Name: Leftover BBQ Chicken Nachos
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 cups BBQ Chicken, diced or shredded; 1 can Serious Bean Co. Jalapeno & Bacon Beans; 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded; 1-13 oz. restaurant-style tortilla chips; 2/3 cup coleslaw; 1/2 cup fresh corn, cut from cob; 1/4 cup tomato, dices; 1/8 cup red onion, thinly sliced; 1/8 scallion, sliced (sliced); 1/4 cup prepared BBQ sauce; 1/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt, thinned with a little water

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Serious Bean Co. All opinions are 100% mine.

Having a hot plate of BBQ chicken fresh off the grill with baked beans, fresh grilled corn, and coleslaw is one of my favorite summer meals. Enjoying it with family and friends is even better!

But if you find yourself with a mountain of leftovers after your last backyard cookout, I highly suggest transforming that leftover BBQ Chicken and sides into a totally new dish: Leftover BBQ Chicken Nachos! Trust me, these flavors totally work and they’re absolutely delicious.

You get the sweetness and the smokiness from the barbecued chicken, the freshness of the corn cut right off the cob, the crunch from from the coleslaw, and the brightness of additional topping like tomatoes, red onion, scallion, pickled jalapenos, and the toasty goodness from the tortilla chips. It’s all held together by a blanket of creamy Monterey Jack Cheese.

But, what about the baked beans?

I love beans on my nachos and baked beans make the perfect stand-in for the typical black beans. However, I don’t always have time to make baked beans from scratch. So when I’m looking for canned beans with amazing flavor, the craft beans from Serious Bean Co. are the ones I always have on hand.

They’re perfect for barbecues, adding to recipes, or just as a tasty side. Winner of the Progressive Grocer’s 2020 Editor’s Pick for Best New Product, Serious Bean Co. makes their beans in unique and seriously delicious flavors like:

Jalapeno Bacon
Dr. Pepper
Sweet & Smoky Chipotle
Southern Mustard-Q BBQ
Cracked Pepper
Buffalo

What’s even better is that all of their beans are gluten-free, high-fructose corn syrup free, and have no artificial colors or flavors. Learn more about them and see their incredible reviews here.

Now that we have the beans down, let’s make some nachos!

Here are the Ingredients You’ll Need to Make These BBQ Chicken Nachos

THE MAIN INGREDIENTS

Leftover BBQ Chicken: Reheat the BBQ chicken under the broiler, then dice or shred the meat once it’s cool enough to handle. Use only white meat or a blend of both dark and white if you prefer. If your chicken seems a little dry, toss it with a few tablespoons of BBQ sauce to help moisten it.

Serious Bean Co’s Jalapeno & Bacon Beans: With bold flavor, the right amount of heat, and a touch of sweet, I used Serious Bean Co’s Jalapeno & Bacon Beans for these nachos. They’re so so good!!! A popular best-seller, pinto beans are stewed with applewood smoked bacon, their own Southwestern spice blend, and fresh jalape~nos. Serious Bean Co. also offers other unique flavors that would also work great with these nachos like Dr. Pepper, Sweet & Smoky Chipotle, or Southern Mustard-Q BBQ. Whatever flavor you choose, gently warm the beans in the microwave before you start to build your nachos.

Cheese: My favorite cheese for this style of nacho is Monterey Jack

Jack. A blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar would be perfect too. If you’re looking to elevate this further, throw a handful of smoked gouda in your blend for another layer of flavor.

Tortilla Chips: Restaurant-style tortilla chips are my favorite style of chips for these nachos. Larger in size, they give you the most surface area for all your delicious nacho toppings.

Fresh Corn: Whether you roasted, grilled, or steamed your corn the night before, slice it off the cob for this recipe. You can gently warm it in the microwave or toast it in a skillet with a little melted butter.

Cole Slaw: Leftover coleslaw adds a cool, creamy, tangy, and crunchy contrast to the other elements on these nachos. Seriously, give it a try. Just drain any excess liquid from the slaw before adding it to the nachos, so they won’t get soggy.

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS AND GARNISHES

Scallions + Red onion: I enjoy the color and the peppery bite that both of these add to the nachos. Plus they cut through the sweetness of the BBQ sauce. You don’t need both, but definitely choose at least one.

Diced Tomatoes: Tomatoes shine in the summer and they add a tart and juicy freshness to these nachos with a burst of color.

Jalapenos: I love adding ingredients with a kick on my nachos and pickled jalapenos add tang and the heat needed to contrast any sweet going on here. If you like, use thinly sliced fresh jalapenos instead. Serranos would work too.

BBQ Sauce: A little BBQ sauce drizzled over the nachos at the end will make sure you get that BBQ flavor in every bite, whether you like it spicy, smokey or sweet. Use your favorite.

Sour Cream: This will cool down the heat and balance the flavors from the spicy ingredients, and it looks great too. Greek Yogurt can be substituted as well. TIP: Add a little water or lime juice to make it easily drizzle over the nachos.

HOW TO MAKE THE BBQ CHICKEN NACHOS

1- Preheat the oven to 400F with the rack placed in the middle. Then spread your tortilla chips out on a large skillet or baking sheet.

2- Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese over the tortilla chips and then add the leftover BBQ chicken.

3- Next, randomly add spoonfuls of Serious Bean Co’s Jalapeno & Bacon Beans over the chicken, cheese, and chips for beans in every bite.

4- Bake in the oven for about 5-7 minutes or until all the cheese has melted. Bake closer to 7 minutes if you like the cheese and chips browned and bubbly.

5- Remove the nachos from the oven and finish them by scattering the rest of the ingredients on top including the corn, coleslaw, tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, scallions, sliced red onions.

6 – For an impressive presentation and more flavor, drizzle with more BBQ sauce and sour cream. This can also be served on the side instead, if you want to keep the nachos crispy for longer.

ENTERTAINING TIP: Making these for a large crowd? Consider dividing the nachos over 2 smaller baking sheets as you prep. This way you can stagger the baking time and have a batch of hot nachos coming out of the oven as soon as the first tray is gobbled up.

GET THE RECIPE!