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Spring is right around the corner, and my backyard is calling to me! After being cooped up inside all winter, I cannot wait to relax outside in the warm weather, with a cold beverage and some good food to eat. And I am for sure going to be making these Spicy Queso Chicken Nachos first chance I get!
These nachos have everything you could want in an awesome backyard snack: crispy chips, juicy flavorful chicken, and of course, ample amounts of spicy queso! I love my nachos spicy and I'm a huge Texas Pete® fan, so of course I went right for the Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning to give these nachos some heat.
And aside from having the perfect balance of bold flavors and heat, I also really love Texas Pete® products as a whole for their fun and rebellious vibe; it really helps me channel that "chilling in my backyard, no stress, just enjoying my spicy nachos" feeling!
Ingredients
Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning
As I mentioned, the main flavor component for these spicy nachos comes from Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning. I love this seasoning because it doesn't just make the nachos hot, but it also provides a well-balanced flavor profile, including hints of tanginess that I think complement the heat really well.
Aside from nachos, I have found that Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning is a great way to add flavor and heat to almost any dish, from eggs to soups. You can even spice up your delivery and takeout food with Texas Pete® products!
Use the Texas Pete® store locator to see where you can purchase Texas Pete® Dust Dry near you!
Other ingredient notes
- Onion: I used white onion for the queso, but any type of onion you have on-hand will work here.
- Milk: I have used whole milk and 2% milk to make queso, and both of these worked just fine. I haven't tried skim milk or other non-dairy milks, so I cannot make a recommendation about using those here. If you've made queso with any of these milks, let me know how it turned out!
- Cheese: The queso uses both American cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. The American cheese contributes a lot to the creamy texture of the queso so I don't recommend substituting another type of cheese. But, you could make a substitution for the Monterey Jack cheese if you like; pepper Jack or Colby would be delicious!
- Other nacho toppings: You can add any additional toppings you like. I used chopped onion, cilantro, black beans and pickled jalapeño!
Step by step photos
1. The first step is to prepare the chicken. Cooking is simple, just butterfly the chicken breasts and pan-fry them. Then, the chicken is chopped and mixed with lime juice, cilantro and Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning.
2. After that, make the queso. This queso uses American cheese in addition to Monterey Jack cheese. The American cheese helps give this queso a creamy consistency and does wonders to keep the queso from separating during cooking, meaning it's very forgiving!
At the end, Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning is whisked in to add the heat. If you really love heat, feel free to add even more than the recipe calls for!
3. Then, it's time to assemble the nachos. Gather up any additional toppings you want to add, then lay out a bed of tortilla chips on a large platter.
Add about half the chicken, then spoon some queso overtop. Layer on your other toppings, then repeat the process to create 2 complete layers. Then, dig in and enjoy your spicy queso chicken nachos!
Tips and tricks
- If you can, it's much better to shred the Monterey Jack cheese yourself rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese includes additives that are designed to keep the strands of cheese from sticking together. This can result in a grainy texture rather than a silky-smooth one!
- This recipe makes a generous amount of queso, so depending on how much you like on your nachos, you may have some left over. Leftover queso can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3 - 4 days.
- To reheat the queso, you can use either the stovetop or microwave. To use the stovetop, heat the queso in a small saucepan set over low heat, whisking frequently. To use the microwave, place the queso in a microwave-safe container and heat it on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until heated through.
- If you find your reheated queso is a little too thick, just whisk in a splash or two of milk until it thins out again to your desired consistency.
If you've tried this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or review in the comments section below, I would love to hear from you! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. And sign up for my weekly newsletter to get recipes delivered straight to you!
Before you go, did you know Texas Pete® has tasty new BBQ sauces out now? I can't wait to try this Texas Pete® Eastern Carolina BBQ Sauce and Texas Pete® Sweet Flame BBQ Sauce in some new recipes this week!
📖 Recipe
Spicy Queso Chicken Nachos
Thanks to Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning, these spicy nachos will get you fired up! This nacho recipe features chunks of spicy chicken and creamy, spicy queso.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 - 8 servings 1x
- Category: appetizer, snack, main course
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For spicy chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning
- juice of ½ - 1 lime (to taste)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
For spicy queso:
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.)
- ½ medium onion, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 8 ounces American cheese, chopped
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning
Additional ingredients:
- 6 ounces tortilla chips
- toppings of choice: black beans, chopped onion, fresh or pickled jalapeños, cilantro, etc.
Instructions
- Prep the chicken: With a large knife, carefully slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create 2 thinner pieces. Lightly sprinkle each side with salt and pepper (see note 1).
- Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan evenly in the oil. Then, add the chicken breasts to the pan in a single layer. Allow to cook, without moving the pieces, for 4 - 5 minutes. Then flip the pieces and continue to cook for another 4 - 5 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked through (see note 2).
- Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and turn the heat off the stove. Allow the chicken breasts to rest for at least 5 minutes. (During this time, you can chop the cilantro and begin prep for the queso, including finely dicing the onion and shredding the Monterey Jack cheese.)
- After the chicken has rested, chop it into small pieces and place the pieces, plus any accumulated juices from the cutting board, into a medium bowl. Add the lime juice, 2 tablespoons Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning, and chopped cilantro. Stir to combine and taste; add more Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning, salt, pepper, and/or lime juice if needed. Cover the bowl to keep the chicken warm and set aside.
- Make the queso: In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the finely chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion softens and just begins to brown, around 3 - 4 minutes.
- Switching to a whisk, sprinkle in the cornstarch and whisk the mixture thoroughly to combine the cornstarch completely with the oil and onion. Then, slowly drizzle in the milk, whisking continuously, until all the milk has been added. Bring the mixture to a boil while continuing to whisk.
- Let the milk mixture boil for 1 full minute, whisking frequently. Turn the heat down to low and add the chopped American and shredded Monterey Jack cheeses. Whisk to combine the cheeses into the milk mixture. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning. Turn the stove off and taste the queso; add more Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning or salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Assemble the nachos: On a large platter, spread half the chips out in an even layer. Then, top with half the spicy chicken. Drizzle some of the spicy queso overtop the chicken. Add any additional nacho toppings of your choice. Repeat this layering process a second time with the remaining chips, chicken, queso and toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cutting the pieces in half horizontally will allow them to cook more quickly and evenly than keeping them whole. However, if your chicken breasts are smaller (less than 1 inch in thickness) you can skip this step. Also, we will be adding the Texas Pete® Dust Dry Seasoning after cooking, which also contains salt. Therefore, be careful to only add a light sprinkling of salt to the chicken breasts before cooking.
- My chicken breast pieces were about ¾ inch thick (after they were cut in half horizontally). If your chicken is thicker or thinner, you will likely need to adjust the cook time. If your chicken pieces are browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium or medium low.
- I recommend shredding the Monterey Jack cheese yourself rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese includes additives that are designed to keep the cheese from sticking together, and this can give the queso a grainy texture. Also, the American cheese is crucial to the smooth, creamy texture of this queso, so I do not recommend that you substitute another type of cheese for the American.
- This recipe makes a generous amount of queso, so depending on how much you like on your nachos, you may have some left over. Store any leftover queso in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 - 4 days. Reheat the queso in a saucepan set over low heat, stirring frequently. Alternatively, microwave the queso in 30 second increments on high, stirring in between, until heated through. If the queso is too thick, whisk in a splash of milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Melanie says
Chicken nachos are delicious, and the toppings make all the difference. These look soooo good! #client
Kate says
Thank you Melanie and yes I totally agree, with nachos it's all about the toppings (and lots of queso of course!) 🙂