You’re going to love these cheesy shredded chicken nachos! They are loaded with layers of crunchy chips, shredded salsa chicken, beans, and two layers of cheese. After a quick broil, it’s time to top with the perfect nacho toppings your heart desires. These loaded chicken nachos are the perfect blend of crunch, spice, and savory goodness. Whether you’re making game day snacks, having a movie night at home, or simply need a simple and quick dinner, these nachos in the oven are the perfect way to do it all.
If you love everything tacos, burritos, and nachos, try my cheesy black bean burritos, chicken fajita quesadillas, air fryer chicken flautas, or black bean quesaritos next time.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
- What You'll Love About Shredded Chicken Nachos
- Nacho Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken Nachos
- How to Make Shredded Chicken for Nachos
- Storage Instructions
- What to Serve with Chicken Nachos Recipe
- How to Feed Shredded Chicken Nachos Recipe to the Whole Family
- Want More?
- More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
- Let me Meal Plan for you!
What You’ll Love About Shredded Chicken Nachos
- So many delicious flavors
- Cheesy crunchy layers
- Filling and satisfying meal
- Easy to prep
- Easy to customize for the whole family
- Can use shortcuts, leftover chicken or prep chicken ahead
Nacho Ingredients
- Shredded chicken – I would recommend using this slow cooker chicken with salsa for these nachos, but you have lots of options (see below!).
- Shredded cheese – I highly recommend using queso asadero or queso Oaxaca for the best flavor, but you can also use shredded cheddar, Mexican cheese blend, or Pepper jack cheese.
- Beans – We prefer using refried black beans as the first choice, but canned refried beans will also work well. And if you prefer black beans or pinto beans, rinse and dry before layering them onto the nachos.
- Lettuce – Use a crunchy lettuce like iceberg or romaine that is thinly shredded.
- Avocado – Use a perfectly ripe avocado and if they are already a little mushy, consider making a quick guac and using that instead of diced.
- Nacho toppings – Include your favorite toppings like sour cream, pico de gallo, diced tomatoes, squeeze of fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, sliced green onions, jalapeno peppers, black olives, hot sauce. This is what will take your sheet pan chicken nachos to the next level!
How to Make Chicken Nachos
This is an overview on how to make easy shredded chicken nachos, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
How to Make Shredded Chicken for Nachos
You have a number of options for the shredded chicken for nachos:
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken – This two-ingredient chicken is perfect for this easy nachos recipe, tacos, burritos, or burrito bowls.
- Rotisserie Chicken – Remove skin and pull chicken meat off the bones. Roughly chop or shred with your hands.
- Sous Vide Chicken Breast – This is the juiciest shredded ever, but will take a little advanced planning.
- Grilled Chicken – You can always use grilled or baked chicken as well – dice up before layering it on the nachos.
Storage Instructions
Nachos are best eaten immediately, but components can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
How to Prep Ahead
The best way to prep this easy recipe ahead is to cook your skinless chicken breasts – cook with salsa or a little bit of taco seasoning for some extra flavor.
You could also prep ahead some of the toppings a day or two in advance.
What to Serve with Chicken Nachos Recipe
This chicken nachos recipe can really be served all on its own, but feel free to add some sides if you want more veggies or to stretch the meal:
- Black Bean Corn & Avocado Salad
- Elote in a Cup
- Refried Black Beans
- Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower
- Chipotle Copycat Fajita Veggies
How to Feed Shredded Chicken Nachos Recipe to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.
I would recommend having everyone make their own sheet pan nachos nachos! Watch the video above to see how I did this with our family, but what you’ll want to do is make smaller trays made out of aluminum foil so they all fit on a larger baking sheet and then let everyone decide what goes on their nachos.
And of course, serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter.
More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
If you like easy chicken recipes like this one, be sure to try these other chicken recipes:
- Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak
- 2-Ingredient Crockpot Pesto Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Fajita Quesadilla
- Fajita Chicken and Rice Burrito
- Chicken Broccoli Ziti
Let me Meal Plan for you!
In a dinner time rut? Overwhelmed with the task of meal planning? It’s time to hand over meal planning to a pro!
This done-for-you plan can easily be customized and your grocery list is made with the click of a button – all while you sit in the school pick up line.
You’ll save time, save money, waste less food, and go into meals calm instead of stressed. Your dinner is planned and your grocery list is made and everything is conveniently delivered to an app so you can print it out, access from your phone, or computer.
Easy Shredded Chicken Nachos Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
You’re going to love these cheesy shredded chicken nachos! They are loaded with layers of chips, shredded chicken, beans, and cheese, plus fresh toppings!
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded salsa chicken
- bag of tortilla chips (I recommend thicker chips so they are sturdier)
- 16 oz. shredded cheese
- 15 oz. can of refried beans
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 medium avocado
- pico de gallo
- sour cream
- chopped cilantro
- chopped red onion
- extras: hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat broiler to high.
- Prep ingredients:
Heat chicken in microwave or stove top if not already heated through.
Wash and chop lettuce.
Wash and chop cilantro.
Mince red onion.
Dice avocado. - On a large sheet pan, put down a single layer of chips. Top with a layer of shredded cheese, dollops of refried beans, drained chicken mixture (you don’t want too much moisture or the chips will get mushy), and some more shredded cheese.
- Broil until the cheese has melted, 1-3 minutes, watching closely.
- Top with desired fresh toppings.
Equipment
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Notes
- You’ll need cooked chicken for this recipe. I recommend crockpot salsa chicken, but you could also use shredded chicken from the store, rotisserie chicken, or grilled chicken.
Keywords: shredded chicken nacho recipe, shredded chicken nachos, nacho recipe, chicken nachos recipe
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