Chicken Nachos
Loaded with pulled rotisserie chicken in a spicy sauce and ungodly amounts of cheese, these chicken nachos are hearty, delicious, and satisfying – and everyone is happy when you say, “Nachos for dinner!”
Whenever I visit my sister in New York City, we pick one night to leave the kids and husbands at home to go out for a girls’ night. We always dine at the same Mexican restaurant around the corner from her apartment, and we always skip entrees and order a bunch of appetizers instead. It feels like such an indulgence to indulge on chips, guac, and the like without having to worry about filling up before the main course.
I love to eat this way at home, too, but it’s harder when feeding a family. These chicken nachos are one of the few appetizers I can get away with serving for dinner. Loaded with pulled rotisserie chicken in a spicy chipotle-tomato sauce and ungodly amounts of cheese, they are hearty and satisfying – and everyone is happy when I say, “Nachos for dinner!” This recipe makes two large sheet pans of nachos. If you want to mix things up, the chicken mixture can also be used as a filling for quesadillas, tacos or tostadas.
What you’ll need to make chicken nachos
You’ll notice that the recipe calls for two types of cheese: a Mexican blend and Pecorino Romano, a sharp, salty Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. The Pecorino might seem like an odd addition to nachos, but it’s an excellent substitute for the funky, longer-aged Mexican cheeses that can be hard to find. I know almost 8 cups of cheese seems like a lot, but good nachos require a generous topping of melted cheese. Plus, light-on-the-cheese nachos are just plain sad! For the guacamole, you can make your favorite recipe — or do as I do and prepare a quick version by mashing some diced avocado with a little lime juice and salt, to taste.
How to make chicken nachos
Begin with the chicken. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
Add the tomato sauce, chipotle peppers and sauce, sugar, cumin, oregano, and salt.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and cilantro.
Mix and set aside.
For the nachos, arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer, overlapping slightly, on two 13 x 18-inch baking sheets. Spread the chicken evenly over the chips.
Sprinkle the the cheeses evenly over the chicken.
Bake until the cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes.
Remove the nachos from the oven, then sprinkle with scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately, passing the guacamole, sour cream, and lime wedges separately.
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Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos
Loaded with pulled rotisserie chicken in a spicy sauce and ungodly amounts of cheese, these chicken nachos are hearty, delicious, and satisfying – and everyone is happy when you say, “Nachos for dinner!”
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon sauce from can
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, from 1 rotisserie chicken
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
For the Nachos
- 1 (13-oz) bag tortilla chips
- 7 cups (28 oz) shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/4 cup finely sliced scallions, from 2 to 3 scallions
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
For Serving (Optional)
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Limes wedges
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
- Add the tomato sauce, chipotle peppers and sauce, sugar, cumin, oregano, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cilantro.
For the Nachos
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set two racks in the center of the oven.
- Arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer, overlapping slightly, on two 13 x 18-inch baking sheets. Spread the chicken evenly over the chips, followed by the cheeses.
- Bake until the cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the nachos from the oven, then sprinkle with scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately, passing the guacamole, sour cream, and lime wedges separately.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The chicken mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead of time. Warm the chicken to room temperature in the microwave before assembling the nachos.
- Note: The nutritional information does not include the optional ingredients for serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 appetizer-sized servings)
- Calories: 624
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Sodium: 677 mg
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reviews & Comments
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I made this for the first time this past weekend and it was a hit!! My picky teenager said he wasn’t going to even try it, that he’s not a fan of cheese. Regardless, while cooking, he kept saying how good it was, and he couldn’t resist. He loved it! First time I cooked with the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. Loved it, added an authentic Spanish flavor to it all. Keep the recipes coming, Jenn! My family loves discovering your meals!
Nachos seem so easy but I always have a little trouble getting the cheese to melt right. These have just the right combination of cheese and spices. if I don’t have rotisserie chicken I just make them without it or sub black beans and they’re still great!
Love, love, love this simple and oh-so-good recipe! Rotisserie chicken makes it even easier and the family can’t get enough of them. I’ve made them in both the oven and grill…add all of your favorite toppings to finish it off and it’s the perfect meal!
This recipe is delicious and easy to make. I couldn’t find the Italian cheese that was recommended so I substituted with Mexican Queso Fresco and the Colby Jack cheese blend. And for the chicken, I bought shredded rotisserie from a local Mexican restaurant. After the recipe was done, I added guacamole, lime, cilantro, and homemade green salsa. We devoured the entire baking sheet of Nachos, as an afternoon Sunday treat. My family said this one is a keeper!
Delicious…..that’s all! Make this 💜
Thanks Jenn,
An awesome recipe. I swapped the chicken with pork/veal mince and it was great.
Absolutely wonderful chicken nachos! So easy to make , another winning recipe!
Hi Jenn,
These look wonderful! I’m having company over for the Super Bowl and would like to include these in my rotation. Can I make the chicken mixture ahead of time and then assemble right before putting in the oven? Would this change the baking time if the chicken is cold?
Thanks!
Katy
Yes, definitely, Katy – you may need to cook it a tad longer.
These are amazing! They were so easy to make and much tastier than nachos I have had in restaurants. We cut down on the spice because we weren’t sure about the heat level but we will add the regular amount next time as we didn’t find it too spicy. Great appetizer idea, everyone loved them.
Hi Jenn, I was thinking about adding black beans. Do you think I should sprinkle them on top of the tomato sauce and chicken mixture or incorporate them right into the mixture? Thanks!right
I really think you could go either way here! Enjoy 🙂
Hi Jen. If I prefer not to use rotisserie chicken and want to make quick, tasty, shredded chicken at home, what do you suggest? I usually don’t like the mess of using a rotisserie chicken, and although my grocery store sometimes sells it already cut, it can be expensive.
Thanks for you suggestions!
Hi Liza, You could use this chicken recipe and dice it for the nachos. (And if you’d prefer not to fire up the grill in the cold weather, you can broil the chicken.
Thank you!
These were absolutely delicious! The whole family devoured them.
This is a perfect recipe for those friends your husband brings in to watch those sports games. They gobbled it up and I actually had a few of his friends asking for the recipe. I loved them just as much. I followed the recipe exactly as is. Thank you so much.
Can’t get the star rating system to work but this is a five star recipe. Simple, yet super tasty and easy. I’ve made nachos numerous times but never his good. This will go into our regular rotation for “movies and munchies” nights. Thanks for another excellent recipe!
The chicken in this recipe is so yummy and versatile. It’s easy too! I use the chicken in my burrito bowls and my kids gobble it up! A keeper!
Awesome Sunday night dinner, my husband loves it
Hi Jenn,
I thought I had a can of chipotle chili peppers and already started making these. Can I just substitute chili powder instead? Thank you so much!
Hi Cheryl, instead of chili powder, I would replace the chipotle peppers and the tomato sauce with one 14-oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes. It would be nice with 1 tsp. of smoked paprika added to the tomatoes (as it will lend a nice smoky flavor that mimics the smokiness of the adobo sauce). Hope you enjoy!
Just made these for dinner tonight. Very tasty! I love the idea of an appetizer for dinner also. Would be perfect to serve as an appetizer at a football game viewing party, so will keep that in mind for next time. Jen, I have been using your recipes for several years, but this is my first time posting. Thank you so much for all the delicious recipes, especially the salads. I love to cook, but planning dinner can become tedious, so I really appreciate all the new ideas!
Thanks these were perfect just the way you made them, you have guacamole as an option but a must with my family, and I cheated and bought mine at Costco.
These nachos were fantastic. My teenage son said “OMG, my friends would devour these. So good!” Thanks Jenn. I would make a little less spicy but everything else was perfection
Hi Jenn, I was wondering what brand of tortilla chips you’d recommend for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Gabi, I usually buy Tostitos, but any supermarket brand is fine. 🙂
We inhaled these!!! They were so good and so easy to make!!!
OFF THE THE CHAIN JENN! Made the roasted salsa to go with the nachos. OMG with your margaritas….. happy girl/family
What kind of cheese would you use if the Mexican cheeses were easy to find, as they are in Texas? Cotija? Queso fresco?
Hi Karen, Cotija would be perfect.
I needed to make a vegetarian version, so in place of the chicken, I shredded extra firm tofu (squeeze the water out of it and then shred it). It worked well as the sauce is very flavorful. We found the cumin a bit overpowering (but maybe I added too much). Thank you as always for your great recipes!
This looks great for a potluck dinner we will be going to. The only thing is that for whatever reason, I have always hated the taste of chipotle chiles (and am not sure if I can source them here in Malaysia anyway.) Could I just add some chili powder to the sauce or something else?
Hi Jessica, I would replace the chipotle peppers and the tomato sauce with one 14-oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes. It would be nice with 1 tsp. of smoked paprika added to the tomatoes (as it will lend a nice smoky flavor that mimics the smokiness of the adobo sauce). Hope you enjoy!
Thank you, Jenn!!! These were absolutely inhaled at the potluck we attended. A great way to make friends with our new neighbors. 🙂
My whole family loved these nachos! My picky eater and meat eater were both satisfied 😊 This one is a keeper!
I noticed you didn’t give nutrition information for these as you usually do. Are they as fattening as they seem? They do sound delicious.
My family of 5 loves all of your recipes!
Hi Arielle, I was struggling with how to calculate the number of servings as they could be an appetizer or a main dish. I’ve calculated/added them based on 10 appetizer-sized portions. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
Jenn,
My daughter and I are addicted to chicken nachos at a local eatery. I would love to surprise her at home with these! My only worry is that she is not yet into foods that are too spicy. What sort of adjustment would you recommend to bring the spiciness down a bit without sacrificing too much flavor?
Thanks,
pmm
The chicken mixture itself is spicy but the nachos really aren’t too spicy. That said, it’s fine to cut the amount of chipotle peppers and sauce in half. Hope you and your daughter enjoy them!
We are literally devouring these right now!! Sooooooo good! I did reduce the amount of peppers and it has enough heat and flavor that we both can enjoy them! Thank you for another winner, Jenn!!!
You have perfect timing. Our theme for this week’s dinners has been Mexican, so we’ve made your chicken tacos, your quesadillas, Mexican lasagna and last night, we were thinking of nachos for tonight!
We do, however, have a 3 year old and I’m wondering if the Chipotle peppers would make this spicy for her? Any recommendations to make this toddler-friendly? We were even thinking using toasted pita chips to make it a little healthier.
Hi Bea, The chicken itself is spicy but the nachos aren’t really that hot, thanks to all that cheese. But go ahead and reduce the chipotle peppers if you’d like to tone it down.
In the photo, I am seeing avacado but it is not listed as an ingredient?
HI Laurie, Sorry for any confusion – I list guacamole as an optional ingredient for serving. Hope you enjoy the nachos if you try them!
I’m a huge fan of your Texas Chilli (as are any of my friends who have tried it) but I really can’t bring myself to add Chipotle chilli powder to it – the smell just reminds me of cigarette ash trays. In that recipe I use a regular hot chilli powder alongside the other spices, will this approach work for this recipe too?
Sure, Lee, that would work here. Hope you enjoy!
I’m wondering to assemble at home before I take to a friends or wait and assemble right before I serve? Thanks! I’ve made a couple of times and they just keep getting better!
Hi Glenna, I think it will stay more crispy if you assemble it right before you put it in the oven. Hope everyone enjoys!