The Best Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos with Chicken
If you’re looking for an easy homemade nachos recipe, this is it! These nachos include grilled chicken, homemade guacamole, homemade pico de gallo, quick pickled red onions, and of course, lots of cheese! The chicken is seasoned with a homemade taco seasoning blend using common pantry spices.
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These homemade nachos are made on a sheet tray and are quickly baked in the oven to melt the cheese, so once all of the topping prep is done, they come together so fast. Make these nachos for the big game, game night with friends, sleepovers, potlucks, or our favorite – an easy weeknight dinner while watching some TV.
The Ultimate Loaded Chicken Sheet-Pan Nachos Recipe
Nachos Ingredients:
- Chicken: We use a combination of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts for this recipe. If you don’t want chicken you can use steak (I’d suggest flank steak) or any ground meat.
- Taco seasoning: If you already have a store-bought taco seasoning blend, you can use that, but I love to use the spices in my pantry to make my own taco seasoning. You’ll need chili powder, ground cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper, and dried oregano. Store the taco seasoning in spice jars if you make a big batch to save for future recipes.
- Tortilla Chips: I like to use a good quality, thick and sturdy tortilla chip so that it can hold the weight of these loaded nachos. My favorite brand is Calidad Mexican Restaurant-Style Tortilla Chips.
- Guacamole: Guacamole is ALWAYS better homemade. There isn’t a single store-bought guacamole that I’ve ever enjoyed. It’s simple and easy to make with fresh avocados, roma tomatoes, red onion, garlic, lime, salt, and pepper.
- Pico de Gallo: Store-bought pico de gallo is fine, but it’s also super easy to make with roma tomato, white onion, cilantro, and some fresh lime juice.
- Pickled Red Onion: All it takes is vinegar (I prefer apple cider vinegar), water, salt, and sugar to make a vinegar brine for pickled red onions. Add garlic, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes for optional additional brine flavoring.
- Cheese: Obviously, you can’t have nachos without cheese! I prefer to use shredded Monterey jack cheese for my nachos, but you can use cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack.
- Other Toppings: You can customize these nachos any way you’d like! You can make a homemade queso, add fresh or pickled jalapeños, or sprinkle some cotija cheese crumbles on top.
Recipe FAQs
What is the secret to making good nachos?
Expert tips for making the best nachos:
- Keep it neat: Line your sheet pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
- Use sturdy chips: Nothing is worse than a thin, weak chip that gets soggy and isn’t strong enough to scoop up the toppings. Use a thick corn tortilla chip to withstand warm and wet toppings.
- Shred your own cheese: This part is optional, but for a truly magical nacho experience, shred a block of cheese instead of buying pre-shredded cheese, which is treated with stabilizers that don’t melt nearly as well when subjected to heat.
- Layer your ingredients: The best way to layer tacos is to spread out a layer of tortilla chips and top with cheese and chicken. Add another layer of tortilla chips and top with more cheese and chicken. Layering these ingredients helps ensure there are fewer naked chips.
- Separate hot and cold ingredients: The best nachos are a mix of cooked, hot ingredients and fresh, cold ingredients, like melty cheese and pico de gallo. Add the cold toppings just before serving to prevent fresh herbs from wilting or guacamole from liquefying.
Ingredient substitutions for dietary restrictions:
- Protein: If you don’t eat meat or chicken, you can add beans instead to make vegetarian nachos. If you prefer a different protein than chicken, any ground meat or steak (like flank steak) will be just as delicious.
- Cheese: If you are dairy-free or vegan, you can use a plant-based shredded cheese, like this one from Violife.
What equipment do I need for sheet pan nachos?
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Paring knife
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Large skillet
- Jar with lid
- Sheet pan
- Aluminum foil
The Best Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos with Chicken
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Munchies, Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Nachos are the ultimate party good, and these nachos are great as an appetizer for a crowd, or load it up with extra chicken for a fun weeknight dinner.
Equipment
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the pickled red onions
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar or white vinegar)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
For the chicken
- 1lb boneless, skinless chicken (breast, thighs, or both)
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
For the pico de gallo
- 4 large roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the guacamole
- 4 avocados, ripe
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the nachos
- 10–12 oz bag of tortilla chips
- 8oz Monterey jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Make the Pickled Red Onion: Add the sliced red onion to a jar with a lid. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine the water, vinegar, salt, sugar, red pepper flakes, and garlic and whisk until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour the liquid mixture over the sliced red onions in the jar and put the lid on. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Prep and cook the chicken: If you are using chicken breasts and they are very thick, cover them in plastic wrap or put them in a gallon storage bag and pound them with a meat tenderizer or other heavy object to even thickness. Then, combine all spices and seasonings in a small bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread the spice mixture all over the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add 1-2 tbsp oil. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes, then flip and cook another 5-7 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Remove from the pan and allow to rest on a cutting board.
- Make the Pico de Gallo: In a small or medium mixing bowl, combine diced roma tomatoes, white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and mix. Add more salt to taste if needed.
- Make the guacamole: Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop out into a mixing bowl. Mask with a fork. You can make it as chunky or smooth as you prefer. Add the tomato, red onion, garlic, lime juice and zest, salt, and pepper, and stir it together. Add more salt and pepper to taste, as needed.
- Assemble the nachos: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Dice the chicken into small pieces. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread out a layer of tortilla chips, then top with half of the cheese and half of the cubed chicken. Add another layer of chips, cheese, and chicken. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is just melted.
- Serve and enjoy: Top the nachos with some of the fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, and pickled red onions.
Notes
- Optional extra toppings: sour cream, cotija cheese, queso, jalapeños (fresh or pickled), black beans, charred corn
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/5
- Calories: 864
- Sugar: 11.7 g
- Sodium: 2358.2 mg
- Fat: 56.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 56.9 g
- Protein: 38.8 g
- Cholesterol: 106.6 mg
