Sheet Pan Shredded Chicken Nachos | Easy Weeknight Dinner Idea!

These easy and healthy Shredded Chicken Nachos are a super easy weeknight meal.  They take less than 40 minutes from start to finish and use a sheet pan for easy clean-up.  

Alright!  School's back in session.  Soccer's is going strong.  Blogging's busy and the cookbook's now out (woot!).

That means we are B.U.S.Y...and that summer is officially over.

To make things easier, I've been relying on my go-to quick weeknight meals.  While meal prep is super helpful, there are always times when run out and need to meal prep more so having quick dinners ready to cook are super helpful.

One such quick meal the whole family really enjoys is Shredded Chicken Nachos.  These nachos have a very good YTPT ratio (Yumminess To Preparation Time).  What?  It's totally a thing.  Plus, you can substitute all sorts of ingredients to make it your own special way, which makes everyone in the family happy because we ALL get what we want and it's not a giant hassle.

How To Shred Chicken Breast

When it comes to how to shred chicken, you have 2 basic options. You can do it by hand with a fork or with a hand blender.

To shred chicken by hand with a fork:

1. transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board;
2. using 2 forks, hold the chicken with one fork and pull apart with the other one.

To shred chicken with a hand blender:

1. place the chicken into a large, deep mixing bowl <--- I really recommend a deep one to prevent a mess.
2. use a hand blender or a blender attachment to shred chicken.

Keep in mind you can always use other shredded chicken for this recipe if you already have it on hand!  Here are 4 shredded chicken recipes using a slow cooker that make perfect nacho toppings.

How To Make Nachos Healthy

If you aren't aware, nachos are typically NOT a very healthy food.  When you order them at restaurants, they usually come with tortilla chips made with refined flour and oil, and topped with (waaaaay too  much) processed cheeses and other unhealthy foods, like sour cream and refried beans.  These will not leave you feeling on top of your healthy eating game.  Instead, here are some helpful tips for how to make nachos healthier:

• choose unrefined tortilla chips or make your own sweet potato chips
• reduce the amount of cheese significantly (add more healthy and fresh toppings to compensate and you wont even miss it!)
• use shredded chicken breast for a lean protein (as opposed to greasy, high-fat ground beef
• reduce the amount of salt you're adding
• add whole foods, like drained black beans, corn kernels, red onion, and cilantro
• opt for healthier garnishes (lime juice, cilantro, and salsa are all very good for you)
• replace sour cream with full fat greek yogurt
• make your own guacamole or just use sliced avocados (avoid hidden processed ingredients in store-bought guacamole)
• watch your portion size (remember your macros!)

To be honest, it's shockingly easy and painless to replace those unhealthy nacho toppings with healthy alternatives.  Trust me, you'll still LOVE your nachos.

What To Put On Nachos

The beauty of nachos is you can top them with any topping you like.  Here are some popular options for what to put on nachos:

• sliced olives
• beans (black beans and pinto beans are great)
• green onions
• shredded chicken (duh!)
• corn kernels
• red onion
• sliced jalapeno
• cilantro
• diced tomatoes
• shredded cheese (jack, cotija, and cheddar work great)
• salsa (for garnish)
• pico de gallo
• salsa verde
• avocado (for garnish)
• greek yogurt (for garnish)
• pickled red onions (for garnish)
• lime wedge

Personally, I love ALL the toppings.  You really can't go wrong with adding more toppings because it adds to the flavor and texture and there's just something so yummy about piled high nachos.

How To Reheat Nachos

Okay so you have your delicious nachos from the night before and you want to reheat them for dinner tonight.  Good call.  The problem with microwaving nachos is it will cause them to become soggy and will remove a lot of the crispiness of the tortilla chips.  The best way to reheat nachos is to reheat in a preheated oven.  Just preheat it to 350 degrees and place in the oven to bake another 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.

Note: this reheating method will slightly overcook the chicken BUT it will make for an overall better tasting and better textured nacho leftover.

How To Keep Nachos From Getting Soggy

Nobody likes soggy nachos.  To prevent soggy nachos, follow these easy tips:

• reduce any extra liquid from the toppings (drain beans before adding, reduce juices from shredded chicken, etc.)
• choose toppings that don't break down and become watery
• add garnishes when serving, not over all the nachos in the sheet pan (only top individual portions with salsa, greek yogurt, lime juice, etc. to avoid juices making the chips soggy)
• don't add tons of cheese (this also helps the overall health benefits of this meal as well, but don't cover it in cheese because that will make it soggy from melted oils)
• reheat nachos in the oven for leftovers (don't microwave)
• choose chips that hold up well and are thick (I love these cassava tortilla chips)

This ost contains affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.