Elote Chicken Nachos
Deliciously layered nachos with crispy chips, tender oven-baked chicken, melty pepper jack, and a creamy, spicy corn topping for irresistible Mexican-inspired flavor.
Equipment
- 1 oven for baking chicken and melting cheese
- 1 baking dish to bake the chicken
- 1 sheet pan to assemble and bake nachos
- 1 medium bowl to mix the corn topping
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bag tortilla chips 10–12 oz
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1½ cups chopped oven-baked chicken
- 1½ cups fire-roasted corn canned or frozen, thawed
- 1 small jalapeño finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ tsp Tajín seasoning
- Extra Tajín seasoning
- Extra fresh cilantro
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- Pickled or fresh jalapeños
- Pickled onions optional but recommended
- ¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F to prepare the chicken.
- Slice chicken breasts horizontally to create 4 thin cutlets.
- Place chicken in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, then season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Roast chicken for 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway until fully cooked; let rest and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Increase oven temperature to 425°F for the nachos.
- In a medium bowl, combine fire-roasted corn, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, mayonnaise, and Tajín seasoning.
- On a large sheet pan, spread tortilla chips and sprinkle half of the pepper jack cheese over them.
- Add chopped chicken and then spread the prepared corn mixture evenly on top.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over all and bake for 10–12 minutes until the cheese melts and bubbles.
- Remove from oven and garnish with extra Tajín, cilantro, Cotija cheese, crema or sour cream, and jalapeños.
- Serve immediately while hot and enjoy.
Notes
- Prepare chicken in advance to save time when assembling nachos.
- Use fresh or pickled jalapeños based on preferred heat level.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat carefully to maintain crispness.