Black Bean and Chicken Nachos
Melty and delicious Black Bean & Chicken Nachos are easy to prepare and can be served with any combination of your favorite nacho toppings!
Tender shredded chicken, seasoned black beans, and melty cheese make up the first few layers of these deliciously customizable Black Bean & Chicken Nachos. Your guests will go crazy for this easy sheet pan nacho recipe topped off with a dollop of sour cream and fresh pico de gallo, avocado chunks, jalapenos, and black olives.
FEEDING A CROWD? NACHO PROBLEM!
I love to host, but I don’t love the anxiety of worrying if my guests are hungry. This chicken nacho recipe is the best because who doesn’t love nachos!? All I have to do is throw some simple ingredients on a cookie sheet, serve up a variety of topping options, and everyone can happily snack the night away!
Nachos may seem simple enough, but there are a lot of yummy takes on this easy classic, like Loaded Potato Nachos or Pizza Nachos.
OTHER RECIPES TO SERVE WITH BLACK BEAN & CHICKEN NACHOS
- Pico De Gallo – If you have the time, you won’t regret making this fresh, homemade pico for your nachos!
- Easy Blender Salsa – If always nice to have an extra salsa on hand for dipping when nachos are involved.
- Frozen Margarita – I’ll just leave this one here because you never need an excuse to enjoy a good margarita.
INGREDIENTS
Tortilla Chips: You can use any bag of your favorite brand of tortilla chips. I recommend using salted chips. My favorite are the thin cantina-style tortilla chips.
Chicken: The easiest thing to do is to buy a rotisserie chicken and shred the meat off of it. You can also cook your own chicken breasts or even use canned chicken.
Baked Toppings: Season the black beans with chili powder, cumin, and pepper. Spread the beans and shredded cheese over the chicken to bake. I usually use a sharp cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend.
Cold Toppings: Once they’re done baking, finish these Black Bean and Chicken Nachos off with your favorite cold toppings. I always add pico de gallo. sour cream and avocados. I also have jalapenos and olives on hand, but usually keep those separate in case someone isn’t a fan.
Garnish: I serve lime wedges and freshly chopped cilantro on the side for anyone wanting a little more zest.
HOW TO MAKE BLACK BEAN AND CHICKEN NACHOS
STEP ONE: Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Next, spread a bag of your favorite tortilla chips over the bottom of a large baking sheet or a cast iron skillet. Spread the shredded rotisserie chicken evenly over the chips.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, stir the black beans, chipotle powder, ground cumin, and pepper together. Then spread the seasoned beans evenly over the chicken. Now you’re ready to top the nachos with shredded cheese. Bake the nachos for about 15 or until the cheese is melted.
STEP THREE: Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Top the nachos with pico de gallo, cubed avocado, dollops of sour cream, sliced jalapenos, sliced black olives, and chopped cilantro. Serve these delicious sheet pan nachos with lime wedges on the side, and you’re ready to dig in!
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- If you’re entertaining a crowd, you can serve all the cold ingredients on the side so everyone can build their own nacho plate.
- For smaller crowds, consider cooking the nachos in smaller batches so the chips don’t get soggy while you try to get through the whole pan.
CAN YOU STORE BLACK BEAN & CHICKEN NACHOS
Once the chips are all baked and dressed, you want to enjoy these nachos while they’re still fresh and warm. Storing assembled nachos is definitely not something that I would recommend.
However, the toppings can be prepared and stored in the fridge for a few days in separate containers until you’re ready to make another batch. These nachos come together so quickly that you’ll have plenty of time to whip up a pan anytime you want, especially when you already have all the ingredients on hand.
HOW TO SERVE YOUR NACHOS
Nachos are the best! They are a great snack that can easily become a fun and hearty dinner. For families where everyone has a slightly different idea of the perfect nacho, I serve all of my cold toppings in “nacho bar” style. This is a great option for picky eaters!
I love mixing up the toppings and have been known to throw in a curveball or two – like chopped onions, fresh corn, and leftover chicken fajitas or steak fajitas. You can also serve a restaurant-style Queso Blanco or mix up some fresh guacamole in place of the avocado chunks. Because they’re so customizable, the whole family is guaranteed to enjoy these nachos!
OTHER SNACK TIME FAVORITES
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Chicken Jalapeno Popper Pinwheels
- Sausage Cream Cheese Dip
- BBQ Chicken Potato Skins
- Mini Bean Dip Cups
- Creamy Taco Dip
*This post originally posted on 07/12/2015.
Black Bean & Chicken Nachos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 11 ounces tortilla chips (1 bag)
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 14.5 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup pico de gallo
- 2 avocados chopped
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 jalapenos sliced
- 2.25 ounces canned sliced black olives drained
- Cilantro chopped
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spread the entire bag of tortilla chips out on a baking sheet or in the bottom of a large cast iron skillet. Spread the shredded chicken over the chips.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the black beans, cumin, chipotle powder, and pepper. Spread the beans over the chicken, and then top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Then spread the pico de gallo, chopped avocado, sour cream, jalapeno slices, olives, and cilantro over the nachos. Add lime wedges on the side and serve warm.
