Crock Pot Chicken Nachos are one of the easiest things to make and one of the most delicious, filling appetizers. These nachos are slow-cooked, flavor-blasted, cheese-smothered, lime-crema-drizzled. The lime marinade packs so much flavor into the chicken, you'll want to make this for lunch and dinner.
They’re the kind of thing you whip up for game day or a Netflix binge and then realize, “Wow… I AM amazing.” No one needs to know how hands-off it is. That’s between you and your crock pot. ?
Why These Nachos Are So Good
First of all, they’re easy. Like, embarrassingly easy. Almost as easy as my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Nachos. You dump a few things in the slow cooker, walk away for a few hours, and come back to chicken so juicy and tender it basically shreds itself. Add chips, cheese, and whatever toppings you’re feeling, and boom, nacho heaven.
Also, these are ridiculously customizable. Don’t like jalapeños? Skip ‘em. Obsessed with cilantro? Go wild. Wanna throw on some avocado or corn or whatever you found in the back of your fridge? Do it. Nachos are chaos food in the best way.
Let’s Talk About That Marinade
Okay, technically this step is optional. But if you skip it, you're kinda cheating yourself. I’m just saying.
The marinade is where the flavor party starts. We’re talking fresh lime juice, sweet honey, garlic (a lot of garlic), chili powder, and a bunch of other stuff that makes your chicken taste like it got kissed by a taco truck. Even a quick 30-minute soak makes a difference, but if you’ve got an hour or two? Chef’s kiss.
You can also just toss everything in the crock pot and call it a day. No shade. I’ve done it when I’m hangry and over it.
The Chicken Basically Cooks Itself
This is why I love this recipe: you toss your marinated (or not) chicken into the crock pot with some chicken stock, hit a button, and forget about it for a while.
Set it to:
- High for 4 hours if you're in a rush
- Low for 8 hours if you're pretending to be productive
And that’s it. No browning, no babysitting. Just amazing smells.
When it’s done, shred that baby with two forks. It should basically fall apart without a fight. And don't toss the juices! Put the shredded chicken back in the crock pot and let it soak up all that goodness. That’s the secret to juicy, flavor-packed nachos instead of dry, sad ones.
Assembling Your Nachos
I highly recommend using parchment paper unless you plan on serving your nachos, sheet-pan style. If that's the case, just be careful because the pan will be hot out of the oven.
The parchment paper will allow you to drag the nachos onto whatever service/serving platter you desire for your guests without destroying the nachos.
As for toppings, there are no rules.
But I love topping mine with pico de gallo because it’s basically five toppings in one...tomatoes, onions, peppers, lime juice, cilantro. Efficiency, baby. ??
Add some jalapeño slices for a touch of heat, drizzle on that lime crema (more on that in a sec), and a little cilantro for some freshness and color.
Or don’t. You do you. I just love how versatile they are!
Oh, That Lime Crema? A Must!!
Listen. This is not the time to skimp on sauce. The lime crema is stupid simple—just sour cream, lime juice, a little garlic, and salt—but it adds this cool, tangy drizzle that makes the whole thing feel ✨fancy✨ even though you made it in like, 2 minutes.
Put it in a squeeze bottle if you’re feeling extra. Or snip the corner off a Ziploc bag and pretend you’re on Chopped. Same effect.
Make Your Nachos In Advance
The beauty of this recipe? Most of the work happens before you're even hungry. You can totally marinate, cook, and shred the chicken the day before. Keep it in the fridge (with the juices!!) and just heat, layer, and bake when you're ready.
The actual nacho assembly takes like, 10 minutes. Maybe 12 if you're being dramatic with toppings.
A Few Expert Tips
- Use parchment paper when you bake the nachos so you can slide ‘em onto a plate like a pro.
- Don’t overbake them—melted cheese is good, burned chips are not.
- Make extra lime crema. You’ll end up dipping everything in it for the rest of the week.
- If you’re feeding a crowd, double the recipe. People get territorial around nachos.
Got Questions? Cool, I Got Answers.
Can I use frozen chicken?
Yeah, but skip the marinade time and just season it in the crock pot. It’ll still taste delish.
What kind of chips should I use?
The sturdy kind. Flimsy chips will crumble.
Can I make this in advance?
Um yes!! In fact, I recommend it. Read my notes below in the recipe card.
Pair It With…
Honestly? A jalapeno margarita. Or a cold beer. Or just a giant glass of water if you went a little too hard on the jalapeños.
If you want to make this the meal, I suggest making my Mexican Chicken Salad Dip with the leftover chicken or My Chicken Flautas. But also… the nachos kinda are the meal. So you’re good either way.
Alright, that’s it. Crock pot chicken nachos. Stupid easy, ridiculously good, and almost too pretty to eat. (Almost.)
Go make them now. 🙂 And if you do? Tag me at alekasgettogether. I wanna see your nacho masterpieces!
Crock Pot Chicken Nachos w/ Lime Marinade
Ingredients
Method
- Let's Marinate! Add your chicken breasts, lime juice, honey, garlic, onion powder, chili powder, oil, salt and pepper to a large bowl or freezer bag and let marinate for at least an hour, no more than 4 hours.(This step is optional but tenderizes your chicken while adding more flavor.) If you want to speed things up, add all the marinade ingredients directly to your crock pot and move to the next step!)
- Cooking Your Chicken:Dump your marinated chicken into a crock pot along with 1 cup chicken stock. Set to high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Add all the ingredients for the lime crema in a small bowl and mix. Chill until ready to use. (Place in a squeeze bottle or Ziploc baggie to easily squeeze onto the nachos.)
- Shredding Your Chicken:Remove your chicken from the crock pot and either on a cutting board or plate, shred your chicken using two forks. (It should shred very easily!) Add shredded chicken back to the juices in the crock pot until ready to assemble nachos.
- Assembling Nachos:Preheat oven to 375℉. Add a sheet of parchment paper down on a baking sheet. (This will help with transferring them later). Add a hefty amount of nachos to the baking sheet along with 2-3 cups of shredded chicken and 1-2 cups of cheese. Use as much or as little as you desire.Bake the nachos for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
- Transfer the nachos to another serving dish by pulling the parchment and sliding them off carefully. Finish your nachos with your pico de gallo, jalapeno slices, lime crema and more cilantro if desired.Enjoy!
Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts below!