Chicken Chili Verde Nachos
Nachos are such an easy meal to make. The chicken is simple and only takes about an hour to prepare and cook, and the toppings can be customized on each person’s plate.
Going dairy free was a tough adjustment at first, as can be any major diet change. One of the things I missed most was nachos. I needed to figure out a way to prepare nachos that were both safe and delicious.
One of the challenges is making something that my kids and I can eat safely since we’re all dairy free, and making something that my husband will like since he’s the one who still eats real cheese.
I used to make nachos in the oven so the cheese could melt and brown all over the chips. You can totally do that, but since we eat two different kinds of cheese, I find it’s easier for us all to just plate our own separately.
I absolutely love this chicken recipe. You can use it for so many different things. At our youngest’s first birthday party, we decided to have tacos. I made this for chicken tacos and it was a huge hit.
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Ingredients
Chicken
You don’t need to use exactly two pounds, just get it as close as you can. If you want, you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs, but keep in mind they may not have to cook as long. Check them about halfway through.
Salsa Verde
I recommend Herdez brand salsa verde. Tostitos is okay too but I don’t recommend Target’s brand called Good and Gather. It didn’t have much flavor at all. Both Herdez and Tostitos have just a tiny bit of a spicy kick. I used to use Archer Farms, but Target (at least the stores near me) doesn’t have it anymore.
Garlic
I used to use whole garlic cloves for everything, until I discovered the giant jar of minced garlic at Costco. Now I use that every chance I get. If you have whole garlic cloves, use them. Just peel them and toss them right in. No need to chop them up. If you’re using the minced kind in a jar, don’t be afraid to be a little heavy-handed with your measurements. I find it doesn’t have as strong of a flavor as fresh garlic.
Flour
You don’t have to add flour if you’re gluten free, but it really helps to bring it all together. The salsa stays pretty runny so adding a little flour will thicken it into a nice sauce. You can use whatever you prefer or omit it. Just keep in mind it will be a bit drippy.
Toppings
This is where you can have lots of fun. If you’re serving this at a party, you can get pretty creative with the variety of toppings you offer for the nachos.
How to Make the Chicken for the Nachos
This is so easy and so delicious. People will think you worked way harder than you actually did. You literally just dump the salsa, salt, garlic and chicken into a pan, cover it and simmer for 45 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, take it out and set it on a cutting board. If you used whole garlic cloves, fish those out and set them aside too.
Add the flour to the pot and whisk it around to combine. Let the salsa continue to simmer while you shred the chicken, stirring frequently. It will start to thicken up and once you add the shredded chicken back into the pot, it will be ready to serve.
The hardest part of these nachos is just shredding the chicken and chopping up some tomatoes and green onions. This will be a new favorite in your house, I have no doubt.
Recommended with Chicken Chili Verde Nachos
Best Traditional Margarita
This is my all time favorite cocktail. I love good tequila and when paired with organic agave and a fresh lime, it’s absolutely heavenly. Perfect on a summer day, or really any day, for that matter.
Chicken Chili Verde Nachos
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 ~15oz jar of salsa verde
- 4 garlic cloves - whole or minced is fine
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
Optional toppings
- black beans
- shredded cheese
- sliced black olives
- diced tomatoes
- chopped green onion
- avocado
- sour cream
- pickled jalapeños
Instructions
- Empty entire jar of salsa into a dutch oven or deep covered skillet.
- Stir in the salt and add the garlic. If using whole cloves, just drop them in. If minced, stir to combine.
- Nestle chicken breasts into the salsa and spoon a little over the top.
- Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, prep your toppings. Dice the tomatoes and onions, drain and rinse the black beans, etc.
- When the chicken is done, remove it from the pan and set it aside on a large cutting board.
- If you used whole garlic, remove it to the cutting board with the chicken.
- Whisk the flour into the salsa until it's well combined. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently.
- Shred the chicken with a fork and mash whole garlic cloves.
- Add chicken and garlic back to the pan and stir.
- Serve immediately with desired toppings or let cool completely, then cover and store in the refrigerator.
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