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This easy chicken nachos recipe has zesty lime chicken, beans, and cheese layered and baked on a sheet pan over crunchy tortilla chips. Nachos are the perfect crowd-pleasing meal or appetizer, whether I make these for game day or Cinco de Mayo!
These sheet pan chicken nachos are a bit like deconstructed baked chicken tacos, complete with my favorite toppings, like sour cream and ripe avocado. Try my Caprese chicken nachos recipe for another fun and easy variation.
Today, I’m sharing my super simple sheet pan chicken nachos recipe topped with all the fixings: sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, creamy black beans, and zesty, lime-marinated chicken. Plus fistfuls of cheese, obviously. After I made my tostadas de tinga recently, it got me dreaming of toasty, cheesy Tex-Mex-style nachos. So, this past weekend, we put on the game and I baked a HUGE batch of these best-ever chicken nachos for sharing. They didn’t last long, and boy, were they good!
What I Love About This Chicken Nachos Recipe
- Extra crispy. I make these homemade nachos with gluten-free flour tortillas, which I cut into wedges and crisp up in the oven before layering on the goods. Feel free to reach for your favorite ready-to-use tortilla chips, if you want.
- Juicy marinated chicken. Who knew a simple combination of lime, sugar, and garlic could pack THIS much flavor into shredded chicken? All that sweet and zesty, citrus flavor lends this chicken subtle margarita vibes, which I absolutely love.
- Easy to make. Simply toast the tortillas, layer the ingredients over top, and then bake. The juicy tomatoes, the lime chicken, the red onions, the creamy beans, the crunchy corn: It’s all SO perfect! And it’s even easier if you have leftover chicken in the fridge.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These chicken nachos have (literal) layers of flavor, and it’s thanks to a few key ingredients. I’ve included my notes here. You’ll find the complete ingredients list and recipe details in the printable recipe card below the post.
- Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can use chicken thighs, or even leftover cooked chicken (like this cilantro lime chicken, which is super similar to the lime-marinated chicken I use here).
- Olive Oil – Or another oil, like avocado oil.
- Limes – Freshly zested and juiced limes are best. Zest before you juice!
- Sugar – Or your preferred sweetener, like brown sugar or honey.
- Garlic – I use fresh minced garlic. You can substitute ¼-½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove if needed.
- Tortillas – I make my own tortilla chips by slicing flour tortillas into wedges and baking them in the oven. It’s SO easy. Otherwise, you can use your favorite store-bought tortilla or corn chips.
- Corn – Drained and rinsed canned sweet corn. Another option is to shave the kernels from leftover corn on the cob.
- Beans – My favorite for this recipe is BUSH’S® Black Beans. Pinto beans and kidney beans are also good choices. Remember to drain and rinse canned beans beforehand. Of course, you can always leave them off if beans aren’t your thing.
- Tomatoes – I like to use halved cherry or grape tomatoes since they’re sweeter and less watery than larger chopped tomatoes. That being said, dicing up a Roma tomato or similar works fine, here.
- Cheese – For the meltiest nachos, use freshly shredded cheese rather than the packaged kind that comes pre-shredded. I use a Mexican blend with Monterey Jack, Asadero, and Queso cheese. Regular cheddar works great, too.
- Onion – Red onion is my first choice, but any finely diced mild onion (even shallot or sliced green onions) is a good substitute.
- Garnishes – There’s no wrong way to garnish a plate of chicken nachos. I love diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and dollops of sour cream, but the limit does not exist. I include more nacho topping ideas later in the post!
How to Make Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos
Nachos are one of my favorite things to make when we entertain since they’re very easy and always a total crowd-pleaser. That isn’t to say that I could gladly polish a sheet pan of these myself, but sharing is so much better! Follow along with the steps for this chicken nachos recipe here:
First, Prepare the Lime Chicken
I marinate the chicken for these nachos with a simplified marinade of lime juice, sugar, and garlic. The flavors are similar to my Peruvian chicken and Mojo chicken, minus a few spices. Feel free to borrow the marinades from those recipes if you’d like! Either way, the steps are the same:
- Marinate the chicken. You’ll start by adding the chicken to a Ziploc bag with lime juice, zest, sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken, then set it aside for 10 minutes.
- Cook and shred the chicken. Next, add the chicken to a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF (see my recipe for baked chicken breast). Afterward, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, and then use two forks to shred it.
Next, Make the Tortilla Chips
I make my tortilla chips semi from scratch and it’s super simple. You can use whole wheat tortillas like I do here, or regular flour tortillas, it’s up to you.
- Cut the tortillas. Lay your tortillas flat and slice them into wedges (a pizza cutter works great, otherwise, use a sharp knife).
- Arrange them on a baking sheet. Next, spread the tortillas out on a large baking sheet and spray them lightly with cooking spray.
- Bake. Bake at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes so that the tortillas are lightly toasted.
Now, Assemble the Nachos
After you take your tortillas out of the oven, turn the temperature up to 400ºF. While it preheats, you’ll layer your ingredients to make your chicken nachos:
- Add toppings. To your pan of toasted tortilla chips, sprinkle over corn, black beans, and cherry tomatoes, followed by the shredded lime chicken. Lastly, spread the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake. Bake the nachos at 400ºF for 15 minutes until the layers are heated through and the cheese is nice and melty.
- Enjoy! Once the chicken nachos are out of the oven, layer on onions, herbs, or any garnishes you’d like (see below) and serve with sour cream.
What Else Can I Add to Nachos?
One of the main reasons I love this chicken nachos recipe is that there are so many ways to make it your own! These are some of my favorite topping ideas for nachos. Keep reading for more easy serving suggestions.
- Pico de gallo or homemade salsa
- Shredded lettuce
- Sliced jalapeños
- Black olives
- Diced red onions or pickled onions
- Sour cream (Greek yogurt makes a good substitute)
- Chopped avocado or guacamole
- Fresh chopped herbs, like cilantro
Recipe Tips
- Pre-cook the tortilla chips. If you aren’t toasting your own fresh tortilla chips, make sure to choose a nice-quality brand of chips from the store. Pre-bake the chips before you add the toppings. This is the secret to crispy, non-soggy nachos.
- Use freshly grated cheese. I mentioned it already, but freshly shredded cheese is best for melting. It melts more smoothly and the flavor is better.
- Different cooking methods. If you don’t want to bake the lime chicken, you can sear it on the stovetop or make air fryer chicken breasts instead.
- Use leftover chicken. Making this chicken nachos recipe with pre-cooked chicken is an easy shortcut. It’s the perfect excuse to use up leftover chicken carnitas or chicken tinga!
- Serve right away. Chicken nachos (or any nachos, for that matter) are best served hot and fresh from the oven. It’s when the cheese is meltiest, the chips are crispiest, and the ingredients taste their best.
Serving Suggestions
I can’t think of anything better for entertaining a crowd than a pan of cheesy chicken nachos. I often serve these on Cinco de Mayo with generous dollops of sour cream and fresh guac for dipping. They’re also perfect for game day, paired with more appetizers like Southwest egg rolls and corn dip, plus a big pot of chili as a main. This spicy Mexican hot chocolate fudge makes an easy sweet treat afterward!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. These nachos are best served warm and fresh from the oven. If you happen to have leftovers, you can keep them covered in the fridge for 1-2 days. Keep in mind that the tortilla chips will become more soggy with time.
- Reheat. For best results, reheat your chicken nachos in the oven at 350ºF until they’re warmed through and the cheese is melted again. I like throwing a few fresh tortilla chips in there to revive the texture when serving.
More Tex-Mex Recipes
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Chicken Nachos Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 lime zested
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 6 low carb whole wheat flour tortillas, cut into triangle wedges, see notes
- 1 cup canned sweet corn kernels, rinsed
- 15 ounces can of black beans, rinsed, divided
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 avocado, chopped, for garnish
- parsley or cilantro, for garnish
- light sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Marinate the chicken. In a large Ziploc bag, combine the chicken, lime juice, lime zest, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic. Close the bag and massage the chicken to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Cook and shred the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before shredding.
- Toast the tortillas. Cut the flour tortillas into triangle wedges and arrange on a lightly greased 11 x 13 baking sheet. Spray the flour tortillas with cooking spray and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove the tortilla chips from the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Assemble the nachos. Top the prepared tortilla chips with corn, black beans, tomatoes, shredded chicken, and cheese.
- Bake. Bake the nachos for 15 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Garnish and serve. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped onions, avocado, and parsley or cilantro. Serve with light sour cream on the side.
Equipment
Notes
- You can make this recipe with any baked/grilled leftover chicken, too.
- If you don’t want to make the chips, you can use store-bought tortilla chips.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I never thought about layering nachos, but what a great idea! I’m going to try to make this for family movie night.
That’s great! I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Well, I love to cook a chicken. Thank you for this recipe.
I like chicken , But with your delicious chicken i love it more and more