Loaded nachos are a must-have for any great party. They also make a perfect appetizer for a hungry crowd eagerly waiting for more barbecue goodness.
The best part? You can prep everything in advance so you can actually enjoy your party instead of standing behind the grill.
You can make loaded nachos with almost anything you find in your fridge or freezer. In this case, we’re using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and some leftover chilli con carne.
We coat the chicken in a dry rub and let it smoke on the grill alongside the chilli con carne for about an hour with a chunk of smoking wood. This gives the chilli an extra layer of smoky goodness.
We cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of about 85ºC (185ºF), which is the sweet spot for juicy, tender chicken thighs.
For an extra layer of flavour, we brush the chicken with a generous layer of BBQ sauce and let it caramelize while grilling.
Once the chicken has rested for a few minutes, shred it with two forks. Break down any large pieces so they’re easy to scoop up with the nachos.
Now it’s time to build your loaded nachos. Use a well-greased cast-iron skillet and start with a layer of nacho chips. Then, stack up layers of chilli con carne, shredded cheese, smoked chicken, jalapeño slices, and quartered cherry tomatoes.
Repeat until you’re happy with the stack. Don’t worry that it will fall over. The melted cheese will hold it all together.
Once the cheese has fully melted, take the skillet off the grill. We made two delicious sauces to take these nachos to the next level: a mildly spicy sriracha mayo and a tangy sour cream sauce.
Now comes the fun part. If you have a better loaded nacho recipe, let us know in the comments below. Or even better, snap a photo and share it on Instagram. Tag @bbqhelden so we can see your creation.
Ingredients
For the nachos
- 500gr boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- BBQ sauce
- 1 bag of nacho chips
- Leftover chilli con carne
- Cherry tomatoes, quartered
- Shredded cheese
- Jalapeño, sliced
For the dry rub
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1/2 tsp cumin
For the sour cream sauce
- 125g sour cream
- 1/4 tsp granulated onion
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp milk
- Green onion, finely chopped
For the mild sriracha sauce
- 3 heaping tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Mix the dry rub ingredients and generously coat the chicken thighs.
- Set up your grill for indirect cooking at 150ºC (300ºF) and add a chunk of smoking wood. Place the chicken on the grill and close the lid.
- While the chicken is smoking, prepare both sauces by mixing the ingredients.
- After about 45 minutes, check the internal temperature of the chicken. You’re aiming for 80ºC (176ºF).
- Brush the chicken with BBQ sauce, close the lid, and let it cook until it reaches 85ºC (185ºF).
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then shred it into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Grease a cast-iron skillet with a bit of butter. Lay down a base layer of nacho chips, then add the chilli con carne, shredded chicken, tomatoes, cheese, and jalapeño slices.
- Repeat until everything is used up. Always finish with grated cheese on top.
- Place the skillet on the grill and close the lid. When the cheese is melted and bubbly, remove it from the grill.
- Drizzle both sauces over the nachos and serve while it’s still warm.
