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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Easy BBQ Chicken Nachos

    Published: Aug 24, 2016 · Modified: Mar 5, 2023 by Jessie · This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy something we'll earn a commission at no cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe

    These quick and simple BBQ Chicken Nachos are perfect for game day or busy weeknights! Tasty baked nachos with smokey barbecue chicken and spicy pepper jack cheese.

    Close up of a jalapeño slice on top of a tray of nachos. this recipe

    Nachooooooooos! Do we really need to say much more than that?

    Nachos on a sheet pan, before and after being baked.

    (Probably not. But here are some more words anyway because #CantStopWontStop).

    Work is about to get wild for me as we run out the last lazy days of summer (BOOOO) and my travel schedule starts revving up for fall, so ten minute dinners (nachos! margarita chicken quesadillas! chicken pesto orzo soup! leftover cupcakes! wait...) are about to become all the rage in my house.

    Also, remember that easy slow cooker shredded chicken we made on Monday? This is just one of about a zillion ways I like to use it during the week (see also: These chicken burrito bowls). Hip hip hooray for make-ahead food!

    Hand pulling a nacho off of a sheet pan.

    ALSO also, for my fellow list-lovers, here's a quick nacho breakdown for ya:

    How to get your BBQ Chicken Nachos on:

    1. Tortilla chips IN A SINGLE LAYER (⬅⬅ IMPORTANT! You don't want to deprive any chips of that pile of cheese, barbecue-y, spicy nacho-y goodness)
    2. BBQ sauce + that easy shredded chicken we made on Monday (HEY-OH)
    3. ALL OF THE CHEESE (more specifically, all of the MOZZARELLA and all of the PEPPERJACK *drooool*)
    4. Jalapeños (because they get JALAPEÑO BUSINESS)
    5. Bake it up to get that cheese all melty melty.
    6. Extra BBQ! Chopped cilantro! Green onions! Plain Greek yogurt! (Or sour cream. If you're into that kinda thing).
    7. BOOM. NACHOS.
    Nachos on a small blue plate with a sheet pan of nachos in the background.

    These BBQ chicken nachos are the perfect "we-have-no-food" food - simple, quick to make, and oh-so-easily customized to suit whatever you've got floating around in your fridge. They're also verrrrrry forgiving, which is THE BEST, because it means you can just eyeball ingredients and make all kinds of crazy substitutions without worrying whether the recipe will, you know, "turn out" or whatever. Have chips, have cheese, will travel! (Will nacho? Whatever).

    And okay, really, the most important thing here is to use some bomb-dot-com barbecue sauce. Because what are chips and cheese and chicken if not just vehicles to shovel delicious BBQ sauce into your face with reckless abandon?

    More game day recipes

    • Smoked gouda tater tots
    • Crock pot buffalo chicken sliders
    • BBQ chicken stuffed mushrooms
    • Twice baked potatoes with Greek yogurt
    • Tequila batter dipped onion rings
    • Herb and cheese stuffed mushrooms
    Nacho chips topped with melted cheese and sliced jalapeños on a white background.

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    📖 Recipe

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    Chicken nachos on a baking sheet lined with white parchment paper.

    Easy BBQ Chicken Nachos

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Cook Time: 10 mins
    • Total Time: 20 minutes
    • Yield: Serves 4
    • Category: Appetizer
    • Cuisine: Mexican-American
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    Description

    Easy chicken nachos - perfect for busy weeknights.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
    • ⅓ cup BBQ sauce, plus extra for drizzling
    • 7-10 oz. sturdy tortilla chips (we use about ½ of a family size tortilla chip bag)
    • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    • 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
    • 1 small jalapeño, sliced
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
    • 2 green onions, sliced
    • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (you could also use sour cream)

    Instructions

    1. In a small bowl, toss chicken and BBQ sauce together until chicken is lightly coated.
    2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lay chips out in a single layer (see recipe notes).
    3. Top chips with shredded chicken, mozzarella, pepper jack, jalapeño slices, salt, and pepper. Do your best to spread the toppings out so you get a nice topping layer across all of your chips!
    4. Bake nachos at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes until cheese has melted.
    5. Top cooked nachos with an extra drizzle of BBQ sauce, cilantro, green onions, and a few dollops of plain Greek yogurt and serve immediately.

    Notes

    Lay chips out in a single layer if your sheet is big enough - this is so you can make sure every chip gets lots o' that cheese and topping goodness! If your pan is smaller, or if you're baking nachos in a cast iron pan, then layer the toppings and chips so that you have a single layer of chips, then a layer of cheese + toppings, then another layer of chips, and so on.

    If you'd rather not have full slices of jalapeño (it's not for everyone, I totally get it!) you can dice the jalapeño instead.

    Add black beans, tomatoes, avocado, bell peppers, or any other toppings you have on hand!

    Leave out the chicken or replace it with crispy tofu or mushrooms to make this a vegetarian version.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 731
    • Sugar: 12.7 g
    • Sodium: 1582.9 mg
    • Fat: 16.1 g
    • Carbohydrates: 48.7 g
    • Protein: 55.5 g
    • Cholesterol: 142.4 mg

    Keywords: nachos, appetizer, game day, football

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

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    I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations! Learn about our team!

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    1. Rhonda

      January 11, 2023 at 12:29 pm

      Nachos are a favorite weekend meal for us. I loved using the leftover shredded chicken for these. I would not have thought of adding BBQ sauce to our nachos but it was a welcome change!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        January 11, 2023 at 5:59 pm

        We're so happy you took the chance with an unexpected flavor combination!

        Reply

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