Nachos with seasoned shredded chicken and plenty of melted cheese!
This Mexican Pulled Chicken Nachos is INSANELY delicious! It might be the best nachos recipe Iāve ever tried ā¦ Chicken breasts are richly seasoned with Mexican flavours, then cooked in a tomato sauce until melt-in-the-mouth tender. The chicken is shredded, mixed with luscious melted cheese, then served on crunchy corn chips with creamy avocado and sour cream and fresh herbs, lime and cherry tomatoes. I love this recipe so much that I included it in my new cookbookĀ Simple Dinners Every Day.
Although the chicken does need 30 minutes to simmer on the stovetop, you only need one pan and the prep is simple. You can add as many or as few toppings as you want and they are customisable ā Iāve made some suggestions below. The dish uses chicken breast, which is great as my kids prefer that cut, but the way itās prepared in this recipe means it cooks down until meltingly tender ā there is no rubbery chicken in sight!
Once youāve made the pulled chicken for this dish, youāre going to want to use it in everything! I can highly recommend serving it in tacos, burritos, burrito bowls or enchiladas. Better yet, the chicken can be frozen, so itās a great one to make in bulk for when you need it for super quick weeknight family dinners.
Yes, you can! To make this in a slow-cooker, combine all the ingredients, except for the shredded cheese and toppings, in a slow-cooker. Cook on low for 4ā6 hours or on high for 2ā3 hours, until the chicken is tender enough to shred. Stir in the cheese just before serving, or melt it on top of the nachos.
Yes, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work just as well as breasts in this recipe. Cook them for 5ā10 minutes longer, or until they are falling apart and can be easily shredded with two forks.
Popular options include pickled jalapeƱos, guacamole, black beans, salsa, corn, shredded lettuce or even some crumbled feta.
The leftover chicken can be repurposed in so many ways! Use it for tacos, quesadillas, burritos, or even in a salad with your favourite Mexican sides (think rice, salads and guacamole!).
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Amber says:
I’m looking for a taco recipe and think this might be the one! Feeding 6 adults so probably will need to increase the ratio’s. Big fan of your recipes!
Nicole says:
Hi Amber, the recipe does feed 4ā6, but you could multiply all the ingredients by 1.5 (or even 2 if you want a lot of leftovers). So happy you’re enjoying the recipes. š„° Nic x
Rebecca says:
Looking forward to trying this! If cooking in the slow cooker does the chicken need to be seared first?
Nicole says:
Hi Rebecca, I actually have a slow-cooker chicken nachos recipe where the chicken isn’t seared first. You might like to check that one out! Hope this helps. Nic x
Greta says:
Made this tonight for my nacho (but dislike mince) loving kids. Got a 9.9 score from my pickiest eater and everyone else loved it too. Will definately be a staple in our house. Looking forward to trying different ways to use.
Nicole says:
This is the kind of feedback I love to hear, Greta! Love it when picky little eaters give the recipes a thumbs up! Thanks so much for the rating, Nic x
Emma W says:
Toddler approved. They absolutely INHALED it. Thank you.
Nicole says:
“Toddler approved” … those are magic words! Very happy to hear this. Thanks for the rating too. Nic x
Carol Chapple says:
Great flavours and all four adults loved it, but I would increase the amount next time though (I used thigh fillets) as it was not enough for a main meal for all four of us
Nicole says:
Hi Carol, so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks also for the useful feedback and the rating, Nic x
Mel says:
I want to make this ahead of time and freeze for a camping trip. Should I leave the cheese off and add when heating up? Or add now?
Nicole says:
Hi Mel, you can only freeze the chicken and the other toppings need to be added fresh. Nic x
Tarsh says:
Mine turned out too watery after i added the stock. I see in the video it doesnt look like you added it in only a tiny bit of water. Still a great recipe will just have to add less next time!
Dee says:
Winner winner chicken dinner!ā¦ā¦..this was a hit, we used it for tacos and nachos, thank you
Nicole says:
Hi Dee, absolutely great to hear! I just love meals that I can serve in different ways … I don’t have to reinvent the wheel and create a new meal from scratch, just mix it up. Thanks for your lovely feedback. Nic x
Jennifer K says:
Iāve made this more times than I can count now. It is amazing, amazing, amazing!!!! Such delicious flavor and leftovers are just as tasty! Iāve put it on baked potatoes, taco shells, salads, and more!
Nicole says:
That is so wonderful to hear ā you made my day! I love your tips for how you use the chicken, too. Brilliant!
Cathryn says:
Yummmmm! Made these tonight, so easy and delicious! Love that there’s no need for the oven. Will definitely be our go to recipe for chicken nachos š
Wanluv says:
I made this in the slow cooker yesterday and my kids and husband raved about it. The entire tray disappeared. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Sandy says:
I made this last night. Itās the first recipe of yours I have tried and they were the best nachos Iāve ever had in my life!! This chicken was just absolutely delish. It will be on high rotation in our house for nachos, wraps, tacos, rice bowls etc. Thank you!!
Cas. says:
Iām a chicken breast girl so I was very hopeful for this recipe. So much so I double it to have a batch in the freezer during the school term. Maybe that was the issue. The chicken shredded fine but was quite dry. I thought I may need to leave them on longer given there were four large ones but they were dry on 25minutes with the stove on the lowest setting. Longer would have ruined them. The doubled liquid took so long to reduce. Definitely needs the lid off next time. Iād rather Nagiās quick pulled chicken tacos as the method ensures the breast is moist because you shred while still partially raw then chuck it back into the sauce once itās thickened. Probably didnāt help that the bang bang chicken video was where the video for this recipe should have been.