Buffalo Chicken Nachos
Buffalo Chicken Nachos are a rule free appetizer.
And Buffalo Chicken Nachos eat like a meal. Perfect for late night, an easy Saturday night meal in front of a movie, and yes, as an appetizer, anytime.
Why is it called Buffalo Chicken? Does it combine
and
Of course not.That was a gratuitous shot of a buffalo. Aren’t they magnificent?
Chicken wings were (reportedly) created at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo New York. The flavor is very distinctive, and for true aficionados, there can be only one way to make the sauce: equal parts melted butter and original Frank’s Red Hot.
There can be no other way.
The first rule of Buffalo Chicken Nachos is there are no rules –
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You can bake the chicken as outlined in the recipe, or you can use rotisserie or canned chicken.
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Add blue cheese or make them milder and add queso fresco.
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Or you might want to skip the second cheese altogether.
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Add green onions. Or purple onions. Or no onions.
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Tomatoes? No tomatoes? Your call.
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Celery? Yeah. Don’t add celery.
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Sour cream or Ranch? Whichever floats your boat. Blue cheese dressing? You rebel you.
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Pickled jalapeno or fresh? Or none?
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Big chunks of chicken or smaller bite size? Your choice.
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Baked chips? Low fat cheese? Yes please.
I always have Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Powder (affiliate link) around, so for this recipe, I mix about 1 teaspoon of the powder with 1/4 cup or so of Buttermilk. (Yep, just Buttermilk.) It keeps it a little looser, which makes it easier to spread.
I ADORE blue cheese.
The rest of the crowd around here? Meh to yuck. So we use queso fresco instead. It’s a Mexican cheese slightly reminiscent of fresh mozzarella. It doesn’t have a ton of flavor, but adds a nice touch. Bonus: it’s much cheaper than blue cheese.
Totally flexible and crazy easy, right? Plus so delicious.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and cook the chicken. Cook until an instant read meat thermometer (affiliate link) reads 160 degrees F.
Make the hot sauce blend, and toss the chicken in.
Start layering on your sheet pan or an ovenproof serving platter. I love this Armetale Grillware Pizza Serving Tray (affiliate link)
but a sheet pan works just fine.
Start with the chips, then add the cheese(s) and the chicken.
And repeat.
Finish it off with a little cheese on top of the chicken to make it extra gooey.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until all the cheese is melted, and the chips around the edges are a little brown and crispy.
go to town on your toppings and enjoy!
Are there enough Jalapenos?
Make them tonight!
Buffalo Chicken Nachos
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Cooking Spray
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 4 tbsp Frank's Red Hot
- 1 bag Corn Chips
- 2 ounces Queso Fresco or Blue Cheese, crumbled
- 8 ounces Mexican Cheese, Shredded
- 4 tbsp Ranch Dressing or Sour Cream
- Toppings: Pickled Jalapeno, Tomatoes, Salsa, Green Onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spray sheet pan with cooking spray before adding chicken breasts. Sprinkle chicken with kosher salt and cayenne pepper before baking in oven until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Chicken is done when an instant read meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
- Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add Frank's Red Hot and blend well. Chop chicken into 1/2" to 1" pieces, and toss in hot sauce blend to coat.
- Meanwhile, put a layer of corn chips on baking sheet or oven proof serving dish.
- Sprinkle on half of queso fresco or blue cheese, and half of Mexican blend cheese. Top with half of chicken.
- Layer on remaining chips, cheeses and chicken. Don't pile high - keep nachos spread out so cheese will melt evenly.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Sprinkle with Ranch or Sour Cream and add toppings. Serve immediately.
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