Calling all football fans! Need some food ideas for your next game day party? Let me introduce this mouthwatering Buffalo Wild Wings chicken nachos recipe.
These are the ultimate nachos to feed a crowd who appreciates the flavor of buffalo wings—arguably the best food for football season. However, unlike fussy wings, nachos are easier to prep, cook, clean up, and eat!
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ Satisfy your taste buds by achieving amazing buffalo chicken flavor without the hassle of frying chicken wings.
✔️ Guests can't get enough of crispy tortilla chips, melty cheese, and spicy buffalo sauce—talk about flavor heaven!!
✔️ For extra convenience, you can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Score!
Ingredients
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- Cooked chicken - you can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or poached chicken breast.
- red onion
- buffalo sauce
- black beans
- tortilla chips
- Shredded cheese - I used cheddar cheese, but pepper jack cheese would be amazing too!
- Nachos toppings: sliced jalapeños, diced tomatoes, olives, salsa or pico de Gallo, and sour cream
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For complete directions, scroll down to the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Use a cast iron skillet or a sheet pan and pour the tortilla chips onto the bottom of the pan. Be generous—use at least half of the bag.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the diced chicken, red onion, black beans, and buffalo sauce. Then, spoon the chicken and onion mixture over the tortilla chips and top with shredded cheese.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until all of the cheese is melted.
- Finally, remove from the oven, add your favorite toppings, and serve immediately!
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or large sheet pan
- Mixing bowl
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FAQ's
Any store-bought sauce will do! However, I recommend Franks Redhot sauce or any kind of Buffalo Wild Wings brand hot sauce.
You can prepare the chicken, buffalo sauce, beans, and onion mixture ahead of time, storing it in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the nachos. Then, shred the cheddar cheese for added convenience when it's time to cook.
However, I don't recommend adding the toppings to the nacho chips until you're ready to bake and serve 'em. Otherwise, they'll get soggy.
You can cook chicken in an Instant Pot, roast it in the oven, or cook it on the stovetop in a Dutch oven. Then, once the chicken is cooked, shred it with a fork or chop it with a heavy chef's knife.
To keep in line with the spicy wings theme, use Pepper jack cheese. On the other hand, if you want a milder option, use Monterey jack, American, or Colby jack cheese.
Top Tip
I highly recommend using freshly grated cheese—trust me, it's worth it for nachos. After all, freshly shredded cheese has better flavor and texture. Pre-shredded cheese often has anti-caking agents that can prevent it from melting properly.
- When assembling the nachos, be sure to lightly grease the skillet or baking sheet to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom.
- Alternatively, line your pan with greased aluminum foil for even easier cleanup.
- If you're prepping raw chicken for Buffalo Wild Wings chicken nachos, use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- No need to arrange the chips in a single layer—my recipe calls for a lot of chips because the cheesy buffalo goodness will melt into all the nooks and crannies!
- Finally, add an extra drizzle of buffalo sauce or some blue cheese dressing on the top of your cooked nachos for extra flavor and picture-perfect presentation.
Variations
You can use different types of shredded cheese if you're in the mood to switch things up. Also, feel free to crumble some feta or blue cheese over top the nachos when serving for an extra cheesy, wing-flavored kick.
Not a fan of chips? We won't judge—use frozen and baked potato wedges instead - AMAZING! Loaded tots are just as addicting as nachos for game day.
Lastly, get creative with toppers! Green onions, jalapenos, grilled corn, ranch dressing, and lettuce make great additional topping options for Buffalo Wild Wings chicken nachos.
Storage
Refrigerate—Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. However, the chips will get softer the longer they're stored.
Reheat—Heat leftover Buffalo Wild Wings chicken nachos in the oven or air fryer at 350 degrees F to crisp up any soggyness.
Related recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Dip is a classic party appetizer—only a few simple ingredients are needed, and you won't be able to quit eating it!
- If you still can't get enough buffalo flavor, you'll enjoy these spicy Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Bites, which are easy to make and super juicy.
- Whip up some delicious and hearty Buffalo Chicken Pasta for a crowd or to make any weeknight family dinner feel like a fun occasion.
Serve with
- Pico de Gallo goes with nachos like football goes with food! Plus, the refreshing burst of homemade flavor is much better than store-bought.
- Then, give your guests a beefy option with Grape Jelly BBQ Meatballs—they go so quickly at parties, and they're even quicker to make!
- Chewy, chocolatey, and made in just 20 minutes, Snickers Chocolate Chip Cookies are everything a good party dessert should be!
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If you try out my Buffalo Wild Wings chicken nacho recipe, I hope you love the way it tastes. After you enjoy, add your feedback below—I can't wait to hear from you!
Buffalo Wild Wings Chicken Nachos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken diced
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- can of black beans well drained and rinsed.
- tortilla chips
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese use freshly shredded if possible!
- Assorted toppers for your nachos: sliced jalapeños diced tomatoes, olives, salsa or pico de Gallo and sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Using a cast iron skillet, or a sheetpan, pour the tortilla chips into the bottom of the pan. Be generous, use at least half the bag.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the diced chicken, red onion and buffalo sauce. Spoon the onion chicken mixture over the tortilla chips, top with shredded cheese.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until all of the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and add your favorite toppers. Serve immediately!
Laine Dailey-Papke says
Finger lickin’ good!
Would go well with any game beverage
Debra Clark says
Right? These chicken nachos kick regular nachos to the curb! Definitely next level. Enjoy Laine!!
Carol Meyer says
This recipe looks so good. I just have to run back to the store tomorrow for more chips.
Debra Clark says
Nachos for the win, Carol. Enjoy!! These are excellent!!
Maureen says
Everyone loves nachos and the Super Bowl is definitely the place for this recipe. It has everything in it that we love and the extra toppings are your choice. Can't leave out the jalapenos or salsa.
Debra Clark says
I'm with you 100% - nachos are a must-make for the Super Bowl. Who can say no to Nachos?!! Enjoy Maureen!
MaryB says
Yum! Nothing better for game day than nachos. I like this recipe using chicken for a change from our usual nachos.
Debra Clark says
Right? And the buffalo sauce gives them an updated flavor. These are SO good!!!
Marsha says
I love to cook in cast iron and love the freshly shredded cheese tip!! Cannot wait to try this recipe 💃❤️💃
Debra Clark says
Fantastic! This one is a must-make for us for the Super Bowl - yum, yum, yum!!!
Lois says
We had this last weekend and it was fantastic. So tasty.
Jean M says
Not a black bean fan. Could substitute pintos but it really looks delicious.
Debra Clark says
Pinto beans would be great in this recipe Jean. I hope you give it a try!!
Debra Clark says
That's awesome, Lois - glad the nachos are a hit!!
Carol says
I just started liking black beans so this is a must try for me. Sounds delicious!
Debra Clark says
Pinto beans would be a great substitute, too, Carol. Enjoy the recipe!