Shredded Chicken Nachos

Ingredients

• Spices – Chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and black pepper
• Meat – Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Oil – Use a neutral (flavorless) oil, we use canola oil
• Liquid – Tomato sauce and water
• Toppings – You can customize your nachos with your favorite toppings. Here we use corn, black beans, black olives, green onions and tomatoes. Other topping ideas include: sliced jalapenos, diced red or white onions, diced avocado and chopped cilantro.
• Cheese – Cheddar, cheddar jack, Monterey jack, or use your favorite cheese as long as it melts well.
• Chips – Corn tortilla chips that are thick rather than thin.

Recipe tips

• Hand shred the cheese to top these nachos. Pre-shredded packaged cheese contains cellulose (which is wood pulp) and sometimes potato starch, added in to prevent caking. The cheese melts better when you shred it yourself.
• Use hearty corn tortilla chips. These nachos are loaded with ingredients. Use a thicker tortilla chip that will hold up to the toppings. Two brands that I know are pretty thick are Tostitos Cantina Traditional style and Santitas.
• Make the nachos on a sheet pan. It’s large, rimmed and (if you line it with foil) easy to clean. Aside from all that, the presentation of sheet pan nachos is just so pretty. We use a quarter sheet pan which is 9-by-13 inches. Use a casserole dish that’s about the same size if you don’t have a sheet pan.

Instructions

Make the homemade taco seasoning: add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and black pepper to a small bowl, stir to combine.

Prep the nacho toppings while you cook the chicken. Store the unused canned black beans and corn in the refrigerator in airtight containers for 2-3 days. Use them to make this delicious turkey taco soup or these loaded sheet pan nachos.

Cook the chicken

1. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken. Cook for 3 minutes per side to brown.
2. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set on a plate or pan. Do not wash the skillet. We want to make the sauce in the delicious pan juices.
3. Set the skillet back over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, water and prepared seasoning mix, stir well to combine. When the sauce comes to a simmer return the chicken to the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
4. Remove the chicken from the skillet and continue cooking the sauce, covered on low heat. It should be barely at a simmer. Place the chicken on a cutting board or pan and let it cool a bit, then shred it using two forks.
5. Add the shredded chicken to the skillet.
6. Stir it well and cook a few minutes to allow most (or all) of the sauce to be absorbed. Stir occasionally. Let the chicken cool a bit before building the nachos.

Build the nachos

Preheat oven to 350°F

1. Add a layer of tortilla chips to a 9×13 sheet pan or shallow baking dish. Try not to overlap the chips too much but do place them close together.
2. Arrange about half of the shredded chicken over the tortilla chips.
3. Sprinkle the top evenly with half the shredded cheese.
4. Sprinkle with half of the toppings: corn, black beans, black olives and green onions.
5. Add another layer of tortilla chips.
6. Top with the remaining chicken, cheese, corn, black beans, black olives, and green onions.

Reserve the chopped tomatoes and a few green onions to garnish when the nachos come out of the oven.

Bake the chicken nachos for 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and some of the tortilla tips are starting to brown. Top with the chopped tomatoes and some extra chopped green onions.

Serve immediately with sour cream and hot sauce on the side if desired.

You may also like these recipes:

• Shredded Chicken Tacos
• Turkey Tortilla Soup
• Shredded Chicken Tostadas
• Chorizo Cheese Dip
• Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
• Chicken Taquitos