Easy Buffalo Chicken Nachos Sheet Pan Snacking.

It’s football season again, and we start thinking about game-day snacking. Whether you’re a football fan or not, this big panful of easy buffalo chicken nachos will be enjoyed by your family. Juicy shredded buffalo sauced chicken is topped with black beans, jalapeno, canned corn, and more to make a large pan of nachos smothered in melty cheese. Enjoy this perfect appetizer the next time you have friends over for game night. They are sure to be a hit!

I have always loved the ease of making a tray of nachos. The corn chips invariably fill up hungry people, and with a wide variety of ways to top the chips, it’s hard to go wrong. Because my family is huge into spicy food, I felt like we needed a buffalo chicken recipe of some sort. What better way to enjoy buffalo chicken with its Tobasco-flavored heat than a large helping covered in all the favorite nacho toppings? 

If you love this cheesy dinner recipe, try our taco bake casserole!

Why You Will Love This Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Nachos.

It’s so simple. It practically makes itself with the convenience of canned beans, corn, pre-shredded cheeses, and the cooking method for buffalo chicken. 

Bold Flavor: The spicy buffalo chicken adds a tangy and flavorful kick, making these nachos stand out from the usual beef varieties.

Customizable: You can easily adjust the toppings to suit your preferences, whether you like extra cheese, more buffalo sauce, or additional garnishes.

Let’s Start Making These Buffalo Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos.

To begin with, we are using boneless, skinless chicken breasts to make the shredded chicken. One, it’s easier to shred a chicken breast than dark meat, and two, it’s so flavorful. Place the three whole chicken breasts in your baking dish and pour half the buffalo sauce on top. Remember that the extra sauce is being reserved for later. You can pop it back in the fridge now. 

Cover the chicken breasts in the baking dish with tin foil and bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes. The time really depends on the size of the chicken breasts, so we can pull them after 25 minutes to test the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. If the thermometer reads 165F, then the chicken is done. If it’s not, put it back covered again in the oven for a few more minutes. 

When you remove the foil cover from the pan, you can expect that most of the buffalo sauce will have come off the chicken as its juices and steam create more moisture in the dish. That’s okay. The flavor will have permeated the meat, and we will add more sauce afterward. 

While the chicken is baking, gather and prep the ingredients. You will need to deseed and slice the fresh jalapeno into rings and chop the green onions. Gather the cheeses, beans, and corn. Open and drain both the beans and corn. 

When the chicken is finished, remove it from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425F. Then, in a medium bowl, place the chicken breasts, and using two forks, pull the meat apart as you would for pulled pork. We want to shred it as much as possible because it’s being distributed over the corn chips. Next, add more buffalo sauce to the bowl. Reserve a small amount to drizzle over the nacho tray before baking. Stir the fresh buffalo sauce into the cooked shredded chicken breast. 

Now, on a large baking sheet ( I used a very large baking tray), cover it with parchment paper. This prevents melted cheese from sticking to the tray, making for easier cleanup afterward. 

​Open the first bag of corn chips and make a single layer across the parchment. The key here is distribution. You want to ensure there aren’t any large holes where you can see the bottom of the tray. Once you’re happy with the first chip layer and half of the shredded chicken across the surface of the chips. 

Next, you will add half the green onion and jalapeño slices. Again, it’s all about evenness. Remember you want your guests/family to have something in each bite. Next up, spoon half the corn and black beans across the chips. Follow that up with half the mozzarella and Tex-Mex cheese. Can you go straight tex mex? Of course, these nachos are versatile, so don’t be shy about adding or removing toppings. 

Once you’re done with the corn and bean layer, we are adding more corn chips. You may need to open a second bag depending on how large a baking tray you are using. This is an ultra-deep tray of nachos—stack ’em up! Finish topping that layer off with the remaining ingredients. Now, you will take that reserved buffalo sauce and carefully, using a quick motion, add a nice zig-zag of sauce across the top of the nachos. 

Slide the whole pan of nachos carefully—they’ve gotten pretty heavy—into the hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is nice and melty. Don’t overbake, or the exposed edges of the corn chips will burn. 

​Using oven mitts, remove the nacho tray from the oven. Serve the nachos hot with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole. Your guests will need plates, too!

Ingredients:

Boneless Skinless Chicken: This chicken cut is more manageable to shred than chicken with bones and skin. The lack of bones means you can shred the meat more quickly and with less effort.

Buffalo Sauce: I used PC Brand buffalo wing sauce for this recipe. I recommend using your preferred brand. Buying store-bought sauce makes this a more convenient dish to prepare. If you prefer to make it from scratch, there are a lot of great homemade buffalo sauce versions on the blogosphere.

Corn Chips:  I used one and a half family-sized bags of restaurant-style corn chips for this recipe.

Canned Corn:  This is just super easy to work with and still has all that sweet crunch of fresh corn.

Canned Black Beans: Using these on your nachos with corn adds a nice texture and color, as well as adding fiber. Ssh, don’t tell the kids.

Pre-shredded Tex Mex Cheese: This kind of cheese is a blend of cheeses with a little Mexican flavor, which adds to the spice of the nachos.

Pre-shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Ooey, gooey melted mozzarella may be mild in flavor but brings all that luscious melted cheese stringiness that makes nachos so sumptuous.

Green Onion: This fresh element really helps to add a little bite and deepen the flavor of the nachos. Be sure to avoid creating pockets of it, though, so no one gets a big mouthful all at once.

​Jalapeno Peppers: These peppers offer a nice crisp crunch. They hold up well to the short bake time, leaving a nice bit of heat. If you want more heat, leave the pith in the pepper when slicing, as it holds the most capsicum.

Substitutions and Add-Ins For This Buffalo Chicken Nacho Tray

Boneless Skinless Chicken: You could use ground chicken or turkey, seasoned and cooked with buffalo sauce. Alternatively, cooked ground beef or pork could be used if you want a different flavor profile for buffalo nachos. Incidentally, ground chicken is often on sale, making it a great economical choice. 

Buffalo Sauce: If you’re looking for an alternative to buffalo sauce, try using sriracha or another hot sauce for a different heat level. BBQ sauce offers a sweeter alternative, or you can create your spicy sauce with hot sauce, butter, and vinegar.

Corn Chips: For a similar crunch, you can substitute corn chips with crunchy tortilla chips, pita chips, or homemade baked tortilla chips.

Canned Corn: Fresh or frozen corn kernels are a great alternative to canned corn. Roasted or sautéed corn can also add a different texture and flavor.

Canned Black Beans: Instead of canned black beans, you can use cooked kidney beans, pinto beans, or refried beans. Chickpeas are another option for a different texture.

Shredded Tex Mex Cheese: You can replace the pre-shredded cheese with grated cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or a Mexican blend cheese.

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: If you need a substitute for shredded mozzarella cheese, consider shredded provolone, white cheddar, or an Italian cheese blend.

Green Onion: As a substitute, use chopped red onion, regular onion, fresh cilantro, or parsley.

Jalapeno Peppers: For a different pepper, try serrano pepper for more heat, poblano pepper for a milder flavor, or pickled jalapeño for a tangy twist.

Add-in suggestions can include any of your favorite toppings. When adding more ingredients, remember to reduce other ingredient quantities so you don’t overload the corn chips. 

Expert Tips, Serving And Storing Suggestions For Baked Nachos

Tip #1: Sauce the Chicken Before and After Baking: To maximize flavor, coat the chicken with buffalo sauce before baking to ensure it absorbs the spicy goodness. After baking and shredding the chicken, toss it again with additional buffalo sauce for an extra flavor.

Tip #2: Layer and Distribute Evenly: For the best texture and taste, layer your nachos thoughtfully. Start with a base of corn chips, then evenly distribute the shredded buffalo chicken, followed by cheese and other toppings. This helps ensure every chip gets coated and every bite is flavorful.

Tip #3: Use High-Quality Cheese: Opt for high-quality shredded cheese and ensure it’s evenly distributed. A good cheese melts beautifully, adding a creamy, gooey texture that enhances the nacho experience. Mixing cheeses, like Tex-Mex and mozzarella, can create a more complex and delicious flavor.

Buffalo chicken nachos make a fun dinner or a perfect party appetizer for any gathering. Tender chicken tossed in spicy buffalo sauce, layered with gooey cheese and crispy chips, will surely be a hit at your next game-day party or casual meal.

To store buffalo chicken nachos, keep the components in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Avoid freezing nachos, as the texture of the chips becomes soggy, and the cheese may not reheat well, compromising the dish’s crunch and flavor.

If you enjoyed these buffalo chicken nachos, I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a rating and a comment to share your thoughts and any tweaks you made to the recipe. Your feedback helps me create more delicious recipes for you to enjoy!