Loaded Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Buffalo chicken and nachos are two must-have snacks on football game days. So why not combine them and make these loaded buffalo chicken nachos? They’re savory, cheesy, spicy, and loaded with protein so you can enjoy them as a full meal if you’d like. In our household, nachos definitely count as dinner – and these are no exception!

The best part is, it’s super easy to make these buffalo chicken nachos in just 20 minutes if you already have shredded chicken in the fridge. Using our 3-ingredient buffalo sauce and some good cheddar cheese, you can make this tasty plate of nachos with very little effort! Perfect for when you get a nacho craving in the middle of the game and need to whip up something quick at halftime.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos Ingredients

One of the reasons we love this recipe so much is how easy it is to throw together. You can make this delicious game day snack with just 7 ingredients:

• Restaurant style tortilla chips
• Shredded chicken
• Butter
• Frank’s Red Hot
• Light ranch dressing
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Scallions

Tostitos restaurant-style chips work great for these nachos. They’re large and sturdy enough to hold up under the weight of all the buffalo chicken, and they’re super salty, just like your favorite pub nachos!

For the buffalo chicken, you’ll want to use plain shredded chicken. You can either boil and shred the chicken at home, or use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store as an easy shortcut.

How To Make Loaded Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Making buffalo chicken nachos is as easy as 1-2-3: make the buffalo chicken, assemble the nachos, and bake. That’s it!

Here’s how to make the best loaded buffalo chicken nachos:

1. First, make the buffalo chicken. Combine melted butter, Frank’s Red Hot, and light ranch dressing in a small bowl and whisk thoroughly to make the buffalo sauce. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken and the buffalo sauce and toss to coat, then set aside.
2. Next, lay about half of the tortilla chips across a baking sheet, overlapping them slightly. Top the chips evenly with about half of the shredded cheese. Then, add another layer with the remaining tortilla chips, overlapping them slightly again, and top with the remaining cheese.
3. Top the nachos with the buffalo chicken and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
4. Finally, top the nachos with sliced scallions and serve.

The secret to good homemade nachos is layering the chips only slightly, so that you get optimal coverage of cheese and toppings. We also like to add an extra layer of cheese in between the chips to make sure the bottom layer of chips doesn’t get neglected!

Loaded Buffalo Chicken Nachos Recipe Variations

These buffalo chicken nachos are loaded with tons of chicken. Depending on how you want to serve them – as an appetizer, a snack, or a dinner – you can adjust the amount of chicken that goes on top. Our recipe makes a great dinner for 3 people (or 2 people with leftovers), or an appetizer for about 4 to 6 people. 

If you’d like to serve these at a football party with other snacks and appetizers to choose from, you can definitely reduce the amount of chicken. We recommend reducing it by no more than half, so you still have plenty of buffalo chicken on these loaded nachos.

You can also add your favorite condiments for buffalo chicken on top of these nachos, or serve them on the side. You could drizzle ranch dressing over them or add blue cheese crumbles, or simply dip the nachos into a side of blue cheese dressing instead.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

If you somehow manage to not eat this whole plate of nachos in one sitting, you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes, and enjoy!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Buffalo chicken nachos are like a match made in heaven. The combination of spicy, saucy buffalo chicken paired with cheesy, savory tortilla chips is like no other – simply irresistible while you’re watching the game. These nachos are truly restaurant worthy and will definitely make you want to grab a beer, pop on the TV, and eat around the coffee table with your friends.