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Roasted Salsa Verde Chicken Nachos

Chicken nachos, i.e.: you know everyone will actually eat dinner without complaining because chips + chicken + melted cheese really does really equal a houseful of happiness.

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sheet pan of roasted salsa verde nachos topped with avocado and radishes

Not-Yo Average Nachos

Nachos are one of the very first dishes most of us figure out how to make on our own, right? Sprinkle cheese on some chips and microwave until the cheese melts! Boom! Although our microwave dorm room days are far behind us—as are most of our questionable eating habits from those college years—few things have managed to remain, and a deep-seeded love for homemade chicken nachos are one of them. Of course, our salsa verde chicken nachos recipe is exceedingly better than anything we could have whipped up back then.

ingredients for salsa verde nachos shown in a prep bowls

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Ingredients For Making Shredded Chicken Nachos

Not only do our cheesy nachos score major presentation points, but they’re also consistently a top performer when it comes to a zero-fuss dinner the whole family will agree on. And, chances are, you’ve already got everything you need to make ‘em.

  • Chicken breasts. We’re typically thigh people, but love how easy chicken breasts poach for these nachos. Check out our chicken poaching guide HERE.
  • Onion + garlic + bay leaves, cumin & chili powder. The secret to our flavorful poached chicken breast is totally in the broth. Seasoned with the goodness of fresh onions and garlic and dried bay leaves, cumin, and chili powder, it’s without a doubt the best poached chicken you’ll ever taste.
  • Nacho toppings. Lots and lots of toppings. See our favorites outlined a few steps below.
Large stainless steal pot with spices, onions, bay leaves and chicken breasts
shredded chicken breasts shown in a glass bowl with salsa verde

How to Make Chicken Nachos

For the longest time, we were microwave-your-nachos type of people (broilers weren’t exactly allowed in the dorms), but once we finally tried broiled chicken nachos with salsa verde, there was no going back.

  • Cook your chicken. There’s no need to get fancy here—for chicken nachos you want super easy-to-shred poached chicken and our seasoned poaching liquid means you’ll still get loads of flavor.
  • Assemble nachos. We like to place all our chips on the bottom, then build up from there, adding each layer at a time (cheese, then chicken). Other members of the household, however, prefer to assemble nachos in stacks, meaning chip-chicken-cheese, chips-chicken-cheese, all atop each other. But the beautiful thing about nachos is there’s really no wrong way. They’re guaranteed to come out delicious no matter what.
  • Broil. Your nacho oven temp should be set to a low broil (or if you’re oven only has one broil temp move the rack to the lower position and broil from there). Keep a close eye on them, as the chips can burn quickly. Remove them the second all of the cheese has melted.
  • Accessorize. Cilantro, cabbage, avocado—load those nachos up to your heart’s content.
Shredded cheese on top of corn chips shown on a baking sheet
shredded cheese and salsa verde chicken on top of corn chips for nachos
melted cheese and and cooked chicken on chips shown on a baking dish
salsa verde nachos topped with sour cream, cilantro, avocado and radishes shown on a baking sheet

Load Em Up!

These loaded chicken nachos aren’t going to top themselves! Here are some of our favorite toppings, but feel free to adjust to your own tastes (looking at you, cilantro soap-tasters).

  • Pepper Jack Cheese. We love the added spice of pepper jack, and it’s a great melter, too. But mild cheddar also works.
  • Cotija Cheese. If you haven’t yet tried this crumbly Mexican cheese, now is the time! It’s crumbly like feta, but milder in flavor. We love sprinkling it atop nachos, enchiladas, tacos—you name it.
  • Cilantro. Is there an herb more divisive? Luckily for us, we fall into the cilantro-lovers camp. If you hate it, though, feel free to skip it!
  • Sour Cream. We like to strategically spoon dollops across the tray. That way it’s easily avoidable for those who don’t want it, and in a nice big clump for those of us who do.
  • Avocado. Shop for ones that give in to firm-but-gentle pressure through the skin—that way you know they’re ripe and ready to eat.
  • Radishes. For a bit of freshness and bite. Cut into rounds, or you can grate them, too!
  • Other topping ideas: Green onions, red onions, diced tomatoes, black olives, sliced jalapeno, our homemade salsa verde for green chicken nachos, etc!
close up of salsa verde nachos shown on a baking sheet topped with avocado, radishes and sour cream

Tools to Make Our Baked Chicken Nachos

You won’t need much to get these beauties in the oven. Just:

  • Small stockpot. Or an extra-large saucepan. Basically anything big enough to hold 3-4 chicken breasts covered with water.
  • Large baking sheet. The size of your sheet will determine the quantity of nachos, so choose wisely.
  • Napkins!Diving into a heap of nachos can be messy business—as it should be. Be sure to have plenty of napkins at the ready.

Hungry for More Easy Finger Foods?

Whether you’re hosting a crowd for the big game or just feel like some finger-licking goodness, here are a few other tasty bites from our archives:

Love Our Easy Chicken Nacho Recipe?

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Roasted Salsa Verde Chicken Nachos

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  35 min
  • Cook Time:  1 hr 10 min
  • Calories: 614

Ingredients

Nachos

  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
  • 2-4 oz cotija cheese
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • 2 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 bag of your favorite tortilla chips
  • 1 Recipe Salsa Verde

Method

  1. In a medium sized pot add chicken breasts and enough water to cover. Add bay leaves, chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper and onion. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Continue to simmer for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
  2. Remove chicken from the pot and allow to cool slightly. Using two forks, shred the chicken completely. Toss with half of the salsa verde and set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to a low broil.
  4. On a large baking sheet spread out chips and sprinkle with the pepper jack cheese. Top with chicken and broil until cheese melts. About 5 minutes. (Keep a close eye though, oven’s very in temperature.)
  5. Top with cotija cheese, avocado, cilantro, radishes and serve with sour cream and extra salsa verde. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories614
  • Protein36 g
  • Carbohydrates42 g
  • Total Fat42 g
  • Dietary Fiber7 g
  • Cholesterol96 mg
  • sodium883 mg
  • Total Sugars5 g

Roasted Salsa Verde Chicken Nachos

Questions & Reviews

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  • Emily

    This was a good recipe. I give it 4 stars because the chicken was not good. It was dry and didn’t have the flavor I anticipated. Next time I’ll figure out another way to do the chicken.

    Sorry to hear you didn't like the chicken but happy you enjoyed the nachos.

  • LaurenHardy

    Wonderful!!!! Made for dinner tonight- all of the flavors go so well together.

    Yay!