BBQ Chicken Nachos
On June 15, 2020 (Updated October 25, 2023)
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BBQ Chicken Nachos make for a great afternoon snack or game day appetizer. Take your ordinary nachos and make then extraordinary by adding all the toppings for maximum flavor. Sweet BBQ chicken, tart sour cream, savory olives, warm, melty cheese and crunchy tortilla chips come together an out-of-this-world nacho experience.
Loaded BBQ Chicken Nachos
If I had to pick one food to eat for the foreseeable future, it might be these BBQ chicken nachos. Some people might scoff and say that I should pick something fancy like steak and lobster but those people obviously didn’t think things through. If there is a meal that I can eat any time, any place, for any occasion, it is nachos.
Nachos were one of the first things I learned to make as a kid. Chips, cheese, microwave. Boom, culinary genius! I felt like a child prodigy the first time I made my own nachos. We had nachos at slumber parties, nachos at sporting events, nachos at the snack stand after a softball game. Growing up, nachos were everything.
As you can see, I love nachos. Cheese and chips are a solid combo, this is fact, but they are also the perfect vehicle for a bunch of other flavors. I’ve experimented with all kinds of nacho interpretations, but the one that comes back to our dinner table time and time again is BBQ Chicken Nachos. All the ingredients come together to throw a mouth party that people would line up to get into. The added surprise of freshly squeezed limes and bright cilantro just turn the flavors up to a ten.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Nachos
Unlike the nachos I made as a child, these require a bit more effort (but not much, you could probably make these in your sleep for a nice midnight snack). Here are the quick and easy steps for making your own BBQ chicken nachos at home:
- Fire up the grill. Turn on your grill or oven to 425 degrees F.
- Assemble the nachos. While the grill/oven is preheating, assemble your nachos by layering chips, leftover smoky chicken (mixed with BBQ sauce), beans, olives, tomatoes, and cheese on a rimmed baking sheet. Pipe or drizzle more BBQ sauce over the nachos.
- Melt the cheese. Place the nachos in the oven or on the grill and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and begins to bubble.
- Add toppings. Pipe the sour cream on the nachos, and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately while the nachos are nice and hot!
Scroll below for a full ingredient list and printable recipe. This recipe can be easily adjusted for smaller or larger portions, depending on how many people you plan on serving.
Tips for Making Chicken Nachos
You can’t really mess up these nachos. Chips, cheese, chicken and toppings all piled on a platter? Easy peasy. Even so, I’ve come up with a few pro tips to help you make the most of your epic nachos.
- Use plastic zip top bags to perfectly distribute your condiments. That way every bite has the ideal amount of BBQ sauce and sour cream. Just snip the corner of the zip top bag and pipe the toppings right on! See? Binge watching Cupcake Wars does, in fact, help me be a better cook.
- Get creative with toppings. These nachos are extremely versatile. You can add whatever toppings you like to make them just to your liking. If you’re wanting to add even more flavor, try adding my Candied Jalapenos or Pickled Red Onions.
- Swap the meat. If you have other leftover meats you want to use on the nachos. DO IT! These nachos would taste amazing with leftover smoked pulled pork carnitas, shredded beef, or even smoked brisket or grilled skirt steak.
More Leftover Chicken Recipes
Need more ideas on how to use your leftover chicken? These recipes would taste amazing with any leftover BBQ chicken you have on hand. You best make a couple extra chickens this weekend because these recipes are all the bomb.
- Buffalo Chicken and Pierogy Skillet
- Brunswick Stew
- Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuit Crust
BBQ Chicken Nachos Recipe
BBQ Chicken Nachos
Ingredients
- 6 cups tortilla chips
- 2 cups colby jack cheese shredded
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
- 2/3 cup BBQ sauce divided use
- 1 5 oz can sliced olives
- 1 12 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 lime sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven or grill. Preheat the oven or your preferred grill to 425 degrees F.
- Make the BBQ chicken. In a small bowl combine the shredded chicken and 1/2 cup of the BBQ sauce. Reserve the other 1/3 cup of BBQ sauce for later use.
- Assemble the nachos. On a rimmed cookie sheet, spread out the tortilla chips. Top with half of the shredded colby jack and cheddar cheese. Layer the BBQ chicken, beans, olives, tomatoes and the rest of the cheese on the chips. Put the remaining BBQ sauce in a plastic bag, snip the corner, and pipe the BBQ sauce evenly across the top of the cheese.
- Bake the nachos. Place the cookie sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is hot and melted. Remove from the oven.
- Add toppings and serve. Scoop the sour cream into a small plastic bag, snip the corner, and pipe the sour cream evenly across the top of the nachos. Garnish with the cilantro and the lime slices. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published July 2015. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
These look delicious, trying them very soon.