Make game night, movie night, family night, etc. more delicious with your favorite Mexican appetizers! Along with these Chicken Nachos, try Nachos Supreme, Mexican Street Corn Dip, and Carne Asada Fries.
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HOW TO MAKE chicken NACHOS VIDEO
Ingredients for shredded chicken
Shredded chicken: Use three cups of shredded chicken. I recommend using rotisserie chicken because it is a combination of succulent dark and light meat. You can also make your own shredded chicken with chicken breasts or thighs (see how to below). Lime juice: Fresh is best but bottled will work just fine.Honey: The sweetness of the honey balances out the tangy lime juice and salsa verde. Use mild, everyday clover honey. Salsa verde: You can use your favorite store-bought salsa verde, or you can make it yourself.Spices: The chicken is seasoned with chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and chipotle powder/ground chipotle pepper.
Chicken variations
Shredded Mexican Chicken (Crockpot): simmered with Mexican spices, salsa and green chilies for chicken that’s dripping with flavor and SO tender. Chicken Tinga: speedy shredded rotisserie chicken tossed in a saucy, smoky, spicy tomato chipotle sauce.Mexican Shredded Chicken: shortcut chicken with robust fiesta seasonings made with rotisserie chicken.Cilantro Lime Chicken: zesty, tangy and citrusy.Chipotle Chicken: smoky, robust and spicy.Chili Lime Chicken: smoky, robust and tangy.
BEEF AND PORK variations
You may use the same technique of baking these nachos and swap the shredded chicken for any of the following beef or pork recipes:
Mexican Shredded Beef: spoon tender braised beef (in the crockpot, oven, stove or instant pot) with a caravan of rich, earthy, fiesta seasonings, punchy salsa, tangy green chilies, savory beef broth and smoky liquid smoke.Beef Barbacoa (Crockpot): crazy juicy beef slow cooked until melt-in-your-mouth tender infused with a tangy, chipotle sauce. Barbacoa Beef is known for its intense flavor and perfect balance of chipotle peppers, cumin, oregano and lime juice.Beef Birria: an explosion of complex earthy, smoky, savory, slightly spicy, juicy, addictiveness in each and every saucy bite. The beef is stewed until fall apart juicy tender in a from scratch rich broth made from chilies, onions, garlic, tomatoes and toasted spices including peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon. Carne Asada: is the quintessential Mexican steak marinated in orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce and a splash of liquid smoke then spice rubbed with cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic and onion. It’s juicy, flavorful and crazy good.Carnitas (Crockpot): juicy pork smothered in a dynamic fiesta spice rub then slow cooked with orange juice and lime juice then finished in the oven to create glorious caramelized crispy burnt ends. Chipotle Sweet Pulled Pork: a Cafe Rio Copycat that’s juicy, tender, melt-in-your-mouth with the perfect balance of saucy sweet heat.
ESSENTIAL NACHO TOPPINGS
Sour Cream: The bright refreshing, silky creaminess of sour cream compliments and cuts through the richness of the nachos and marries all of the flavors and textures together – a must for any nachos! Salsa Verde Crema: If you want to elevate the nachos even further, use Salsa Verde Crema instead of plain sour cream. It’s simple to make by whisking sour cream, salsa verde, lime juice and chipotle pepper together – so simple and so good.Guacamole: You can’t beat guacamole’s lusciously creamy, tangy, salty freshness. You have three options when it comes to guacamole: 1) go simple by picking up store-bought in the deli section; 2) mash avocados with lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper or 3) go all out with my favorite guacamole recipe made with avocados, lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, red onions, and juicy tomatoes.Pico de gallo: This is a fresh tomato salsa that adds a vibrant, punchy freshness. You can use my homemade pico de gallo recipe or store bought usually found in the deli section. You can make the pico de gallo ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.Beans: Black beans for their hearty earthiness, or you may use pinto or warmed and seasoned refried beans.Jalapenos: Pickled jalapenos are preferred over fresh due to their fabulous pickled tang. Bonus, pickled jalapenos are also easier to use – simply open the can, drain and add! I particularly love these sweet and spicy pickled jalapeños from Trader Joes. They are similar to candied jalapenos but a little less sweet AKA perfection.
substitutions
Greek yogurt: This is a great creamy alternative to sour cream if you are trying to save some calories. Tomatoes: Quartered cherry tomatoes or seeded, chopped Roma tomatoes can be used if you skip the pico de gallo. Combine the tomatoes with some fresh cilantro.Avocados: Chopped avocados are the easiest avocado option. Toss them with a splash of lime juice and some freshly cracked salt and pepper.Hot Sauce: Spice up your loaded nachos with hot sauce instead of jalapenos.
variationS
Green onions: If you skip the pico de gallo, consider adding green onions for their mild onion-y flavor. Black olives: For the olive lover! They add a salty bite with black olives.Pickle onions: These are tangy, punchy fantastic and so easy to make at home. Use my super simple pickled red onions recipe and they’ll be ready in 30 minutes!Radishes: Thinly sliced radishes add a spicy, zesty, crispy crunch. Corn: Use sweet drained canned corn or corn straight off of the cob. You can also grill or char the corn like I do in my corn salsa for a tantalizing charred smokiness.Salsa: Add an extra layer of flavor and texture with salsa such as black bean corn salsa, avocado salsa, charred corn salsa, mango salsa, or pineapple salsa.Cotija cheese: Consider a layer of Cotija for a salty finish. Cotija is known as “Mexican Parmesan” because it is wonderfully salty, hard, and crumbly. It is traditionally found with the specialty cheeses and should be readily available. You may also use queso fresco.Mangos: I know it might sound odd, but I love mangos on my nachos, the sweet and spicy combo is intoxicating.
HOW TO MAKE chicken NACHOS
These Shredded Chicken Nachos can be on your table in less than 30 minutes star to finish! Let’s take a closer look at how easy they are to make with step-by-step photos or you can watch the HOW TO MAKE Video in the recipe card (full recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):
Step 1: Season chicken. In a nonstick skillet, whisk together salsa verde, honey, lime and seasonings. Add the chicken, turn to coat and warm through. Set aside for the chicken to soak up all the flavor while you prep your toppings.
Step 2: Assemble. Spread half the tortilla chips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Top with half of the seasoned chicken, half of the black beans and half of the cheese; repeat.
Step 3: Bake. Bake the nachos until the cheese is completely melted about 8-10 minutes.
Step 4: Add toppings: Top with desired toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, olives and green onions. Serve immediately.
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