Easy Chicken Fajita Nachos
These Chicken Fajita Nachos combine fajita seasoned chicken and veggies with tortillas, cheese, and toppings to create a crowd-pleasing heap of fully loaded nachos. Enjoy the best of sizzling fajitas and cheesy nachos straight from a sheet pan!
Nachos are my kids’ favorite Mexican dish and I’m not going to complain about that. On busy weeknights, layering tortillas, cheese, and all of the fixings on a sheet pan and then plopping it into the oven is a lifesaver.
Since sheet pan nachos are a staple in my household, I wanted to make a healthier version of my kids’ favorite dinner. These easy fajita nachos are made with simple, healthy ingredients I can feel good about my kids indulging in.
Once you cook the chicken, you simply assemble the nachos and then bake. That said, you can have a mound of chicken fajita nachos on the table in less than 30 minutes and your kids will thank you for it. For a twist, this easy beef nachos recipe is another weeknight family favorite!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Two for one! Enjoy the best of chicken fajitas and the best of nachos in one dish.
- Quick and easy sheet pan recipe. You can even serve nachos straight from the sheet pan for less clean-up.
- Great for gatherings and game days as well as busy weeknights.
- Adjustable. Easy to adjust for dietary restrictions, topping preferences, and the size of the recipe for smaller or larger gatherings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Breasts – boneless, skinless, and chopped into bite-size pieces.
- Fajita Seasoning – You can use store-bought or homemade. You can also use taco seasoning.
- Avocado Oil – coats skillet to prevent chicken and veggies from sticking.
- Onion – White onions are most commonly used in Mexican cuisine. You could also use Vidalia, yellow or red.
- Bell Peppers – I like to use a tri-color blend.
- Lime (juiced) – adds flavor.
- Colby Jack Cheese – I recommend shredding the cheese straight from a block because there is a richness and creaminess to freshly shredded cheese that packaged shredded cheese just cannot compare to.
- Tortilla Chips – restaurant-style, rounds, grain-free, corn, etc. Use your favorite. You could also cut soft corn tortillas into quarters and submerge them in a 350-degree deep-fryer for 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined bowl to absorb excess oil.
Recommended Equipment – heavy skillet or cast iron, sheet pan, and an oven!
How To Make Chicken Fajita Nachos
Step 1: Preheat the oven and prepare the skillet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, in a skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking.
Step 2: Cook chicken with fajita seasoning. In a medium-size bowl, toss the chopped chicken in fajita seasoning. Add seasoned chicken to hot skillet and cook until browned and no longer opaque (5 to 7 minutes). Remove chicken from pan and set aside in a clean bowl. Do not clean the pan.
Step 3: Cook vegetables. Heat remaining oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add peppers and onions and cook, stirringly frequently, until softened (about 8 to 10 minutes).
Step 4: Combine chicken and veggies. Transfer fajita peppers and onions to the bowl with the chicken, add lime juice, and toss.
Step 5: Assemble nachos. Arrange tortilla chips as the first layer on the sheet pan, followed by a layer of cooked chicken and veggie mixture. Finish with a layer of shredded cheese.
Step 6: Bake. Transfer sheet pan to oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly (about 15 minutes).
Step 7: Serve freshly baked from the oven garnished with your favorite toppings. ENJOY!
Quick Tips & Variations
- Marinate chicken. If you have the extra time, you can infuse more flavor by marinating the chicken in oil, a little bit of lime juice, and fajita seasonings for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Want to make beef fajita nachos? If you’d like to make beef fajita nachos instead, season chopped sirloin with fajita seasonings and cook through in a skillet.
- Use leftover chicken to make nachos. If you have any leftover rotisserie chicken, warm it through in a pan with oil and the seasonings and then spread over tortilla chips.
- One-skillet nachos? If you happen to have a large cast-iron, you don’t even need to dirty a sheet pan. Cook chicken and veggies in the cast iron, wipe away any excess oil in the pan, carefully assemble nachos in hot pan and then bake as instructed.
How To Make Slow Cooker Fajita Chicken
Instead of cooking the chicken in a skillet, you could also make it in a slow cooker and go on about your day. Use slow cooked fajita chicken in nachos, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc.
Prepare a slow cooker. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. I highly recommend a slow cooker rack to keep the meat moist and prevent it from sticking to the bottom of your slow cooker.
Add broth and chicken: To the slow cooker, add 2 cups of chicken broth, chicken breasts, and fajita seasonings.
Cook: Slow cook chicken on low heat for 4 hours. Drain away liquid and use in nachos.
Nacho Topping Ideas
This simple and delicious recipe can be customized to you and your family’s liking with a variety of toppings. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Cilantro (chopped)
- Lettuce (shredded)
- Sour Cream
- Salsa
- Pico de Gallo
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jalapenos (pickled or fresh)
- Black Beans of Pinto Beans (cooked)
- Avocado or Guacamole
- Black Olives
- Grilled Corn
- Red Onions (pickled or diced)
- Cojita Cheese
- Hot Sauce
Storing & Reheating
In the rare instance you have leftovers, they can be stored and reheated. Nachos are best served immediately, but you can enjoy them just as much the second time around.
Storing: Place the nachos in an airtight plastic Ziploc bag and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove cold toppings from nachos and store them in separate containers so they don’t get soggy.
Reheating: Line a baking sheet with foil. Spread leftover nachos across a baking sheet. If there isn’t much cheese left, add more cheese so that you get a bite of gooey cheese with every chip. Reheat in the oven at 250 degrees until warmed through (about 5 to 10 minutes). Sprinkle with fresh toppings and enjoy.
Recipe FAQ
Start with a sturdy chip that will hold up to the weight of heavy toppings. Bake chips for a few minutes sprinkled with cheese before assembling the nachos with the remaining hot toppings and baking again until crisped to your liking.
Flavorful cheeses with enough moisture to melt into oozy goodness are the best for nachos, like Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar.
A regional Mexican dish, nachos are simply heated tortilla chips covered with melted cheese sometimes served with a variety of other toppings.
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Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Nachos
Equipment
- Skillet
- Oven
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
- 16 oz chicken breasts boneless, skinless, and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 tbsp fajita seasoning store-bought or homemade (you can also use taco seasoning)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 medium onion
- 3 bell peppers I like to use a blend of colored peppers
- 1 lime juiced
- 8 oz Colby Jack cheese shredded from block
- 12 oz bag tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.
- Toss the chicken with the fajita seasoning and add to the heated skillet. Cook the chicken 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside in a large bowl.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan and add the peppers and onions. Cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the cooked peppers and onions to the bowl with the chicken and toss with the fresh lime juice.
- Spread the chips out onto a sheet pan and top evenly with the cooked chicken and vegetable mixture.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Marinate chicken. If you have the extra time, you can infuse more flavor by marinating the chicken in oil, a little bit of lime juice, and fajita seasonings for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Want to make beef fajita nachos? If you’d like to make beef fajita nachos instead, season chopped sirloin with fajita seasonings and cook through in a skillet.
- Use leftover chicken to make nachos. If you have any leftover rotisserie chicken, warm it through in a pan with oil and the seasonings and then spread over tortilla chips.
- One-skillet nachos? If you happen to have a large cast-iron, you don’t even need to dirty a sheet pan. Cook chicken and veggies in the cast iron, wipe away any excess oil in the pan, carefully assemble nachos in a hot pan and then bake as instructed.
Nutrition
*This post was originally published June 7, 2012 and has been updated throughout.
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How many servings is this?
Oops, forgot to add servings. Thank you for the reminder, Barbara! It’s 6-8 servings.
Just fabulous, Amee! Perfect like you say for a crowd. And, boy, do I have my share of crowds to feed! xoxx
Thank you so much Ally!