Preheat the oven and get ready for The Ultimate Sheet Pan Nachos with Chicken! This easy-to-make, customizable, crowd-friendly snack is perfect for gameday, movie nights, or any occasion when you want to feed a crowd without a lot of fuss. With a few simple ingredients and minimal prep work, you can have a delicious, shareable dish that everyone will love, and in 25 minutes or less!
Table of Contents
Few foods bring on the cheers quite like nachos. What’s not to love about a food that’s completely customizable and totally foolproof? Every bite is a combination of crunchy tortilla chips, gooey cheese and flavorful toppings. Add a heaping dollop of guacamole and salsa and we are in business!
Why You’ll Love ‘Em
- Easy to make and can be assembled in just a few minutes.
- Perfect for feeding a crowd.
- Customizable. You can make nachos with a variety of toppings to suit any taste preference.
- Delicious. They’re crunchy, cheesy and loaded with flavor!
- Minimal clean-up.
- Tortilla chips: Corn tortilla chips are the classic choice for nachos. Look for lightly salted, thicker chips. Thicker chips are sturdier and can hold up better to heavy toppings than thin, flimsy chips which are more likely to break and become soggy.
- Cheese: I opt for freshly grated sharp cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheeses, but you can use any type of cheese you prefer. Freshly grated cheese is best for nachos because it melts more evenly and has better flavor and texture compared to pre-shredded cheese, but if you’re in a hurry or don’t have a grater, pre-shredded cheese works.
- Protein: My all-time favorite shortcut is to use shredded rotisserie chicken (it’s my go-to in everything from enchiladas and salad to buffalo dip and taquitos), but pulled pork, cubed steak or ground beef are all delicious. Want to make them vegetarian? Skip the meat and load up on extra veggies and toppings, or even taco-seasoned crumbled tofu.
Toppings and Variations
When it comes to toppings, the sky’s the limit! Some classic and popular nacho toppings include:
- Black beans
- Corn kernels
- Diced tomatoes
- Diced onions
- Sliced jalapeños
- Sliced black olives
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Sour cream
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- Cilantro
Ready to really get creative with your nachos? Here are some fun twists to try:
- Barbecue chicken: Use barbecue sauce instead of salsa, and add diced red onion and shredded chicken.
- Breakfast nachos: Use scrambled eggs instead of chicken, and top with crumbled bacon and diced avocado.
- Greek nachos: Use feta cheese and top with finely chopped cucumber and tomato, and sliced Kalamata olives.
- Totchos: Use tater tots instead of tortilla chips.
- Preheat the oven and prepare your baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (optional but it makes for easy cleanup).
- Create the first layer with half of the chips, cheese and chicken. Spread half of the chips in an even layer on the baking sheet and top with half of the shredded cheddar cheese, half of the Monterrey Jack cheese and half of the shredded chicken. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Create the second layer with the remaining chips, cheese and chicken. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Add the remaining chips, cheese and shredded chicken then return it to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the toppings. Remove the nachos from the oven and immediately top with the corn, guacamole, salsa, olives, jalapeños and cilantro. Serve immediately.
How to Prevent Nachos from Getting Soggy
It’s all about the layers! To avoid soggy chips, it’s important to add a layer of grated cheese on top of the tortilla chips before baking them in the oven. This creates a protective layer between the chips and the toppings. Additionally, follow these tips to ensure perfectly crispy results:
- Don’t overdo it on the toppings. Be mindful not to overload the nachos with toppings, as this can make the chips soggy.
- Add fresh toppings like diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, and chopped cilantro after baking the nachos.
- Serve immediately to prevent the tortilla chips from absorbing moisture from the toppings and becoming soggy.
- Use sturdy tortilla chips that can hold up to the toppings. Thin, flimsy chips will not hold up well and you’ll end up with a mess.
- Don’t overcrowd the sheet pan. Make sure the tortilla chips are arranged in a single layer, so they cook evenly.
- Make sure to distribute the toppings evenly over the chips to ensure every bite is packed with flavor.
- Add just enough cheese to cover the chips, and then bake.
- This is merely a recipe template! Experiment with different toppings and spices to find your favorite combination.
FAQs
Start with a base layer of tortilla chips followed by a sprinkling of cheese and your protein of choice. Bake in a 350°F oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, then repeat the layering and baking process. All of your fresh toppings (corn, tomatoes, jalapenos, avocado, etc.) will go on last.
The best cheese for nachos is one that melts well. Some popular cheese options include cheddar, Monterrey jack, pepper jack and queso blanco.
Don’t skip the first round of melting cheese on top of the chips. This will help the bottom layer of tortilla chips from becoming soggy. Also, don’t add any of your fresh toppings or sauces, like salsa and sour cream, until just before serving.
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Ingredients
- 1 (10-oz.) bag tortilla chips
- 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated Monterrey Jack cheese
- 3 cups cooked protein of choice, such as shredded chicken, pulled pork or cubed steak
- 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels
- Guacamole, for topping
- Salsa, for topping
- Sliced black olives, for topping
- Sliced jalapeños, for topping
- Cilantro leaves, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (optional but it makes for easy cleanup).
- Spread half of the chips in an even layer on the baking sheet and top with half of the shredded cheddar cheese, half of the Monterrey Jack cheese and half of the protein. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Add the remaining chips, cheese and protein then return it to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the nachos from the oven and immediately top with the corn, guacamole, salsa, olives, jalapeños and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Kelly’s Notes:
- Use sturdy tortilla chips that can hold up to the toppings. Thin, flimsy chips will not hold up well and you'll end up with a mess.
- Don’t skip the first round of melting cheese on top of the chips. This will help the bottom layer of tortilla chips from becoming soggy. Also, don’t add any of your fresh toppings or sauces, like salsa and sour cream, until just before serving.
- This is merely a recipe template! Experiment with different toppings and spices to find your favorite combination.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
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Surprised my husband with these nachos for dinner. He absolutely loved them! Thank you!
Woohoo! So glad you and your husband enjoyed the recipe, Lesley!
NAchos are one of my absolute favorite things to eat…. looking at this made me very hungry and I can’t wait to try it out for Sunday Night football – since you used a pork tenderloin I am going to say it will pass for dinner!
I made these the day after the big game. OMG.
This is the best marinate I have EVER EVER made. My honey was skeptical, but the meat won him over. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. THANK YOU so much.
Really is there anything so good as nachos? I think not!
Great blog, by the way.
Saw that you’ll be attending the BlogHer Food conference this year. It’s my first time going…have you been before? Looking forward to it!
Why on earth have I never had pork on nachos before? It looks delicious! These nachos look so delicious, I could eat a whole plate! The guacamole looks amazing!
I want this right now (and I just ate dinner). Looks great. I like the use of pork tenderloin instead of pork shoulder.
I could dive into these. Yum!
If I had these nachos in front of me, I would probably devour it all by myself. Looks great!
These look amazing! Love that you used a tenderloin.
My hubby and I LOVE nachos! I have tried them before and the chips turned out all soggy on the bottom. I must try your method!
We’ve not had nachos in the longest! I think it’s time to change that! These look utterly, utterly delicious, Kelly! :)
Naaaachoooooos, I love naaaaachos!!!!! Duh, I always forgetting about making them in a huge baking dish… must remember that next time.
I’ll take 45 plates!
These look delicious! Hope you’re well!