BBQ Chicken Nachos take only minutes to prepare and only require FOUR, yes four, ingredients! What more could you ask for?! Super simple to make and loaded with flavor? Yes please!!
You don’t always have time to prepare a glamorous dish, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor! Hubby and I eat BBQ Chicken Nachos as a snack or for a meal alongside a salad.
Simple, tasty and colorful and perfect for football season.
I love the glowing neon color of Sweet and Spicy Banana Peppers and how the spicy and sweet flavors profiles play off of each other!
Using store bought rotisserie chicken saves me time and adds flavor since they are usually pre seasoned. From there, I shake it in my favorite barbecue sauce and tada!
You can also use a tub of the premade barbecue chicken from the store. Whatever works for you.
I use Scoops for nachos, purely because I am slightly OCD and like to have an equal ratio of toppings on each chip, but you can use whatever tortilla chip floats your boat!
You can even layer them, but a single layer will ensure every chips gets optional toppings.
Nachos might be something you usually only get at the movies, or as an appetizer when you’re out for dinner, but they don’t have to be.
If you don’t know how to make nachos, then I’m here to give you a few pointers.
Nachos are basically made up of a base layer of tortilla chips that are topped with any toppings of your choice. In this recipe I put my chips in a baking sheet and scooped in a dollop of BBQ chicken and a cube of pepper jack cheese.
The combination of crunchy chips, zesty BBQ chicken, gooey cheese and cold but crispy banana peppers is sublime.
BBQ Chicken Nachos Ingredients
These simple ingredients create the best bbq chicken nacho recipe. However, check the section below for even more nacho inspiration.
- Tortilla chips – You can make your own crunchy tortilla chips with my easy recipe, but it’s also just as easy to buy a bag of your favorite crispy tortilla chips from the grocery store.
- BBQ chicken – You can buy pre-made bbq shredded chicken, use a rotisserie chicken to make things easy, or cook your own chicken breasts and add your favorite sweet barbecue sauce. This is also a great way to use up leftover chicken.
- Pepper jack cheese – You can either cut this into small cubes or shred your own. The pre-shredded cheese has an additive that prevents it from sticking together, but it also prevents from melting smoothly.
- Banana peppers – I like the spicy and sweet flavor that these add to these sheet pan chicken nachos. Check the section below for even more favorite toppings suggestions.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Nachos
Making these nachos is easy. I don’t suggest making them ahead of time, just prep all of the ingredients and then assemble and pop in the oven when you are ready to enjoy.
- Prepare baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to make for easy clean-up. Lay out your tortilla chips in a single layer.
- Add toppings. Fill each with a dollop of BBQ chicken and then a cube of pepper jack cheese.
- Broil. Place the pan in the lower half of the oven and then turn the broiler on high. Broil for approximately 5 minutes; times will vary depending on your oven. Keep a watchful eye to make sure they don’t burn, just enough to allow cheese melts.
- Top with banana peppers. Remove and top with minced sweet and spicy banana peppers.
Variations
Feel free to add more to customize your platter of nachos!
- Toppings – Customize this bbq chicken nachos recipe to make it your own. Here are a few things you can add on top of the nachos: red onions, green onions, hot sauce, black olives, fresh jalapenos,
- Cheese – Try different types of cheese. Some other suggestions would be: cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, gouda cheese or any other melty cheese that you like.
- Seasoning – I like the flavor of bbq sauce on it’s own, but feel free to sprinkle your sheet pan nachos with things like: garlic powder, chili powder or black pepper if you’d like to.
- Chicken – These sheet pan bbq chicken nachos are a great way to use leftover bbq chicken. However, you can also cook up some chicken thighs (juicier) and shred it up to make the best nachos.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Unfortunately, nachos just don’t reheat well, so I recommend eating them all in one sitting. If you do need to reheat them, it’s best to do so in the oven until warmed through. You can always use any leftover bbq chicken to make bbq chicken pizza too!
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing nachos. The chips will become quite soggy when thawed.
Other Easy Nacho Recipes
BBQ Chicken Nachos
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Tortilla chips
- 6 ounces BBQ chicken , shredded
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese , freshly shredded
- 8 ounces sweet and spicy banana peppers drained and minced
- fresh limes wedges
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet(s) with aluminum foil to make for easy clean-up. Lay out your tortilla chips in a single layer.
- Fill each with a dollop of the BBQ chicken and then sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese.
- Place the pan in the lower half of the oven and then turn the broiler on high. Broil for approximately 5 minutes; times will vary depending on your oven. Keep a watchful eye to make sure they don’t burn.
- Remove and top with the minced sweet and spicy banana peppers.
- Serve hot with lime wedges for spritzing.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Love these bbq nachos. SOunds so delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Every bite does indeed look amazing! All of the flavors are incredible. And I love these vibrant colors.
These are so good and honestly, way better than restaurant nachos! Perfect amount of toppings and cheese here.
This is such a delicious recipe. It’s super easy to make, which I love even more than how tasty it is. LOL
These are fully loaded with deliciousness!
Those look amazing! I’d live on nachos if I could. Never tried BBQ chicken ones, though. This is going to be a weekend must-do!
G’day! GREAT idea for a future party!
Thanks for sharing as part of Foodie Friends Friday Snack Party!
Cheers! Joanne
Oh yes, perfect for parties because it is SO simple- spend time with your guests, NOT in the kitchen!
Yummm! I love nachos but I never think to make them at home. These look too good and easy to not make though! And I love the neon yellow of the peppers too… hehe! 🙂
Yummm! I love nachos but I never think to make them at home. These look too good and easy to not make though! And I love the neon yellow of the peppers too… hehe! 🙂
Yummm! I love nachos but I never think to make them at home 😉 These look too easy not to make though! And I admit I love the neon yellow of the peppers, too. Hehe!
Really? No nachos at home? I’m the opposite, almost never ordering them out because I don’t like the cheese they use, etc.
These would be great for Game Day! Pinned – stopping by from DBB!
Thanks, Jaime!
oh my these look delicious!!! A nice easy recipe not only for Super Bowl Sunday but for any little get together or even an after school snack!
Yes, so easy, you can make them whenever you feel the need to feed!
These look delicious!! I love Scoops… they make great little bites! 🙂
I know- the type A in me wants everything to be equal…
The scoops help make these nachos less messy that traditional nachos. This peppers are a nice change of pace from jalapenos. Looks great.
I love nachos too, but sometimes you have to change the pace and add something new. These peppers literally glow and I love it!
I really should not look at your site before 9 AM because I don’t think it would be setting a good example for my kids if I make Nachos for breakfast, but that’s what I’m wanting now!
I would totally eat nachos for breakfast… I don’t judge 🙂