it a great recipe to reduce food waste. But, we have included instructions from cooking chicken from fresh too.
Whenever people think of nachos, I think they automatically think of just cheese and salsa, or ground beef. But using shredded chicken breast makes these chicken nachos protein packed.
Want more nacho recipes? Try our quick Air Fryer Nachos, delicious Breakfast Nachos or our filling Black Bean Nachos.
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Why You Will Love Them
- Family favourite
- Quick and easy
- Uses up leftovers
- Easy to adapt
- Protein packed
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Tortilla chips - The base for any nachos. For this recipe, we used a standard bag of tortillas, but you could make our Oven Baked Tortilla Chips if you prefer.
- Chicken - We used some leftover chicken from our Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas. But really, any leftover cooked chicken you have will work.
- Black beans - For some added protein. Pinto beans or red kidney beans will also work well.
- Cheddar - A good simple cheese that melts well. We used a strong cheddar, but we have given some other options in the FAQs
- Jalapenos - For a spicy kick (optional).
- Sour cream, salsa, guacamole and coriander (cilantro) - To top the nachos once they are cooked (all optional). Why not try our Restaurant Style Salsa and BEST Ever Guacamole.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Chicken Nachos - Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4.
- Step 1: Spread the tortilla chips over a baking sheet and cover with salsa.
- Step 2: Add the leftover chicken.
- Step 3: Add the black beans.
- Step 4: Cover with grated cheese.
- Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes minutes, until the cheese has melted and the chicken has heated through.
- Step 6: Top with sour cream, guacamole and jalapenos (all optional).
Shredded Chicken
To make these loaded chicken nachos super easy, we used leftovers from our Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas, as it already has all the sauce and some added vegetables too. You can use leftovers of any chicken.
If you don't have any leftovers, then you could either buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that up to use, or grill some chicken breasts and shred/dice those. Add seasoning, such as a taco seasoning.
If you are going to cook some chicken from fresh, then you will need to add some extra salsa on top of the chicken. The leftover chicken we use in this recipe has plenty of sauce on it, which is why we didn't add any salsa to the layers.
Nacho Toppings
These make quite a filling meal just on their own, so we don't tend to serve them with any other kind of side. However, when it comes to toppings you have quite a few options. We suggest any/all of the following:
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Jalapenoes
- Fresh coriander (cilantro)
- Diced tomatoes
- Corn
- Diced red onion
- Olives
- Refried beans
- Chunks of avocado
- Green onions (scallions)
- A drizzle of hot sauce
- Black olives
Extra Tips
- If you don't have any leftover chicken to make this with, then you can either buy a rotisserie chicken, or grill chicken breasts and shred them. But we would definitely recommend making our slow cooker chicken fajitas.
- It's important for the nachos to all be in a single layer on the baking tray, so everything cooks evenly.
- You can make these a little less spicy by removing the seeds from the jalapenos.
- You can use cheddar or Monetary Jack cheese to make these. Basically, any cheese that melts well.
- The nutritional information for this recipe will change if you cook chicken from fresh to make the nachos.
Frequently Asked Questions
No not at all! You can leave the meat out completely to make some vegetarian nachos. You can use any leftover meat for these nachos though. Why not try our Pulled Pork, Pulled Lamb or Shredded Beef?
Do you have any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas? Why not add some of that, along with some roast vegetables to make Christmas Nachos?
We don't think these are very spicy, but then we can handle quite a lot of heat. The spice comes from the chicken mix mainly, so you could adjust the seasoning when making that if you don't like spicy food. You could also leave out the jalapenos.
We love recipes that can be made using ingredients we already have in our fridge, so we don't have to buy anything special. Which is why we just used a strong cheddar in this recipe. However, if you can get it, then Monterey Jack is the best cheese for chicken nachos in our opinion. It melts well and gives that cheese pull, but it has a lot of flavour too.
We have made these in the oven, as they get nice and crispy. However, if you are short on time then you can make them in the microwave too. Simply layer everything up on a dinner plate (in a single layer) and then microwave for 1 minute.
If you find yourself in the unlikely situation of having leftover nachos, scoop off the cold toppings as best as possible and store everything else in an airtight container in the fridge. When you are ready to reheat them, preheat your oven to 150°C/130°C(fan)/300°F/Gas 2 and put the nachos on an oven-proof plate. Cover with aluminium foil and reheat in the oven for 5-10 minutes. This is only if you have cooked chicken from fresh, as our recipe already uses leftovers.
Yes, you can easily double or even triple this recipe if you are wanting to serve it up to a crowd. Perfect for game day. You will just need to find a baking tray big enough.
More Mexican Recipes
If you've tried this chicken nachos recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Loaded Chicken Nachos
Ingredients
- 250 g (9 oz) Tortilla Chips
- 2 portion Salsa
- 2 portion Slow cooker chicken fajitas
- 200 g (1.25 cups) Black beans - canned; drained
- 150 g (1.33 cups) Cheddar cheese - grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4.
- Spread 250 g Tortilla Chips chips over a baking tray and cover with 2 portion Salsa.
- Add 2 portion Slow cooker chicken fajitas (or choice of meat if using).
- Add the 200 g Black beans.
- Cover with 150 g Cheddar cheese.
- Bake into the oven for 10-12 minutes minutes, until the cheese has melted and the chicken has heated through.
- Top with sour cream, guacamole and jalapenos (all optional).
Recipe Tips
- If you don't have any leftover chicken to make this with, then you can either buy a rotisserie chicken, or grill chicken breasts and shred them. But we would definitely recommend making our slow cooker chicken fajitas.
- It's important for the nachos to all be in a single layer on the baking tray, so everything cooks evenly.
- You can make these a little less spicy by removing the seeds from the jalapenoes.
- You can use cheddar or montary jack cheese to make these. Basically, any cheese that melts well.
- The nutritional information for this recipe will change if you cook chicken from fresh to make the nachos.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Nathan says
I'm SUCH a fan of nachos, but I've never actually made them for myself! Can't wait to try this out, those slow cooker fajitas also look fantastic!
Michelle says
Yum, these loaded chicken nachos were so good! Love how it easily feeds a crowd too!
Tara says
Oh wow! These nachos look absolutely amazing, especially with all those toppings and flavors. I love how easily they come together too.
Megan Lehr says
Sheet pan nachos are a family favorite!!! I love the suggestions you made here, it made my nachos the best ever!
rebecca says
YUM! I love a great nacho recipe. I love that you put salsa on the chips, I usually just try to dip loaded nachos in salsa and the toppings all fall off. Def will be adding salsa to my nachos from now on
Beth says
My mouth is watering! These nachos look so yummy and tasty! Can’t wait to make this! Going to the store later today!
Toni says
My family couldn't stop eating these nachos! It is so good and delish!