Some nights call for enchiladas, and some nights call for a skillet of chips and a crowd. These take the best part of an enchilada night, the saucy garlic chicken and the cheese pull, and hand it to a crowd that would rather share one skillet than pass plates around.
The refried beans go into the cast iron first and the chips pile on top, so every chip that reaches the bottom drags through a warm layer of beans. Rotisserie chicken gets the whole thing out of the oven in about 20 minutes, and any shredded or ground meat already in your fridge works too.
🔪 Ingredients for chicken enchilada nachos
- Rotisserie chicken: shredded; any cooked shredded meat works.
- Garlic
- Red enchilada sauce
- Sharp cheddar and pepper jack: shred your own so it melts smooth.
- Refried beans: black or pinto.
- Tortilla chips: thick, sturdy chips hold the weight of the toppings.
- Jalapeño
- Toppings: scallions, sour cream, salsa.
Equipment
- Large oven-safe cast iron skillet
📝 How to make chicken enchilada nachos
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Warm the chicken with the garlic and enchilada sauce in the skillet until the sauce bubbles and the chicken is hot through. Move it to a bowl and keep warm.
- Spread the refried beans across the bottom of the same skillet.
- Layer chips, the chicken mixture and the cheese over the beans in a tall pile.
- Bake until the cheese melts and the beans are hot through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Broil for a minute or two if you like the cheese browned and bubbly, and watch it closely.
- Top with jalapeño, scallions, sour cream and salsa and serve from the skillet.
🔄 Substitutions
- Chicken: for pulled pork or shredded beef, use the same amount and warm it in the sauce the same way.
- Red enchilada sauce: for green enchilada sauce, the nachos come out tangier and a little brighter.
- Pepper jack: for Monterey Jack, you lose the heat but keep the melt.
- Refried beans: for drained whole black beans, the base is looser and the bottom layer gets less creamy.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Leftover chicken enchiladas work here too: chop them up and skip the sauce step, since they’re already sauced.
- Using ground beef or turkey instead of chicken? Brown it to 165°F before it meets the sauce.
- Build in layers, not one heap of cheese on top. Cheese between the layers keeps the middle chips from going bare.
🍽️ What to serve with chicken enchilada nachos
- Fast and easy weeknight chicken enchiladas: make a pan tonight and the leftovers are tomorrow’s nachos.
- Smoked pulled pork enchiladas: the same trick works with smoked pork when you want a second skillet.
- Pico de gallo or a quick lime slaw for something cold and crunchy against the hot cheese.
- Guacamole on the side, so the avocado stays green and cool.
🧊 Leftovers and storage
- Cover the skillet or move leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 2 days.
- Reheat in a 250°F oven until warm. The chips soften; that’s expected.
- Store sour cream, salsa and fresh toppings separately and add them after reheating.
Chicken Enchilada Nachos
Recommended Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken Any shredded or ground meat works too; cook ground meat to 165°F first
- 2 garlic cloves minced garlic, the finer the better
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheese shredded
- 1 14 oz can refried beans Use black or pinto per your choice.
- 4 cups tortilla chips You can use more or less chips per choice
- 1 jalapeño sliced
- scallions, sour cream and salsa for serving
Instructions
Warm the chicken
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large oven proof skillet, heat the chicken with the garlic and enchilada sauce.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and spoon the chicken mixture into a bowl and keep warm.
Build and bake
- Spoon the refried beans into the skillet.
- Arrange layers of chips, chicken mixture, and cheese in a pile over top.
- Place in the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and the beans are heated through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Switch to broil if you want the cheese a little brown and bubbly.
Serve
- Serve with desired toppings and additional dippers.
Notes
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Quick summary
Shredded chicken warmed with garlic and red enchilada sauce, layered over refried beans and tortilla chips with sharp cheddar and pepper jack, then baked at 375°F until the cheese melts. Serves 2 as a meal in about 20 minutes. Ground meat, if you use it, cooks to 165°F before it goes on.
❓ FAQs
Yes. Chop the enchiladas, spread them over the beans and chips in place of the chicken mixture, add cheese and bake until hot and melted.
A mix of sharp cheddar for flavor and pepper jack for melt and heat. Shredding it yourself melts smoother than pre-shredded.
Use thick tortilla chips, layer the cheese between the chips and the chicken, and serve straight from the oven with wet toppings like salsa and sour cream on top or on the side.
Nachos are one of my favorite things to eat. It is my go to when my husband isn’t around for dinner. These look fantastic.