Baked Chicken Nachos
Published 1/26/2021
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These baked chicken nachos are cheesy, loaded with toppings, and irresistibly crunchy. Learn how to make our loaded chicken nachos in under 30 minutes!
Chicken nachos –> they’re one of my all-time favorite 30-minute meals or game-day appetizers! At Fit Foodie HQ, we make some sort of nachos recipe (usually a nacho bar) almost weekly because, well, we’re chip-obsessed.
Why We Love These Chicken Nachos
Nachos are a food that everyone loves and that’s just the truth. From their crunch to the toppings to chips galore, nachos have a place in everyone’s soul.
Less than 30 Minutes: In under 30 minutes you can have this meal/app ready to go. No one has more than a half-hour, anyways!
Protein + Veggies: I love that this recipe packs in the protein and the veggies. Then you don’t feel as bad eating #allthechips.
Versatility: Not a fan of ground chicken? Use our beef taco meat instead! You can make this recipe vegetarian, but nixing the meat and make it vegan by using vegan cheese. PS: our vegan cheese sauce would be epic on this.
Got leftovers? When in doubt, put in on a chip! Use up your leftover veggies, cheese, beans, and shredded chicken to make nachos into a meal!
Ingredients You Need
- Chicken Taco Meat: Every chicken nacho starts with the meat and we used ground chicken as our base. We kept things super simple and made super flavorful meat using taco seasoning and a little bit of water.
- Bell Peppers: any and all bell peppers work for this recipe. Heck, you could even use something spicier if you want!
- Onions: a little bit of onion goes a long way. We suggest cutting your onion as small as possible to have a little flavor in every bite.
- Beans: Black vs. pinto. Use your fav and don’t look back! Just don’t forget to strain and rinse your beans first.
- Cheese: Have you ever had a nacho without the cheese? Me either! We used shredded cheddar for this recipe.
- Corn: Grab a can or grab a bag of frozen corn. Corn will add just the right amount of sweetness to your nachos. Want to get fancy? Use our Mexican Street Corn Salad as a topping instead.
- Chips: a nacho isn’t a nacho without the chips. Use your favorite kind!
the best tortilla chips
Our favorite tortilla chips of all time are these La Fiesta tortilla chips. They are made in Hart, Michigan and are the perfect tortilla chip for any occasion, especially these chicken nachos.
other tortilla chip options
How to Make Chicken Nachos
Anyone else a double-decker nacho kind of person? We are! It’s for sure the best way to get the most of your toppings.
- Chips: First, spread a layer of chips on a baking sheet.
- Meat + Toppings: Then, add half the cooked chicken taco meat along with half the veggies, beans, and cheese.
- Chips: Add another layer of chips on top of that.
- Meat + Toppings: And then another layer of meat, veggies, beans, and cheese.
- Bake: Bake this chicken nachos recipe at 400ºF for around 10 minutes followed by a few minutes under the broiler.
- More Toppings: Top your nachos with everything and anything under the sun!
Chicken Nacho Topping Options
Once your nachos come out of the oven, it’s time for even more toppings. Think cold toppings! Here are some suggestions:
- Greek yogurt/sour cream
- fresh cilantro
- guacamole/avocado
- lime juice
- jalapeño slices
- salsa
Chicken Nachos Variations
Use shredded chicken
Got leftover shredded chicken or chicken breast instead? Make our Crockpot Salsa Chicken and use that as your meat instead!
Change up the toppings
More of a guac queen or just like it plain and simple such as jalapenos and cheese? Use whatever toppings you have on hand to make these your own.
Ditch the Chips
If you’re out of chips or simply don’t want to eat chips, get fancy and use a veggie as your chip. Here are some ideas: cauliflower, sweet potato, mini bell peppers.
Chicken Nachos Recipe
Ingredients
Meat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 packet taco seasoning, Or, sub 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- 3 tablespoons water
Nachos + Toppings
- 6 servings tortilla chips, of choice
- 1 large red pepper, diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1-15 oz. can beans, black or pinto, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup sweet corn
- 1/2 cup Mexican shredded cheese, or more
Optional Toppings
- Greek yogurt
- lime juice
- fresh cilantro
- slice avocado
Instructions
- First, prepare your ground chicken by heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium/high heat in a large skillet.
- Then, add ground chicken and saute until fully cooked. Add taco seasoning and water and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Prepare nachos by lining a baking sheet with tin foil and preheating oven to 400ºF.
- Then add half of the chips and sprinkle on 1/2 of the toppings including the cooked meat. Then, do one more layer of chips and one more layer of toppings.
- Place baking sheet in the oven at 400ºF for 10 minutes or until cheese fully melts. Then, broil for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite optional toppings such as Greek yogurt, lime juice, avocado, and fresh cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Don’t forget to tag your posts on social media with the hashtag #fitfoodiefinds, we’d love to see what you’re up to!
I made it as I was looking for a quick dinner. It’s a perfect one for a cold winter dinner. My entire family loved it. Thanks a bunch!!
Perfect recipe for leftover chicken. I made tortillas in the oven using wholemeal wraps, then tossed on lots of chopped veg and cheese. Yummy, quick and easy. Perfect for a Friday night feast!
Se ve muy bien el plato 10 puntos.
Excelente plato
Excelente plato, el mejor que he visto
This looks delicious and its a great idea! you you happen to have what would be the nutritional value? as far as carbs?