Grilled Chicken Nachos

Grilled BBQ Chicken Nachos in foil, perfect for tailgating or camping!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated February 13, 2023
Elise Bauer
Grilled Chicken Nachos in Foil with Sour Cream BBQ Sauce
Elise Bauer

Why grill nachos? Why not? They're perfect for tailgating, camping, or when it's too hot to turn on the oven.

And by the way, grilling nachos in a foil boat is the BEST way to make nachos. Seriously!

Nachos are always at risk of getting limp and soggy. But when you have high direct heat blasting at the tortilla chips from the coals or flame underneath, it does a great job getting the chips crispy. Covering the grill will melt the cheese on top.

Grilled Chicken Nachos in Foil with Sour Cream BBQ Sauce
Elise Bauer

Melted cheese on top, crispy chips below. Perfect.

For a nacho sauce we are using sour cream mixed with BBQ sauce (easiest chip dip ever!). Drizzle it over the cheesy nachos and you don't need queso.

Enjoy the nachos as is, or dressed up with extras—chopped tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, avocado, and red onions.

Grilled Chicken Nachos

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 to 8 servings

Ingredients

For the nachos:

  • 8 ounces tortilla chips

  • 2 cups finely grated cheddar cheese

  • 1 cup chopped cooked chicken meat (a rotisserie chicken is great for this)

  • 1/4 cup BBQ sauce

For the sour cream BBQ Sauce:

For the toppings:

  • 1 tomato, chopped, optional

  • 1/4 red onion, chopped, optional

  • 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced, optional

  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped, optional

  • 1/2 avocado, chopped, optional

Special Equipment

  • 2 5x12-inch sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil

Method

  1. Preheat the grill and prep ingredients:

    Preheat your grill for high direct heat. While the grill is heating, prep the ingredients.

  2. Mix the BBQ sauce with chicken:

    Mix the cooked chicken with the BBQ sauce and set aside.

  3. Make the sour cream BBQ sauce:

    Mix the sour cream with BBQ sauce and set aside.

  4. Make the foil boats:

    Take the sheets of aluminum foil and crimp the sides so that you have "boats".

    grilled-nachos-method-4
    Elise Bauer
  5. Assemble the nachos:

    Arrange a layer of tortilla chips over the bottom of the foil. It's okay if some of the chips overlap, but all chips should have some exposure at the top. Sprinkle with most of the cheese (reserve some to go on top of the chicken).

    grilled-nachos-method-5
    Elise Bauer
    grilled-nachos-method-6
    Elise Bauer

    Sprinkle the BBQ sauce coated cooked chopped chicken over the chips. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

  6. Grill:

    Place nacho boats on pre-heated grill, cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chips are lightly browned at the edges.

    grilled-nachos-method-7
    Elise Bauer

    If your grill doesn't have a cover (as in a campfire), either make a large foil packet to put the nachos in, or tent the foil boats with another piece of foil. Some of the nachos prepared this way may not be as crispy, but they'll still be great.

  7. Serve:

    To serve, drizzle with sour cream BBQ sauce and sprinkle with extras such as chopped tomato, red onion, jalapeño, and/or cilantro.

    grilled-nachos-method-8
    Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
344 Calories
20g Fat
28g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 344
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 52mg 17%
Sodium 475mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 253mg 19%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 166mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.