These EASY BBQ chicken nachos are loaded with flavorful chicken, bacon, red onion, avocado, sour cream, and more! They’ll disappear quickly at any party, family dinner, or on game day!
Looking for the best BBQ nachos recipe? This is it! Check out my tips for making incredible sheet pan nachos for a crowd.
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!
These nachos are loaded with BBQ chicken, bacon, shredded cheese, and red onion. Several layers of toppings ensure every chip gets the attention it deserves! Then, when the nachos come out of the oven, I like to load them with even more toppings: avocado, cilantro, tomatoes, sour cream, and more!
You can save even more time by making BBQ nachos with leftover meat, but I love this recipe so much, I make the chicken just for this reason! I cook the BBQ chicken in a skillet on the stovetop, which makes it super quick and easy to make any time of year.
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
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy recipe
- Great for a crowd
- Can be customized with your favorite toppings
- Perfect for summer parties
For more crowd-pleasing recipes, try this artichoke dip, caramelized onion dip, potato salad, gluten-free meatballs and bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese.
Try serving these with some cold, homemade berry lemonade!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these BBQ nachos:
- BBQ sauce: Be sure to use gluten-free barbecue sauce to keep 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 this instant pot bbq chicken and skip the sautéing if you prefer!
- Chips: Any tortilla chips will work for this recipe. Just remember to use gluten-free chips if you want to keep the nachos gluten-free. Check out this post on are tortilla chips gluten-free.
- Red onion: I like to use thinly sliced red onion for these nachos, which have a sweeter and milder flavor than white onion. However, white or green onions will also work.
- Cheese: Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or shredded cheddar cheese will work for this recipe.
- Bacon: Be sure to cook and chop the bacon before adding it to the nachos. Raw bacon will not cook properly if layered with the nachos.
- Spices: I like to season these nachos with a blend of chili, onion, and garlic powder. You can also use Mexican spices like cumin or taco seasoning blend. You also might like this salt and pepper seasoning.
- Oil: I typically use olive oil, but you can also use a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are typically sweeter than Roma tomatoes. They’re more reliable throughout the year!
- Avocado: Be sure to add avocado after the nachos come out of the oven.
- Cilantro: Add fresh cilantro after the nachos have been baked. It adds great flavor and fresh color!
You also might like this best ever 7 layer dip recipe!
How to Make BBQ Nachos
- 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 of chips. 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 baking sheet, layer the ingredients in this order:
- ½ of the chips
- ½ of the chicken
- 1 cup of cheese
- ½ of the bacon
- ¼ cup red onion
- ½ cup tomatoes
- A 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 the barbecue nachos with the sour cream and top with the diced avocado and remaining cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
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.
You also might like these Crockpot Chicken Nachos.
FAQs
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.
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.
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.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- 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 keep these nachos gluten-free. Sweet baby rays or Stubbs are our favorites. Or, you can make my homemade BBQ sauce.
MORE CROWD-PLEASING RECIPES
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try these BBQ nachos, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Easy, BBQ Chicken Nachos
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.
- Be sure to use gluten-free BBQ sauce to keep these nachos gluten-free. Sweet baby rays or Stubbs are our favorites. Or, you can make my homemade BBQ sauce.
