Home » Course » Main DishBBQ Chicken Nachos Pin RecipeRate RecipeFebruary 15, 2023 This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. Be a dinner hero with these easy, delicious BBQ chicken nachos that everyone will rave about. Learn how to make sheet pan nachos the whole family loves. Jump to Recipe These BBQ chicken nachos are a classic, crowd-pleasing game day snack but they are hardy enough to be dinner any night of the week. Your family will love digging into the melty shredded cheese, shredded chicken and loads of tasty Mexican flavors in these easy sheet pan BBQ chicken nachos. We’ll show you how to make sheet pan nachos the easy way, how to prep ahead to save time, and our trick for making clean up a snap. It’s time to grab a baking sheet, arrange your chips and toppings, and pop it in the oven! In just 20 minutes you’ll be a meal time hero with these homemade nachos. ❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS NACHOS RECIPE ✔️ A crowd-pleasing game day favorite full of amazing flavors ✔️ Ready in just 20 minutes; easy to prep ahead ✔️ A good source of protein! 31 grams of protein per serving. ✔️ Gluten free Table of Contents INGREDIENTSINSTRUCTIONSHOW TO MAKE NACHOS AHEADSTORAGE TIPSWHAT TO SERVE WITH NACHOSMORE APPETIZER RECIPESFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSBBQ Chicken Nachos INGREDIENTS This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for BBQ chicken nachos, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below. You may have all of the ingredients for sheet pan chicken nachos in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts. Cheese: We’re using a combination of cheese sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. You can also use monterey jack cheese Tortilla chips Chicken: We’re using shredded rotisserie chicken because it’s tender, juicy and full of flavor. BBQ sauce: Homemade or your favorite BBQ sauce Jalapeño Red onion Parsley Garnish: We’re using guacamole (you can use avocado pieces), pico de gallo (diced tomatoes, onions and cilantro, or you could also use salsa), sour cream, lime wedges, and jalapeño sliced into rings. INSTRUCTIONS This section shows how to cook BBQ chicken nachos in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, nutritional information, to print the recipe or to have the recipe scaled to double or triple, see the recipe card below. 🔴 TIP: For easy clean-up, line your baking sheet with foil. PREPARE: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Evenly distribute half of each ingredient across the large baking sheet in layers, starting with tortilla chips, then chicken pieces, BBQ sauce drizzle, cheese, jalapeño, and onion. Repeat the layers using the second half of all the ingredients. BAKE: Put the nachos into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. SERVE: Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with lime wedges, guacamole, pico de gallo (or diced tomato), jalapeño slices and sour cream. HOW TO MAKE NACHOS AHEAD Nachos are best served fresh out of the oven, hot and crispy; they don’t keep or reheat well. The best way to make them ahead is to prep and store the ingredients for this appetizer separately (in bowls or baggies in the fridge) until it’s time to combine them on the baking sheet and put it in the oven. Once hot, you’ll want to serve it immediately. TIPS FOR THE BEST SHEET PAN NACHOS Follow these tips to make the best BBQ chicken nachos. ✔️ Use fresh chips. Use fresh chips. Stale chips won’t taste great with these nachos. ✔️ Make your own queso cheese sauce! White queso sauce is amazing on this appetizer. ✔️ Make your own BBQ sauce! It’s easy and you’ll be amazed by how delicious it is. ✔️ Keep an eye on your nachos in the oven. Don’t overcook them. The cheese should be just melted, not crusty when cooked. STORAGE TIPS Refrigerate: We do not recommend refrigerating nachos as they are best served fresh out of the oven. However, you can store individual ingredients in the fridge in air-tight containers for 2-3 days if you plan to make more. Chip, however, should be kept in the pantry in a sealed container so they don’t become stale. Freeze: Freezing nachos is not recommended. WHAT TO SERVE WITH NACHOS These easy BBQ chicken nachos are the perfect starter for one these meals: Sheet pan chicken fajitas, grilled chipotle chicken kebabs, chipotle chicken burrito bowl, crock pot chipotle chicken tacos, or Instant Pot carnitas. MORE APPETIZER RECIPES If you like our BBQ chicken nachos you’ll love our hot artichoke and spinach dip, hot pizza dip, meatball sub bombs, and air fryer taco stuffed pasta shells. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking easy homemade nachos. What can you put on nachos besides cheese? The question is really what *can’t* you put on nachos? Our recipe uses chicken but you could easily swap that for ground beef, chili or beans. For vegetables you can add tomatoes, onions, corn, black olives, and jalapeño peppers. You can also add avocados (or guacamole) and pico de gallo or your favorite salsa. That includes mango or pineapple salsa. How do you keep nachos crispy? One way to keep your chips crispy longer is to pre-bake your chips for a few minutes at 350ºF. Then top with a layer of shredded cheese, which will protect the chips from other toppings that steal your chips’ crunch. Is it better to bake or broil nachos? We recommend baking, not broiling your nachos, because baking is hot enough to melt the cheese but also gives the flavors time to meld together. Broiling cooks hot enough to melt cheese but too hot to allow enough time for the flavors to blend. What is the secret to great nachos? Truly great nachos are hot, crispy and full of toppings. It’s important when layering toppings that you evenly distribute them to ensure there are no sad, naked chips. The other important thing is to add plenty of cheese because nachos is primarily about chips and cheese. You can never have too much cheese. What are the best chips to use for nachos? The best chips are thick, corn tortilla chips. You can make your own but there are plenty of delicious store bought chips out there to choose from. 5 from 3 votes BBQ Chicken Nachos Course Appetizer Cuisine Mexican Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Print Pin Rate 4 people Be a dinner hero with these easy, delicious BBQ chicken nachos that everyone will rave about. Learn how to make sheet pan nachos the whole family loves. Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Equipment1 sheet pan Ingredients 1x2x3x▢ 1 cup cheese sauce (homemade or store bought)▢ 1 bag tortilla chips▢ 1 cup rotisserie chicken shredded▢ 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded▢ 1 large jalapeno seeded and minced▢ 1/4 cup red onion chopped▢ 1 tbsp parsley choppedOptional Toppings▢ 1 cup guacamole▢ 1 cup pico de gallo▢ 1 cup sour cream InstructionsPreheat the oven to 375°F. Spread half of the tortilla chips in an even layer on an oven safe platter or baking sheet. Scatter half of the chicken pieces over the top of the chips. Drizzle half of the BBQ sauce and half the cheese sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle half the cheddar cheese, jalapeño, and onion over the cheese and BBQ sauce. Repeat with a second layer of everything. Put the nachos into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with lime wedges, guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapeno slices and sour cream. Notes Make these to your taste. Add as few or as many toppings as you want! For easy cleanup, line your baking sheet with foil. Make your own queso cheese sauce! This white queso sauce is amazing. Keep an eye on your nachos in the oven. Don’t overcook them. The cheese should be just melted, not crusty when cooked. NutritionCalories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1132mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 725IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 328mg | Iron: 1mg Did you create this? Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes. Email Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe PinShareTweet