Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Gooey shredded cheese and toppings layered over crisp, crunchy tortilla chips.
Taste: Tangy BBQ chicken, creamy cheese, salty tortilla chips, and fresh tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro.
Ease: Such a quick and EASY recipe for a crowd!
Top Tips: Use gluten-free BBQ sauce to make these nachos gluten-free, and get creative with your toppings. Steak, shredded pork, or any other meat would be great!
Would I make these again? Yes! These are a family favorite for game nights, watching sports, and parties!
xoxo erin
This post was originally published in May 2023. It was updated with new photos and instructions in January 2025.
Sheet pan nachos are one of the absolute BEST ways to feed a crowd in a hurry! They’re easy, delicious, and turn any occasion into a little bit more of a party!
Trust me, if you make these BBQ nachos for game day, a summer party or a family game night, they’re going to disappear in a flash!
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make BBQ Chicken Nachos
- Storage/Make Ahead/Freezing Instructions
- Can these nachos be made dairy-free?
- What are some good toppings for nachos?
- How do you prevent nachos from getting soggy?
- What kind of cheese is best for nachos?
- BBQ Nachos Tips
- More Party Favorites
- Easy BBQ Chicken Nachos (With Chicken Breast) Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these BBQ chicken nachos. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- BBQ sauce: Be sure to use gluten-free barbecue sauce to make these nachos gluten-free. Sweet Baby Rays or Stubbs are our favorites. Or you can make my homemade gluten-free BBQ sauce.
- Chicken: I typically use chicken breast, cut into small pieces and cooked in a skillet. You can also use chicken tenders or boneless chicken thighs, if you prefer. You could also use my instant pot bbq chicken or crockpot salsa chicken and skip the sautéing!
- Chips: Any tortilla chips will work for this recipe. Just remember to use gluten-free chips if you want to make gluten-free nachos. Check out this post on are tortilla chips gluten-free.
- Cheese: Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or shredded cheddar cheese will work for this recipe. Or you can use a blend of all three! I think freshly shredded cheese has better flavor than pre-shredded.
- Bacon: Bacon adds so much flavor to these nachos! Be sure to cook and chop it before adding it to the nachos. Raw bacon will not cook properly if layered with the nachos.
- Toppings: Cherry tomatoes are typically sweeter than Roma tomatoes. They’re more reliable throughout the year! Be sure to add avocado after the nachos come out of the oven. Add fresh cilantro after the nachos have been baked. It adds great flavor and fresh color.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Nachos
Here’s an overview of how to make these BBQ chicken nachos. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- Cook chicken. Add olive oil and diced chicken to a skillet, and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Add seasonings. Flip the chicken over and sprinkle with seasoning. Stir to coat evenly.
- Add BBQ sauce. Coat chicken with BBQ sauce and simmer until it reduced by half.
- Layer ingredients. Layer chips, cheese, and toppings.
- Repeat. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients. Save some cilantro for topping after nachos come out of the oven.
- Bake. Bake nachos for 20-25 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
- Top and serve. Drizzle the BBQ nachos with sour cream and top with the diced avocado and remaining cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Storage/Make Ahead/Freezing Instructions
To Store: BBQ nachos are best if eaten right after preparation. However, you can store leftover nachos in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
I recommend removing the avocado, cilantro, etc if you want to save leftovers. Then reheat in the BBQ nachos in the oven for a crisp texture and evenly melted cheese.
To Make Ahead: These nachos taste best when assembled and baked just before eating, but the BBQ chicken can made up to three days in advance. Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. Then sprinkle cheese, chicken, and other toppings over nachos before baking.
To Freeze: These nachos do not freeze well, but you can freeze the cooked and cooled BBQ chicken on its own. Let it thaw in the fridge before assembling and baking the nachos.
Can these nachos be made dairy-free?
Yes! For dairy-free BBQ chicken nachos, use dairy-free shredded cheese and dairy-free sour cream.
What are some good toppings for nachos?
There are many great toppings for nachos, including sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, cilantro, tomatoes, spicy jalapenos, and avocado. You can also add protein like BBQ pork, ground beef, BBQ chicken, steak, black beans, or pinto beans. For something out of the box, consider Mediterranean nacho toppings like hummus, cucumber, tzatziki, and Feta.
How do you prevent nachos from getting soggy?
To avoid soggy nachos, you can melt the cheese for a few minutes before adding additional toppings. You don’t want to add anything with too much moisture, so be sure to drain beans and meat before sprinkling over the chips. Add sour cream, salsa, and other sauces just before eating for the most crispy tortilla chips.
What kind of cheese is best for nachos?
Monterey Jack is a popular choice for BBQ nachos, but you can also use shredded cheddar, Colby Jack, or an authentic Mexican cheese like Queso Blanco. For classic American nachos, many people use melted Velvetta cheese.
BBQ Nachos Tips
- I don’t recommend making these BBQ nachos in advance or storing them after baking. They’re best eaten right out of the oven!
- Feel free to customize these nachos with your favorite toppings. You could add jalapenos, guacamole, hot sauce, or other types of meat, like leftover pulled pork, slow cooker pork butt, steak, or ground beef.
- Be sure to use gluten-free BBQ sauce to make these nachos gluten-free. Sweet baby rays or Stubbs are our favorites. Or, you can make my homemade BBQ sauce.
More Party Favorites
Easy BBQ Chicken Nachos (With Chicken Breast)
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts finely diced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
Other Ingredients:
- 8 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled
- 12-16 oz tortilla chips 1 bag
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- ½ cup red onion very thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 avocado diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Cook the bacon until crisp. (I like to use microwaveable fully cooked bacon to keep things simple!) Crumble and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Heat for 1 minute then add the diced chicken breast in an even layer. Let cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Flip the chicken and sprinkle over the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Stir to evenly coat.
- Add the BBQ sauce and simmer until the sauce has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, layer the ingredients in this order:
- ½ of the chips½ of the chicken1 cup of cheese½ of the bacon¼ cup red onion½ cup tomatoesA spoonful of cilantro
- REPEAT with the remaining ingredients. Save a little cilantro for sprinkling after cooking.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Drizzle with the sour cream and top with the diced avocado and remaining cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- I don’t recommend making these BBQ nachos in advance or storing them after baking. They’re best eaten right out of the oven!
- Feel free to customize these nachos with your favorite toppings. You could add jalapenos, guacamole, hot sauce, or other types of meat, like leftover pulled pork, slow cooker pork butt, steak, or ground beef.
- For gluten-free nachos: Be sure to use gluten-free BBQ sauce to make these nachos gluten-free. Sweet Baby Rays or Stubbs are our favorites. Or you can make my homemade gluten-free BBQ sauce.
- For dairy-free nachos: Use dairy-free shredded cheese and dairy-free sour cream.
- To Store: BBQ nachos are best if eaten right after preparation. However, you can store leftover nachos in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. I recommend removing the avocado, cilantro, etc. if you want to save leftovers. Then reheat in the BBQ nachos in the oven for a crisp texture and evenly melted cheese.
- To Make Ahead: These nachos taste best when assembled and baked just before eating, but the BBQ chicken can made up to three days in advance. Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. Then sprinkle cheese, chicken, and other toppings over nachos before baking.
- To Freeze: These nachos do not freeze well, but you can freeze the cooked and cooled BBQ chicken on its own. Let it thaw in the fridge before assembling and baking the nachos.
