What better food to serve at a football party than this Chicken Habañero Nachos Recipe! These nacho are casual, fun, snack-able, tasty, and just a little messy. Plus, they’re simple to make (it’s all about the layering).

Here’s how I made my yummy nachos…

CHICKEN HABAÑERO NACHOS

Directions:

Spread tortilla chips out on a cookie sheet.

Make sure the black beans are well drained. You want to minimize the liquid to keep the chips crunchy. Spoon the beans over the chips.

I sprinkled the crumbled Cotija cheese on top.

Next, shred the chicken breasts; I just pull them apart with two forks. I like to season the chicken with a little lime juice, salt, and chili powder. Spread the chicken over the chips.

Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 350F.

For the cheese sauce, cut the Velveeta in 1 inch cubes, and add to a sauce pan with the Ro*Tel, garlic, and habañero. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cheese melts and everything is well mixed.

Chicken Habañero Nachos

What better food to serve at a football party than this Chicken Habañero Nachos Recipe! These nacho are casual, fun, snack-able, tasty, and just a little messy. Plus, they’re simple to make!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 614kcal

Ingredients

For the nachos

  • 1 bag tortilla chips
  • 1 can black beans drained
  • 2 small cooked chicken breasts shredded
  • 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder
  • ½ cup Cotija cheese crumbled

For the cheese sauce

  • 1 can Ro*Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
  • 16 oz Velveeta cheese
  • ½ habañero pepper seeded and finely minced
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic pressed or finely minced

Instructions

  • Spread tortilla chips out on a cookie sheet.
  • Make sure the black beans are well drained. You want to minimize the liquid to keep the chips crunchy. Spoon the beans over the chips.
  • I sprinkled the crumbled Cotija cheese on top.
  • Next, shred the chicken breasts; I just pull them apart with two forks. I like to season the chicken with a little lime juice, salt, and chili powder. Spread the chicken over the chips.
  • Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 350F.
  • Now drizzle the cheese sauce on top and/or serve it in a bowl for dipping.

Notes

Add all your favorite toppings for after plating:
  • guacamole
  • salsa
  • shredded cheese
  • sour cream
  • shredded lettuce

Nutrition

Calories: 614kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1567mg | Potassium: 813mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1004IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 599mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Be careful working with the habañero, wash your hands and wash off your cutting board with soap after you mince it. I only used half of one habañero, and I would say the sauce came out medium-hot. You can add the whole pepper if you like spicy food.

I took this picture before I added the cheese sauce.  I used a spatula to move the chips from the cookie pan to my serving tray. (Don’t you like my football dish?)

I poured about half of the cheese sauce over the top. I put the rest in a bowl for dipping.

I garnished with guacamole,  salsa, and a little cilantro on top. This is my favorite simple salsa recipe:

SALSA MEXICANA

Ingredients:

Directions:

Chop the tomatoes, and dice 1 quarter of a large onion and mix them in a bowl  Add the diced chile pepper, cilantro and lime.  Stir , salt to taste – about 1/2 teaspoon.

To give the nachos a “football party” feel, I added some of our free football printables to the setup. I like to use tented cards to let my guests know what I’m serving.

I also added cupcake toppers to mini vanilla cupcakes to make them more fun!

And right now I can’t get enough of the in-season satsumas at the farmer’s market. I love putting out bowls of delicious fresh fruit at my parties and added fun and unexpected decorations.