Indulgent Loaded Nachos with Chicken, Refried Beans, and Guacamole
Delightfully crunchy, my loaded nachos recipe is definitely not a gimmick by name when you see how many toppings I’ve piled onto these crispy, golden beauties!
If the kids are having a slumber party or you are hosting a big celebration with family, this dish will keep plenty of your guests more than satisfied.
Loaded Nachos Recipe
Yes, I’ll happily put my hand up here and admit that tortillas are a guilty pleasure for us. Just a big bag of chips and a bowl of salsa or hummus alone, and we are sorted for the Saturday night film.
Nachos, mind you, is indulgence on a whole new level! You’ll be amazed at how just baking the tortilla chips gives them this wonderful soft-yet-crunchy texture.
What I love about sharing this recipe with you is the endless possibilities. Once you have that tortilla and cheese base layer sorted, you really can make these your own when it comes to toppings.
I’ve gone all out with cheese, sour cream, shredded chicken, and fried beans, and I’ve even put homemade guacamole in here, too (you can also make the homemade guacamole or opt for store-bought).
While it looks like a lot is going on, my nachos recipe is surprisingly straightforward, and every mouthful is just a magical fusion of crispy, creamy, sweet, and earthy goodness, with a little bit of heat for good measure. Have fun with it!
Ingredients
Let’s get started with my loaded nachos recipe. You’ll need the following ingredients:
For the Nachos
- Tortilla Chips – 14 oz tortilla chips (400 grams, preferably crunchier, thick-cut tortilla chips)
- Cheddar Cheese – 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese
- Refried Beans – 1 can of refried beans or black beans (16oz or 450 grams)
- Jalapeños – 1/4 cup sliced mild jalapeños (or more or less based on your preference)
- Chicken – 1 lb chicken thigh fillets (boneless and skinless)
- Salt – 1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp fine sea salt)
- Black Pepper – 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Garlic – 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 minced garlic cloves
- Olive Oil – 2 tbsp olive oil
For the Guacamole
- Avocados – 2 large avocados
- Lime – 1 fresh lime
- Red Onion – 1/2 red onion
- Garlic – 1 large garlic clove
- Tomato (optional) – 1 tomato (preferably Roma tomato or plum)
- Cilantro – a handful of fresh cilantro/coriander (about 2 tbsp when finely chopped)
- Salt – a pinch of salt
- Pepper – a pinch of ground black pepper
Additional Optional Toppings
- Sour Cream – 1/3 cup (or more to taste)
- Cilantro – a handful of fresh cilantro/coriander to top the nachos
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the Nachos
Step 1 – Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Step 2 – Add the oil, coating all the chicken thighs in it.
Step 3 – Add the seasoned chicken thighs to a pan over medium-high heat and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Then flip and cook until the chicken is cooked through (when the chicken reaches the temperature of 165°F (75°C) as measured with a food thermometer). This will obviously vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken thigh fillets. The ones in the picture below took about 7 minutes on each side.
Step 4 – After it’s cooked, set it aside for a couple of minutes to cool just enough so you can shred it with two forks (as pictured below).
Step 5 – Turn the oven on to 390°F (200°C or 180°fan) and let it preheat while assembling the nachos on a sheet pan.
Step 6 – Assemble the nachos:
- half the tortilla chips
- half of the refried beans
- half of the shredded chicken,
- half of the sliced jalapenos,
- half of the shredded cheese, and
- repeat for the second layer.
Step 7 – Bake in the oven at 390°F (200°C or 180°fan) for 7-10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Make the Guacamole
Step 1 – Scoop up the avocado and add it to a large bowl with salt, pepper, lime juice, and garlic.
Step 2 – Using a masher or a fork, mash the avocado until you have the desired consistency. I prefer mine a bit chunky.
Step 3 – Add the finely chopped onion, cilantro and tomato, and mix everything lightly until combined.
Taste and adjust the seasoning (adding more lime juice, salt, or garlic, if you want).
Add the toppings to the nachos
Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and then add your toppings.
I added scoops of guacamole and some sour cream.
Other toppings you can put on nachos include:
- Pico de gallo (chopped tomato, onion, serrano peppers, salt, lime juice, and cilantro)
- Cotija cheese
- Green onions (spring onions)
- Shredded Lettuce
- Sliced or chopped olives
You can grab a printable with 50 ideas for nacho toppings via the form below or simply go to the nacho toppings article!
Get ready for some wide eyes when you bring this to the table. If you follow Be My Recipe, you’ll know I often include some serving suggestions here, but with so much going on here, you really can just bring this to the table as is.
Sour cream, pico de gallo, and homemade guacamole are the three major toppings here, and all of these can be dropped or substituted with something else should you want to put your own spin on your nachos.
I would love to know what other delicious toppings you decided to add. I made these for a games night recently, and they went down a storm!
Recipe Card
Loaded Nachos
Ingredients
For the Nachos
- 14 oz tortilla chips (400 grams, preferably crunchier, thick-cut tortilla chips)
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 can of refried beans or black beans (16oz or 450 grams)
- 1/4 cup sliced mild jalapeños (or more or less based on your preference)
- 1 lb chicken thigh fillets (boneless and skinless)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp fine sea salt)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the Guacamole
- 2 large avocados
- 1 fresh lime
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 tomato (optional, preferably Roma tomato or plum)
- a handful of fresh cilantro/coriander (about 2 tbsp when finely chopped)
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of ground black pepper
Additional Optional Toppings
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- a handful of fresh cilantro/coriander (about 2 tbsp when finely chopped to top the nachos)
Instructions
Make the Nachos
- Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add the oil, coating all the chicken thighs in it.
- Add the seasoned chicken thighs to a pan over medium-high heat and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Then flip and cook until the chicken is cooked through (when the chicken reaches the temperature of 165°F (75°C) as measured with a food thermometer). This will obviously vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken thigh fillets. The ones in the picture below took about 7 minutes on each side.
- After it’s cooked, set it aside for a couple of minutes to cool just enough so you can shred it with two forks (as pictured below).
- Turn the oven on to 390°F (200°C or 180°fan) and let it preheat while assembling the nachos on a sheet pan.
- Assemble the nachos: half the tortilla chips, half of the refried beans, half of the shredded chicken, half of the sliced jalapenos, half of the shredded cheese, and then repeat for the second layer.
- Bake in the oven at 390°F (200°C or 180°fan) for 7-10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Make the Guacamole
- Scoop up the avocado and add it to a large bowl with salt, pepper, lime juice, and garlic.
- Using a masher or a fork, mash the avocado until you have the desired consistency. I prefer mine to be a bit chunky.
- Add the finely chopped onion, cilantro, and tomato, and mix everything lightly until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning (adding more lime juice, salt, or garlic, if you want).
Add the 'Cold' Toppings to the Nachos
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and then add your remaining 'cold' toppings. I added scoops of guacamole and some sour cream.
You Might Also Like to Try
Got a big gathering on the horizon and need to feed lots of hungry mouths? Keep my loaded nachos recipe for safekeeping by saving it to one of your party planning boards.
