These Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos are the perfect party food! Make these easy chicken nachos for dinner, appetizers or on game day!
We love making fun party food like these oven baked nachos! Also be sure and check out our Naked Sheet Pan Tacos for a lower carb option, or these Trashcan Frito Nachos that use Fritos instead of tortilla chips!
An Oven Baked Nacho Recipe
So of course, you’re thinking, nachos are oven baked right? How else could you make these Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos?
Well, if you have kids then you might think of baking nachos in the oven to be sort of fancy, even. Because cheesy chips exist more than oven baked nachos do, at least in our house.
Our kids will throw cheese on tortilla chips and whatever else they find and put them in the microwave until the cheese melts. Totally fine, it’s a snack that they can make themselves and sometimes it’s even a meal that they can make themselves…but baking nachos in the oven…
It’s really a game changer. When you bake nachos the tortilla chips toast up and get super crispy and more nutty in flavor. There’s really no getting around how much better oven baked nachos are than any other way. Actually, the first time we made these nachos for our boys they were legitimately amazed by how good they tasted.
They asked us what kind of chips we used and how did we get them so crunchy and delicious? Same chips boys, just baked them in the oven for a few.
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken For This Nacho Recipe?
We marinated chicken breasts, baked them and shredded them for these nachos. The extra step of marinating the chicken takes these nachos to the next level, for sure. But if you want to get things done super fast, then yes, you can grab a chicken from the store and shred it.
Before you add the chicken to these Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos though, I’d season it up with garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper and cumin. Just a few suggestions for helping the rotisserie chicken get a little more flavor.
Also, you can use this same oven baked nacho method and swap the chicken out for ground beef, Dry Rubbed Pulled Pork and even Homemade Taco Meat would be perfect! Even leave the meat off if you want an epic Meatless Monday meal!
Ideas For Nacho Toppings!
It might seem like a basic thing, but making nachos can be an extreme sport. You can empty out the fridge or your pantry making nachos, or keep them super simple with just cheese…totes up to you. But we like to have options!
Cheese Options:
- Cheddar, Yellow or White
- Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack
- Mozzarella or Smoke Mozzarella
- Colby
- Queso
- Velveeta
If you opt for queso, bake the nachos first and then drizzle the warm queso on as soon as they come out.
Topping Options:
We’ve covered the different types of meat you can use, or ditch the meat altogether. So here are some of our favorite toppings for nachos!
- Jalapeños or pickled jalapeños
- Black olives
- Chopped tomatoes
- Black beans
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Diced green chilis
- Cilantro
- Red onion or scallions
- Corn
Use your imagination and add whatever you think would taste good on these cheesy, baked chips!
A fun party idea is to make a nacho bar! Set out tons of different toppings and let your guests make their own plate of nachos! Keep your oven hot and use oven proof plates so everyone gets their own cheesy baked nachos!
This is a great idea for kids parties, too. Sometimes you’ll end up with lots of plates of “cheesy chips” and sometimes kids can get adventurous when they see all the different toppings they can use!
Looking For More Easy Appetizer Recipes?
Bacon Cheeseburger Quesadillas
Easy Chicken & Broccoli Meatballs
PrintSheet Pan Chicken Nachos
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
These oven baked chicken nachos can be made for appetizers, dinner or on game day! Use your favorite toppings or set up a nacho topping bar for parties!
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 bottle Stubb’s Citrus & Onion Chicken Marinade (or your favorite chicken marinade)
- 1 16 oz. bag tortilla chips
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 bunches scallions, chopped
- 2 pints grape tomatoes, quartered
- 6 jalapeños, sliced (or pickled jalapeños)
- 2 cans (2.25 oz) sliced black olives
- Cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)
- Sour cream and/or guacamole for serving
Instructions
- Pour the Stubb’s Citrus and Onion Marinade over the chicken in a glass dish for at least an hour, or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and discard the marinade. Place the chicken directly on a sheet pan that’s been sprayed in cooking spray.
- Roast in the oven for 35 minutes, flipping over once during cooking time, until the chicken is white and cooked through.
- Remove to a large bowl and let cool slightly, then shred into bite sized pieces.
- Place a layer of tortilla chips on a clean sheet pan, (about half the bag) and cover with a layer of the shredded chicken.
- Add 2 cups of cheese and another layer of chicken and place into the oven.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and remove the pan from the oven.
- Add on the fresh toppings and serve with sour cream and guacamole.
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American