The best gooey, tangy, spicy buffalo chicken nachos you’ve ever had. Loaded with three types of cheese and fresh, Mexican-style ingredients. Ready in 20 minutes.

The best gooey, tangy, spicy buffalo chicken nachos you’ve ever had. Loaded with three types of cheese and fresh, Mexican-style ingredients. Ready in 20 minutes.

A while back, I made a super fresh pico de gallo recipe to get into the Cinco de Mayo spirit. Despite its two-week shelf life, my husband Han and I put the pico on everything and anything we possibly could. Those 4½ cups of my latest creation were gobbled up well before the expiration date, it was that good.

The most memorable moment for the pico, however, was when I used it to for an irresistible plate of three-cheese LOADED chicken nachos.

Imagine taking a bite into three types of gooey, melted, bubbly cheese over a crunchy layer of tortilla chips—folded in with spicy buffalo chicken and soft black beans. Fresh chunks of buttery avocado, tangy pico de gallo, and jalapenos also greet your taste buds as you begin to crunch away. Do I have your attention!?

This three-cheese buffalo chicken nachos recipe will delight your senses in indescribable ways. Not only are they extremely satisfying, but they’re also ready in just twenty minutes. Both the satisfaction factor and minimal cook time make them the perfect game-day snack, or for hosting a Mexican food night. (Also, don’t be shy about making them as a main dish just for yourself!)

The best gooey, tangy, spicy buffalo chicken nachos you’ve ever had. Loaded with three types of cheese and fresh, Mexican-style ingredients. Ready in 20 minutes.

Now, in order to ensure you have the most satisfying nacho experience ever, I have a few tips for you.

First, I recommend that you choose restaurant-style tortilla chips. These chips are much thicker and stronger… they are up to the heavy-duty lifting of the loaded nacho ingredients! A flimsy, soggy, wimpy tortilla chip is just a buzzkill.

As for the cheese part of the recipe, I’ve used Monterey jack, cheddar, and blue cheese. While making this dish, I learned that these types of cheese yield the best nacho platters. In addition to flavor, after baking, these three kinds of cheese become bubbly and golden while keeping everything moist underneath. This is exactly what you want in a plate of nachos.

The best gooey, tangy, spicy buffalo chicken nachos you’ve ever had. Loaded with three types of cheese and fresh, Mexican-style ingredients. Ready in 20 minutes.


Of course, I also highly recommend making the 15-minute pico de gallo recipe to go with the nachos, as it adds freshness, texture, and authentic Mexican flavor.

Aside from these suggestions, you can customize these chicken nachos however you’d like.

  • You could add chili powder to the buffalo sauce for extra spice.
  • Use refried beans instead of black beans.
  • Top with green onions or black olives.
  • Serve sour cream, fresh cilantro, and/or extra hot sauce on the side.

Add taco seasoning to the buffalo chicken mix (if you’re up for a chicken taco kind of vibe).

The options are endless, amigos!

The best gooey, tangy, spicy buffalo chicken nachos you’ve ever had. Loaded with three types of cheese and fresh, Mexican-style ingredients. Ready in 20 minutes.
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Three-Cheese Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Three-Cheese Buffalo Chicken Nachos

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Sharon Chen
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Appetizer / Snack, Gluten Free
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Mexican
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Description

The best gooey, tangy, spicy buffalo chicken nachos you’ve ever had. Loaded with three types of cheese and fresh, Mexican-style ingredients. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups finely shredded chicken
  • 1/2 cup Frank’s red hot buffalo sauce
  • 1 bag corn tortilla chips (restaurant style)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1/2 cup pico de gallo
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • Jalapeno slices and cilantro leaves for garnishing

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine chicken and buffalo sauce. Mix well and set chicken mixture aside.
  3. In a cast iron skillet or a baking sheet, put a single layer of chips at the bottom, followed by half of the chicken, half of the black beans, then 1 cup cheddar cheese. Place another layer of chips on top, followed by the rest of the chicken, beans, then 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese.
  4. Add a few more chips on top, then sprinkle with the rest of the cheddar and jack cheese. Add blue cheese on top, then bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
  5. In the meanwhile, chop up the avocado and slice the jalapeño pepper.
  6. Once the nachos are done, add pico (do not include the liquid as the nachos will turn soggy), avocado and pepper on top. Drizzle a little more buffalo sauce if you want. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

Notes

  • You could make this nacho recipe with a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil to make clean-up quick and easy.
  • You can certainly use rotisserie chicken for this recipe. For easy shredded chicken recipes, check out this sous vide chicken breast recipe or baked chicken recipe. Both use skinless chicken breasts.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 788
  • Sugar: 2.6g
  • Sodium: 953mg
  • Fat: 40g
  • Saturated Fat: 22.2g
  • Carbohydrates: 50.3g
  • Fiber: 13.3g
  • Protein: 56.5g
  • Cholesterol: 133mg

About the Author

Sharon Chen, StreetSmart Kitchen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and author of the Complete Sous Vide Cookbook. She believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she aims to make meal prep easier than ever and help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.