Chicken Nachos is everything you know and love about nachos, made with juicy shredded Mexican CHICKEN! With mandatory melted cheese, quick guac and a dollop of sour cream, this nachos recipe is weekend worthy yet easy enough for dinner midweek.
You’ll love how juicy and flavour loaded the chicken is!
 Chicken Nachos
I have it in my head that when most people think of nachos, they automatically think of a ground beef/ mince topping, like this Beef Nachos.
I have absolutely nothing to back me up on that statement, it’s just my personal opinion. 😇
So the entire premise on which I’m sharing this CHICKEN nachos recipe is that it’s something a little bit different to the usual. A nachos so outrageously delicious, a certain food blogger was inhaling pictured nachos like she was never going to eat again.
Lift / munch / eat / repeat. Now that’s an arm workout I’m happy to do many reps of!
Chicken Nachos ingredients
So here’s what goes in my Chicken Nachos. I make it with just essential toppings because the chicken itself is loaded with great flavour.
1. Juicy shredded Mexican Chicken – the exact same recipe I use for Chicken Tacos, except I reduce the sauce down a bit more (thicker sauce = crisper chips)
2. Quick Guac – it’s a dump and mash job. Potato masher, to be exact. Avocado, coriander/cilantro, lime, salt and pepper, mash as you would potato. Very effective!
3. Cheese – a nachos without cheese doesn’t exist in my world 😇
4. Jalapeno, coriander/cilantro and sour cream – basic toppings. A touch of freshness goes a long way with nachos!
Best cheese for nachos?
My favourite cheese for Nachos is Monterey Jack because it has flavour with a bit of stretch like Mozzarella, and it melts well without going greasy but doesn’t get that crusty brown top like Mozz (which is not a good thing for nachos, can end up pulling entire layer of cheese off).
Cheddar, tasty cheese, Colby and shredded Mexican Cheese blends are also firm faves, but any melting cheese will do here.
🇦🇺Australia – I get Monterey Jack and shredded Mexican Cheese blends at Costco. Excellent value – and the shredded cheese freezes 100%.
Chicken for Nachos
And here are the ingredients that go in the chicken for Nachos which, as mentioned above, is the exact same recipe I use for Chicken Tacos. (PS For the chicken, thigh, breast or tenderloin all work great here)
How I make nachos in the oven
This recipe is a nachos that’s baked in the oven, but I’m also going to tell you how to make it in the microwave. Because while one might turn their nose up at the thought of microwave nachos, it’s a damn convenient option to have for various circumstances one might encounter in life (including emergency munchies, and also the millions / billions of people in the world who don’t have ovens eg. much of Asia).
To bake it in the oven, it’s as simple as a double layer situation: chips -> chicken -> cheese -> repeat -> bake 5 minutes.
Guess what? Nachos chips DO NOT GO SOGGY if you microwave them! Cheese melts darn fast in the microwave. 🙂 Way faster than it takes for corn chips to become soggy!
How to make nachos in the microwave
To make nachos in the microwave:
- make dinner plate size single layer batches
- spread one layer of chips on a plate
- top with chicken then cheese
- microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the cheese to become bubbly
And here’s proof that the chips don’t go soggy – all the cheese pull shots were done with a quick microwave to remelt the cheese. And it took many MANY takes!!😂
A big, fat, juicy, cheesy nachos recipe
I am a firm believer that a Nachos should be able to stand on its own two feet even without extra toppings like guacamole and sour cream.
So I promise you this – the chicken topping for this nachos recipe has flavour aplenty, plus it’s nice and juicy so you’d happily devour this nachos even if you find yourself short on toppings.
As long as you have cheese.
I take no responsibility for devourability if you attempt this without cheese! ~ Nagi x
More weekend worthy munchies
- Cheese and Garlic Crack Bread – if you haven’t tried it, you haven’t lived…
- Homemade Movie Popcorn – ultra buttery, and stays crisp for DAYS!
- Spring Rolls! PS They can even be baked!Â
- Truly Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
- Crispy Roasted Parmesan Potatoes – seriously so good to munch on as a snack!
- Browse for more Weekend Munchies
For complete transparency – the nachos you see in the video is about 2/3 of the recipe below which serves 4. I wanted it to fit on a cake pan so it looked decent for photos, rather than having a pile in the middle of a baking tray.
But of course, as it always happens when I try to be efficient and do the photos and video using the same batch, the nachos was completely butchered after shooting the video so I had to make it again for photos!
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Nachos
Ingredients
Nachos
- 250g / 8 oz tortilla or plain corn chips (Note 1)
- Shredded chicken for nachos , recipe follows
- 250g / 8 oz (2.5 cups) shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (Note 2)
- Quick guacamole , recipe follows
- Toppings: Sour cream, Coriander / cilantro leaves, Jalapeno , sliced or chopped
Chicken for Nachos
- 700 g / 1.2 lb chicken thighs or breast , skinless boneless (Note 3)
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken broth, separated (liquid stock)
Homemade Nachos Meat Seasoning
- 3 tbsp lime juice (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano
- 3 tsp EACH cumin powder, paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper , each
Quick Guacamole
- 2 avocados , medium
- 3 tbsp coriander/cilantro , roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice (1 large)
Instructions
Chicken for Nachos
- Place Nachos Seasoning ingredients in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp of the chicken broth and mix to form a loose paste.
- Add chicken, turn to coat in paste.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken for 3 minutes on each side (reserve paste left in bowl). Remove chicken into a shallow dish.
- Return skillet to stove. Add remaining chicken broth, tomato paste, sugar and scrape in any paste left in the bowl. Mix to dissolve, scraping base of pan, and bring to simmer.
- Meanwhile, shred chicken with forks, or chop (don't worry if raw inside).
- Return chicken into sauce, toss and simmer for 3 minutes until sauce reduces down to a thick sauce. Adjust salt to taste. Keep warm.
Quick Guacamole:
- Place ingredients in a bowl. Use potato masher to mash to desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Nachos:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Place half the corn chips slightly overlapping on a tray. Top with half the (warm) chicken and cheese.
- Top with remaining chips and cheese. Bake 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish with coriander/cilantro and jalapeño. Serve immaterial with quick Guacamole and sour cream.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
I went to the bathroom and came back to find him in THIS position….
Note the fluffy white blanket at the bottom. That covers HIS designated section of the sofa. So not only has he left drool on my MacBook, he’s breached his sofa boundary.
Naughty Dozer!
Oh, my, was this ever good. Had to omit the cayenne — I cook for a bunch of wimps — but still really, really good.
😂 In this case I usually just put hot sauce on the nachos at the end for people who want it! N x
I recently made this recipe using a slow cooker (after having made it on the stovetop a couple of times). I absolutely loved it! The slow cooker keeps the meat juicy, and shreds much easier once cooked. Will be my preferred method from here on. Thanks for the recipe!
typo in plating notes. I think immaterial should read ‘immediately’. It’s immaterial to me. but your an awesome i dotter and t crosser.
Thanks Paul!! Fixing now. N x
I make these nachos all the time now – at least once a week. So easy to make and sooo delicious. Thanks for this recipe!! 🙂
We had this tonight for supper. So good! Whole family loved it! Thanks so much.
I can no longer digest onion or garlic powder which so many recipes contain. Would you suggest using fresh onion and garlic to replace the powders even though it would give you a milder flavor? So frustrating!
Thank you
This recipe is easy to follow & it takes less time than you think it would to put it together. The first time I made it I used chicken. I didn’t shred it but cut it into bite sized pieces. It was delicious.
The next time I made the nachos I used shrimp instead of chicken. After the shrimp was coated in the nacho seasoning I put them in the skillet for a minute & flipped them & cooked them for another minute or two. Then I added the chicken broth, tomato paste & sugar. I took out the shrimp. Then layered the tortillas with the shrimp & cheese. While they were baking I let the sauce reduce. When it came out of the oven I poured the sauce over the top & added jalapeños from my garden & cherry tomatoes. It is beyond delicious & so satisfying to eat.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s outstanding & while the chicken is good it’s great how the shrimp works as well. I keep making this & everyone goes crazy for it. Perfect!
YUM….this is so good!!! Made it last night with your Mexican rice. I love your recipes.
This was outstanding! Thank you so much. Our Pug, Oscar, was patiently (not so patiently) waiting for his share but we explained he doesn’t like Jalapeños…. he said he wanted to be the judge.
😂 Oh Oscar, did he learn the hard way Craig?? N x
He sure did but he’ll never admit it!!
Hi, can you cook the chicken the day before? Up to the 3 minutes in the pan step, then put it in the fridge?
Hi Cheryl, I’d cook the chicken the whole way through as per the recipe and then store in the fridge for the next day. Simply microwave to reheat 🙂 N x
Made this tonight…. served with salad & crunchy coleslaw! My hubby said it is the best thing I had ever cooked for him! Delicious!!!!
Can I cook this on the slow cooker instead?
Hi El, you sure could. I would still sear the chicken before adding all the ingredients into a slow cooker – cook for 4-6 hours on Low until the chicken is shreddable. Enjoy! N x
That sounds great TKS Nagi!
This was delicious, and pretty simple to make. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re so welcome Fiona!! N x
Loved this nacho recipe….so so good.
I’ve made this a bunch of times in the last few months, and it keeps getting better and better! Son quick and delicious. Thank you Nagi!
Made this tonight and it was just so good. I prepped earlier and had the chicken in sauce during the day and guacamole made. Just had to cook at dinner time – so quick, easy and delicious.
Perfect Kylie! N x
Loved this recipe, as well as my husband. This will be my go to for nachos or tacos. I have been cooking for years professionally and at home. I love to try new recipes and this is definitely a winner.
Hi Nagi, would this be as effective with chicken mince. Looking for some other things to do besides Thai lettuce cups
Nagi, I love you. You love Dozer so much and he loves you just as much. It makes my vet tech heart go pitter-patter and so do these nachos. I don’t like shredded chicken but I sure know how to chop it small enough for nachos!! YUM!!!!
Dear Nagi
Do u hv any beef nachos recipe??
Sure do! Try this one: https://www.recipetineats.com/ripper-beef-nachos/ N x