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Home · Recipes · Tex-Mex | Mexican Food · Chicken Nachos

Published: Jan 11, 2023 by Kelly Anthony · Leave a CommentThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Chicken Nachos

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Prepare your ever-loving Tex-Mex minds for a new weeknight dinner obsession. These Chicken Nachos satisfy any and all Mexican food cravings in one fell swoop with their melty cheese, full-flavored, super juicy bites of chicken, and crunchy tortilla chips. Kids and grown-ups alike swoon for these nachos!

A pan of Chicken Nachos sits on the counter with chips scattered around it. The dish is topped with guacamole and diced tomatoes.

Top them off with some sour cream, guacamole, or pico de Gallo, and you've got yourself the perfect quick-fix dinner or even a winning addition to the Superbowl party snack table! Want more recipes like this? Add our Fajita Nachos and Chicken Flautas to your "to-make" list!

A view from the side of a skillet of Chicken Nachos, showing the layers of ingredients.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN NACHOS

To kick off your Chicken Nachos, you first need to address the chicken! For this recipe, we will be using boneless skinless chicken thighs over chicken breasts. Chicken thighs are an excellent option for nachos, as they do not dry out quickly in the oven and are full of flavor!

The chicken thighs get a makeover in a delicious adobo-based spice rub. Adobo is made up of ingredients like chili powder, tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, and so on. It's a powerhouse ingredient, and an easy way to add a big bang of flavor to your Chicken Nachos! We love this ingredient in our easy Chipotle Sauce and fully trust you will love it too.

You can find adobo sauce near other Mexican ingredients in the international food aisle. It is sometimes sold as a sauce on its own or you can also spoon it out of a can of Chipotles in Adobo.

Combine the adobo sauce, salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and oil in a small bowl, and use a fork to combine all of the ingredients until they are well-mixed.

The Adobo seasoning for the chicken being whisked together with a fork.

Next, place your chicken on a work surface and use paper towels to dab away any excess moisture from the outside of the chicken. This will help your spice rub to stick to your chicken and stay put while baking in the oven.

Hands using paper towels to pat raw chicken dry.

Rub the chicken with your spice mix and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place in a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 28 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.

The cooked chicken thighs still on the baking sheet.

Note, if you don't have time to whip up your own spice rub and bake chicken, you can easily sub in rotisserie chicken in this recipe. You could also heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add a pound of ground beef, hit it with a packet of taco seasoning, cook until completely browned and use that as a quick-fix protein instead!

Once your chicken is cooked through, remove it from the oven and set it aside until it is cool enough to handle. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut it into ½", bite-sized pieces. Place the diced chicken back onto the baking sheet and toss it around in the juices in the pan for maximum flavor results!

A close up of diced chicken thighs.

It is officially time to assemble some Chicken Nachos! You can use a cast iron skillet or a rimmed sheet pan to bake your nachos. If you use a sheet pan, you can assemble your nachos in a single layer if preferred.

For nachos, it is best to use thick, sturdy tortilla chips rather than thin ones.

An overhead view of an iron pan with a layer of corn chips in the bottom.

Place a single layer of tortilla chips across the bottom of your baking vessel, and top them with warmed refried beans. If your beans are not easy to spread, you can add a tablespoon or two of warm water to the refried beans and stir until reach a consistency in which they can spread easily over the chips.

An overhead view of an iron pan with a layer of corn chips in the bottom and dollops of refried beans on top.

Add ⅓ of the refried beans over your layer of tortilla chips, and then add a third of your chopped chicken across the top of the beans.

An overhead view of an iron pan with a layer of corn chips in the bottom and refried beans and diced chicken over top of them.

For the cheese, we will be using the classic Tex-Mex mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. It is best if you use freshly grated cheese over prepackaged shredded cheese. Both the flavor and the texture will be exponentially better! Speaking of Tex-Mex, we have the most delicious Tex-Mex Recipes for you to cook up!

A pan of corn chips, refried beans, chicken, and cheese with more chips scattered around it.

Mix your cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and add a third of the cheese mixture across the top of the chicken. Repeat with another layer of chips, beans, and chicken; then repeat again!

An Iron pan with the last layer of chips and refried beans on top of the other ingredients.

Transfer your nachos to a 350°F oven and bake for about 10 to 14 minutes, or just until the cheese is perfectly melty! Remove your Chicken Nachos from the oven and top them with your favorite nacho toppings!

An overhead view of the pan of Chicken Nachos fresh out of the oven. The cheese on top looks melty and delicious.

The topping options for this chicken nachos recipe are practically endless! Here are just a few of our favorites:

  • Sour Cream
  • Guacamole
  • Pico de gallo
  • Pickled or fresh jalapeno peppers
  • Chopped green onions

And, if you're feeling extra, you'll definitely want to whip up a bowl of queso blanco to serve on the side!

A close up of Chicken Nachos with guacamole and diced tomatoes on top.

6 MORE MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

  • Green Enchiladas
  • Chicken Birria Tacos
  • Shredded Chicken Tacos
  • Tinga de Pollo
  • Chicken Empanadas
  • Chicken Ranchero

  • Three shredded chicken tacos on a plate surrounded by cilantro sprigs and sliced jalapenos. The tacos are topped with sliced jalapenos, sour cream, pico de gallo, and cilantro.

    Shredded Chicken Tacos

  • A stack of Chicken birria Tacos on a plate

    Chicken Birria Tacos

  • An overhead, close up shot of tinga de pollo in a braising dish, topped with cilantro.

    Tinga de Pollo

  • A look down the row of rolled up enchiladas in a pan with green sauce and avocado

    Green Enchiladas

  • A platter of empanadas with a bowl of green chiles behind it.

    Chicken Empanadas

  • Baked Chicken with Ranchero Sauce

    Baked Chicken with Ranchero Sauce | Tex-Mex Dinner Recipe

A close up of Chicken Nachos with guacamole and diced tomatoes on top.
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Chicken Nachos

Cure your Tex-Mex cravings and your weeknight dinner boredom with these quick, easy and delicious Chicken Nachos!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time48 minutes mins
Total Time58 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Chicken Nachos
Servings: 8
Calories: 520kcal
Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN:

  • 2-3 teaspoons adobo sauce
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons avocado or canola oil
  • 1-1 ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

FOR THE NACHOS:

  • ½ (13-18 ounce) bag of tortilla chips (thick, sturdy chips work better than thin chips for this recipe)
  • About ¾ cup refried beans, warmed
  • 1 ½ cups freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 ½ cups freshly grated Cheddar cheese
  • Optional for serving: salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, pickled jalapeños, or chopped cilantro

Instructions

COOK THE CHICKEN:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and have ready a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
  • Place the chicken on a work surface and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Add the adobo sauce, Kosher salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and oil to a small bowl and use a fork to mix until combined.
  • Rub the chicken all over with the spice mixture and transfer to the prepared pan. Bake for 28 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
  • Remove the chicken from the oven, and as soon as it is cool enough to handle, transfer to a cutting board and chop into ½"-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the pan and toss in the juices.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE NACHOS:

  • Have ready a large, clean skillet (or a rimmed sheet pan).
  • Add a single layer of tortilla chips to the skillet and add about ⅓ of the beans, followed by a third of the chicken, and a third of each type of cheese evenly across the top of the chips. Repeat in this order 2 more times.
  • Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 8-12 minutes at 350°F, or until all of the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, add any other desired toppings, serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1144mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 403IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 369mg | Iron: 2mg

Source: What is Adobo?

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I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

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