Several years ago, I was standing in front of the fridge wanting to do something different with the leftover bbq chicken. A few minutes later, a tray of these nachos was coming out of the oven. Tangy barbecue chicken pieces, melted cheese, and crisp, warm tortilla chips added up to a very tasty and fast lunch.
The kids went a bit nuts over the barbecue chicken nachos, likely because ANY excuse to eat tortilla chips and call it a meal is a win in their book. At any rate, we all liked the BBQ Chicken Nachos so much; I made them again the following day with a rotisserie chicken.
These nachos have become a lunch favorite whenever we have leftover chicken in the house. With the usual jar of Tangy Memphis BBQ Sauce ready to use in the refrigerator, (and when I’m really lucky, Southern Style Coleslaw on top – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it) this is a lunch that all of us really enjoy.
Nachos are a hit all day long in my house. Try these Breakfast Nachos, Cheesy Five Bean Chili Nachos, or these Beef, Black Bean, and Spinach Tostadas for lightning fast meals that everyone loves. Don’t miss these Mediterranean Nachos for an extra special treat. The Mediterranean Nachos are a recipe from my first cookbook and the kids still request for them as often as any others.
Kitchen Tip: I use this sheet pan to make this recipe.
BBQ Chicken Nachos
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups cooked roasted or rotisserie chicken chopped bite-size
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce I used this Homemade Spicy Barbecue Sauce
- 16 ounce bag of tortilla chips
- 3 cups shredded cheese of your choice Monterrey jack, Pepper jack and cheddar all work well
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, torn or chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, warm the barbeque sauce and then add the chopped chicken to the pan. Stir to coat thoroughly and continue heating for just a few minutes until the chicken is hot. Make sure the chicken is well coated and add more sauce as needed to make sure there is plenty of sauce for the nachos.
- Preheat oven to 350. Spread the tortilla chips out across a large baking sheet. Top with the sauce covered chicken and then generously sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes, just until the cheese has melted. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 12/2/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/14/18}
Lea Ann (Cooking on The Ranch) says
Wow, and doesn't this look perfect for the Bronco Game today.
Mom on the Run says
I need to make these for New Year's Eve! I have never made my own BBQ sauce that I could actually serve…..LOL. I will be trying yours this week.
Monet says
Just delicious…and what an easy dinner for the week or the weekend. I'm sorry I've been so absent. Between moving (and feeling quite sick) I'm just now catching up to over a month of blog-reading! I hope you are doing well. It feels good to be back 🙂
Big Dude says
Nice cahange of pace Mary
Chris says
Hard to go wrong with that! Looks great, Mary, I could eat that whole tray. okay, maybe just half 😉
Stacey says
I just made these for lunch and our picky 8 year old absolutely loved them! I bought some boneless, skinless chicken strips and put them in the crock pot this morning with the homemade bbq sauce recipe and cooked them on low while I was away. Came home, chicken was done and all I had to do was put it all together, simple, delicious meal that you can't go wrong with.
L says
Where is the spicy bbq sauce recipe?
And I’ve made the tangy bbq sauce… can I use that sauce when making the bbq chicken nachos?
Thanks
Mary says
Absolutely, yes! I love the tangy BBQ sauce on these nachos. This is the recipe for spicy barbecue sauce: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/homemade-spicy-barbecue-sauce/
Ron says
The wife and I are binge watching Tudors tonight, and devouring BBQ pulled chicken, Cole slaw, and pulled chicken nachos! All from this site!!!
Mary Younkin says
I love this, Ron! Your dinner sounds DELICIOUS.