Loaded Baked Chicken Nachos

Use leftover cooked chicken or leftover salsa chicken to make this easy sheet pan recipe: Loaded Baked Chicken Nachos are always a hit!

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We’re gearing up for the end of football season here, which is also the season where our grocery ads are full of everything from chips and dip, to pizza and fried pickles. While these sales ads aren’t always the best for helping you plan out actual, you know, meals, I figured I’d just roll with it today!

Why? Well, I had some leftover salsa chicken I’d made with chicken thighs + a jar of ALDI’s limited time “slow and low” chili verde sauce… and, I also impulse bought a yummy jar of organic black bean dip and $.99 tortilla chips there this week. That all seemed like a good excuse to cook up a whole sheet pan full of Loaded Baked Chicken Nachos!

Let’s just say that, if you ever want to see a couple of happy kids, you can just let them know that they’re having NACHOS for dinner — because that’s not something they see every day. (Well, at least my kids don’t. I can’t really speak for anyone else’s household. 😉 ) Take heart, though: They’re also getting hearty black beans, corn, chicken, bell pepper, tomato, and avocado in here, along with all of the cheesy chips.

Loaded Baked Chicken Nachos

Ingredients

– for the nachos

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow or red bell pepper, diced
1 can corn, drained
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 cups leftover salsa chicken (or plain leftover chicken, shredded and mixed with salsa to taste)
1 can black beans, rinsed and well drained
9 oz restaurant style tortilla chips
10 oz of black bean dip or refried black beans
1.5 cups (6 oz) shredded sharp cheddar

– for the optional toppings, post-baking

Diced tomatoes (or halved grape tomatoes)
Sliced black olives
Jarred or canned sliced jalapeños
Diced avocado
Sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and spray with cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bell pepper and corn and saute for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in chicken and black beans, and heat through.

Spread half of the chips out in a single layer on your prepared sheet pan. Dollop a little black bean dip (or refried beans) onto each chip, then sprinkle them with 1/2 cup of cheese. Spoon half of the sauteed chicken/corn/beans/pepper mixture evenly across the chips, then repeat with a second layer of chips, dip, cheese, and chicken. Finish by sprinkling your last 1/2 cup of shredded cheese across the top.

Bake loaded chicken nachos at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until cheese is nicely melted and everything is heated through, then broil for one minute to brown.

Optional (yet recommended): Top loaded chicken nachos with diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, diced avocado, and/or  sliced olives, and serve with sour cream.

Nacho average dinner…!

Sorry, groan. But who am I kidding here: I’m just as tickled by the occasional sheet pan of nachos for dinner as the kids. And, these loaded sheet pan chicken nachos have it all, from the flavorful salsa chicken, to the crunchy peppers & corn, to the hearty black beans. They’re about as far from the little paper containers of sad ball park nachos with fake pourable cheese as you can get! Give these loaded baked chicken nachos a try for a fun change of pace on your next Taco Tuesday, or as a hearty appetizer on your next family movie night.

Loaded Baked Chicken Nachos, printable recipe

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5 from 2 votes

Loaded Baked Chicken Nachos

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these loaded sheet pan chicken nachos have it all, from the flavorful salsa chicken, to the crunchy peppers & corn, to the hearty black beans.

Course Appetizer, dinner

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

– for the nachos

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow or red bell pepper, diced
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• 2 cups leftover salsa chicken (or plain leftover chicken, shredded and mixed with salsa to taste)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and well drained
• 9 oz restaurant style tortilla chips
• 10 oz of black bean dip or refried black beans
• 1.5 cups 6 oz shredded sharp cheddar

– for the optional toppings, post-baking

• Diced tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes
• Sliced black olives
• Jarred or canned sliced jalapeños
• Diced avocado
• Sour cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and spray with cooking spray.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bell pepper and corn and saute for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in chicken and black beans, and heat through.
• Spread half of the chips out in a single layer on your prepared sheet pan. Dollop a little black bean dip (or refried beans) onto each chip, then sprinkle them with 1/2 cup of cheese. 
• Spoon half of the sauteed chicken/corn/beans/pepper mixture evenly across the chips, then repeat with a second layer of chips, dip, cheese, and chicken. Finish by sprinkling your last 1/2 cup of shredded cheese across the top.
• Bake loaded chicken nachos at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until cheese is nicely melted and everything is heated through, then broil for one minute to brown.
• Optional (yet recommended): Top loaded chicken nachos with diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, diced avocado, and/or  sliced olives, and serve with sour cream.

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