These Chicken Fajita Nachos are fully loaded with marinated chicken, peppers and onions, two kinds of cheese, and a lime crema drizzle. They're a delicious game day appetizer, but are also fully acceptable as a full entree!
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I make some variation of nachos pretty regularly around here, but this one might be my new favorite. It also feels way more acceptable to eat as dinner than most nachos do! Fajita nachos combine two of my favorite foods and just happen to be a match made in heaven.
The chicken is perfectly seasoned, the peppers and onions are sautéed before being added to the nachos, and the topping options are endless.
This is such a fun appetizer or game day snack, but honestly, I'm also calling this a perfectly acceptable dinner.
❤️ Why this recipe works
The chicken gets marinated: I toss the chicken with lime juice, olive oil, and spices for about 15 minutes to give the chicken real fajita flavor.
The peppers and onions are sautéed before being added to nachos: cooking for 10-12 minutes in the skillet means they're tender and slightly caramelized, instead of raw and crunchy.
They're a full meal rather than just a snack: chicken, black beans, and corn add lots of substance to these nachos, so they really do work as an easy dinner instead of just a party app.
A homemade lime crema takes them to a new level: you can use plain sour cream to top the nachos if you want, but I highly recommend making my quick and easy lime crema to make the nachos extra special.
They're super versatile and customizable: I share my idea fajitas nachos recipe with you, but there are so many ways to make this dish and so many ingredients you can add or omit!
🗒 Ingredients
If the ingredient list seems a little bit long, note that lots of the ingredients are the spices used in the marinade. And you can omit (or add) and toppings you want... the chicken, peppers, and onions are the most important toppings!
With that said, here's everything I use to make fajita nachos, but be sure to check out my variations section for more ideas (and view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Chicken breast: thinly sliced
- Olive oil
- Lime juice divided
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
- Bell peppers: colors of your choice, thinly sliced
- Yellow onion: thinly sliced
- Tortilla chips
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Black beans: rinsed and drained
- Corn: fresh, thawed from frozen, or canned
- Jalapeño: sliced; optional
- Avocado or guacamole, sliced tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, fresh lime juice: optional for topping
And if you're making the lime crema (you should!), you'll need:
- Sour cream
- Lime juice
- Milk or water
- Garlic powder
- Salt
🌮 Recipe tips
- Slice the chicken thin and even so it cooks quickly and at the same rate.
- Let the chicken marinate the full 15 minutes. It's a short window, but it makes a big difference in flavor.
- Don't skip sautéing the peppers and onions. That's where a lot of the smoky fajita flavor comes from.
- I highly recommend building the nachos in two full layers (chips, cheese, chicken and veggies, beans and corn) rather than piling everything on top at the end. It keeps the toppings distributed and lets you enjoy toppings on every chip.
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- Thin the lime crema with milk or water until it's loose enough to drizzle over the nachos.
- Serve the nachos immediately! They're best enjoyed hot out of the oven when they're nice and crispy.
I'm obsessed with the way every single chip is topped with lots and lots of delicious ingredients. There's no such thing as a boring chip here.
Eating fajitas on crispy chips is 100% preferable to eating them in soft tortillas.
🎉 Variations on recipe
One of my favorite things about these fajita nachos is that there are so many different ways you can make them with nearly endless topping options.
Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Replace the chicken with steak or shrimp or add new proteins in addition to the chicken.
- Make the nachos vegetarian by leaving out the chicken and doubling up on the peppers, onions, beans, and corn.
- Skip the beans and corn if you don't care for them.
- Use the cheese blend of your choice or stick to just one of your choice. Pepper jack is always a great option as are queso fresco and cotija.
- Add more jalapeños or a spicier pepper like the serrano to the nachos to make them spicier. You can also add a spoonful of chipotle in adobo to the chicken marinade.
- Other topping ideas include pico de gallo or salsa, pickled red onions, sliced olives, and shredded lettuce.
🥗 What to serve with
These nachos are hearty enough to be dinner on their own, but a simple side salad or Mexican rice rounds things out. They're also a great match for a pitcher of mango jalapeño margaritas if you're serving a crowd.
⏲️ How to store
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but note that the chips will soften over time since this isn't really a make-ahead food.
Reheat nachos in the oven or air fryer to bring back some crispness when you're ready to enjoy again.
Store the lime crema separately and drizzle it on after reheating.
If you want to prep the nachos in advance of serving, you can cook the chicken and veggies ahead of time and store them in the fridge. You can also make the lime crema a day in advance.
Just be sure to assemble and bake the nachos right before serving so the chips stay crisp.
These chicken fajita nachos are fully loaded in a way that makes them feel a lot more special than your average sheet pan nachos.
They're great for game day, easy weeknight dinners, or anytime you want something that will quickly become a crowd favorite.
What would you add on top?
📖 Recipe
Fajita Nachos
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb. chicken breast thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoon lime juice divided
- 2 teaspoon chili powder divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika divided
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 bell peppers color of choice, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 10-12 oz bag of tortilla chips
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
- ½ cup corn fresh, thawed from frozen, or canned
- 1 jalapeño sliced, optional
- Avocado or guacamole, sliced tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, fresh lime juice for topping, optional
Lime Crema
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1-2 tablespoon milk or water to thin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Put chicken in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Toss together to coat chicken in spices and let sit for 15 minutes so flavors can meld.
- While chicken is sitting in spices, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onion and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred in spots. Season with ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice. Transfer vegetables to a plate.
- Add the remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet. Add chicken in an even layer and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and starting to brown. Add the peppers and onions back to the skillet and toss everything together. Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Spread half the tortilla chips on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with about 1 cup of the cheese. Add half the chicken and pepper mixture, half the beans and corn, and a few jalapeño slices.
- Add remaining chips, remaining cheese, remaining fajita chicken mixture, and remaining black beans, corn, and jalapeños. Take care to distribute the toppings all the way to the edges of the chips.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and chips are lightly toasted around the edges.
- Drizzle with lime crema. Top with avocado or guacamole, cilantro, scallions, more jalapeños, and a squeeze of fresh lime as desired. Serve immediately.
Lime Crema
- In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, lime juice, 1 tablespoon milk or water, garlic powder, and salt. Add more milk or water until the crema is thin enough to drizzle. Keep in fridge until ready to use.
Notes
- You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but note that the chips will soften over time since this isn't really a make-ahead food. Reheat nachos in the oven or air fryer to bring back some crispness when you're ready to enjoy again. Store the lime crema separately and drizzle it on after reheating.
- To prep in advance, you can cook the chicken and veggies ahead of time and store them in the fridge. You can also make the lime crema a day in advance.
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