These chicken fajita nachos are a delicious snack that won’t be able to stop eating (seriously). It features juicy, well-spiced chicken with bell peppers and onion baked with tortilla chips and lots of cheese. It’s colorful, fun, cheesy, well-spiced, so delicious!
What are Fajitas?
Fajitas is a popular Tex-Mex dish. The name is referring to a piece of skirt steak, that is cut into thin strips – the real fajitas are made from beef. Chicken Fajitas (Fajitas de Pollo) is a popular variation of the dish.
We are making a spin on this recipe by using chicken breast instead of beef and baking Fajitas with tortilla chips and lots of cheese!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this delicious appetizer:
Chicken breast – my favorite protein for this dish.
Alternatives:
- you could also use ground beef – use the same amount
- use thinly sliced steak – cut it thinly agaist the grain and cook as described in the recipe (make sure to not cook it too much so it won’t get overcooked and chewy after being baked in the oven)
- you could also use leftover rotisserie chicken to make this dish even quicker
- you can make shrimp fajita nachos!
- make it vegetarian – just pan-fry more veggies to enjoy this dish meat-free
You will also need:
- bell peppers and onion – preferably colorful!
- Fajita seasoning – I used my homemade Fajita seasoning – the perfect blend of spices without any weird ingredients – you just need to mix 6 spices that you probably already have in your pantry!
- fresh lime juice – adds flavor and makes the chicken more tender
- tortilla chips – I used corn tortilla chips
- cheese – I used half mild cheddar and half sharp cheddar, you can use just mild cheddar, just sharp cheddar or Mexican cheese blend
- what you could also add: sliced jalapenos or sprinkle the dish with red pepper flakes
Step by step instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
Make chicken fajitas:
STEP 1: Prepare your ingredients: Cut the bell peppers and onion into 1/4-inch (6mm) slices.
Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick strips.
In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of oil with Fajita seasoning. Add the chicken and toss until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
STEP 2: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer. Cook it until browned then flip over and cook very briefly – do not cook the chicken completely, it should be browned but not cooked through (it will finish cooking in the oven). Transfer the chicken to a bowl and toss with lime juice.
STEP 3: Add bell peppers and onion to the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes until soft but still crunchy. Add the vegetables to the chicken, stir together, and season with salt and pepper.
Assemble your nachos:
STEP 4: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the tortilla chips in a mostly even layer (it’s fine if they’re overlapping).
STEP 5: Top the nachos with 2/3 of the cheese.
STEP 6: Next, top it with chicken fajitas and veggies.
STEP 7: Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. (If your baking sheet is a bit smaller, you can put the remaining tortilla chips, chicken fajitas, and cheese in a second layer).
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and chicken cooked through.
Serve the nachos right away and enjoy!
Serving suggestions
I like these Fajita Nachos most with just sour cream and chopped avocado.
Other great sides for this dish are guacamole, tomato salsa, pico de Gallo, or just diced tomatoes.
Storage
This dish should be eaten right away. After some time the tortilla chips will become soggy from all the ingredients. You can reheat them in the oven but it will just not taste as good as freshly made.
If you want to make these ahead, simply prepare all your ingredients: make chicken fajitas, shred the cheese, and bake just before serving.
Top tips
- Don’t cook the chicken in the pan all the way – it would get overcooked after being baked in the oven. You want it almost cooked and then it will finish cooking in the oven and stay juicy. This is even more important if you would like to use a steak instead of chicken.
- Make sure to brown the chicken properly in the pan – this will add lots of flavor to the dish.
- The chicken and veggies should be cut into smaller strips/pieces in comparison to preparing this dish for tacos or pasta. This way they will stay on the chips and not fall off.
- The order of assembling ingredients is important – don’t put chicken and veggies directly over tortilla chips – they will get soggy. The cheese layer between Fajitas and tortilla chips prevents the chips from becoming soggy.
More Fajita-themed recipes you may like
- Fajita seasoning recipe
- Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Fajita Soup
- Chicken Fajita Salad
- Chicken Fajita Bowls
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
Chicken Fajita Nachos
Ingredients
for the nachos:
- 1 lb chicken breasts (450g) 2 large
- 2 tablespoons Fajita seasoning
- 3 tablespoons frying oil
- 3 bell peppers preferably colorful
- 1 red onion
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 9 ounces tortilla chips (260g)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar lightly packed (200g)
- 2 cups shredded mild cheddar (200g)
to serve:
- avocado
- sour cream
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Instructions
Make chicken fajitas:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
- Cut the bell peppers and onion into 1/4-inch (6mm) slices.
- Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick strips.
- In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of oil with Fajita seasoning. Add the chicken and toss until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer. Cook it until browned then flip over and cook very briefly – do not cook the chicken completely, it should be browned but not cooked through (it will finish cooking in the oven). Transfer the chicken to a bowl and toss with lime juice.
- Add bell peppers and onion to the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes until soft but still crunchy. Add the vegetables to the chicken, stir together and season with salt and pepper.
Assemble your nachos:
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the tortilla chips in a mostly even layer (it’s fine if they’re overlapping).
- Top the nachos with 2/3 of the cheese.
- Next, top it with chicken fajitas and veggies.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. (If your baking sheet is a bit smaller, you can put the remaining tortilla chips, chicken fajitas and cheese in a second layer).
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and chicken cooked through.
- Serve the nachos right away with sour cream and chopped avocado, enjoy!
Notes
- This dish should be eaten right away. After some time the tortilla chips will become soggy from all the ingredients. You can reheat them in the oven but it will just not taste as good as freshly made.
- If you want to make these ahead, simply prepare all your ingredients: make chicken fajitas, shred the cheese, and bake just before serving.
- Calories = 1 serving (1/6 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
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