Elote Chicken Nachos (Your New Favorite Nacho Recipe)
These elote chicken nachos are a cheesy, spicy twist on classic nachos made with oven-baked chicken, fire-roasted corn, jalapeños, and a creamy lime mayo drizzle. The perfect quick and crowd-pleasing dinner or party appetizer
Creator: Leslie Stokes
If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for a fun way to turn a simple protein into something crave-worthy—especially when you’ve got hungry kids and a million things happening. Enter: Elote Chicken Nachos. This recipe is like if your favorite Mexican street corn met cheesy, crispy chicken nachos and they had a delicious little baby.
This is one of those meals that hits every note: savory, sweet, spicy, creamy, crunchy. I use my tried-and-true oven-baked chicken recipe (yes, the same one I use all the time) and chop it up to make it the ultimate high-protein nacho topper.
Let’s talk flavor.
The corn mixture is inspired by traditional elote—fire-roasted corn, lime juice, a little mayo, red onion, fresh cilantro, jalapeños, and of course, Tajín. It’s tangy, creamy, and brings just the right amount of heat.
The best part?
This meal comes together in 30–35 minutes. You can bake the chicken earlier in the day (or meal prep a few breasts earlier in the week) and just layer and bake when it’s time to eat. It’s the perfect party snack, dinner idea, or Friday night favorite when you want to have something fun without the fast food regret.
Customization ideas:
Want it spicier? Add hot sauce to the corn mix or sliced jalapeños on top.
Swap the chicken for ground beef or black beans to make it vegetarian.
No Cotija? Use feta for a similar texture and salty bite.
Need it dairy-free? Use dairy-free cheese and skip the crema.
Whether you’re serving this up for a quick family dinner or bringing it to a potluck, these nachos will disappear fast. The elote topping makes them extra special and takes regular nachos to the next level.
How to prep ahead:
Elote Chicken Nachos (Your New Favorite Nacho Recipe)
Ingredients
- For the Chicken: you can use any kind you want, but if you make this simple oven baked chicken, account for the cooking time! I like to make this in bulk and use throughout the week!
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
Nachos:
- 1 bag tortilla chips about 10–12 oz
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 ½ cups chopped oven-baked chicken from above
- 1 ½ cups fire-roasted corn canned or frozen and thawed
- 1 small jalapeño finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ tsp Tajín seasoning
Toppings:
- Extra Tajín
- Extra cilantro
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- Pickled or fresh jalapeños
- pickled onions do not skip
- ¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
Let's Make It
For the Chicken:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets.
- Place in a baking dish or sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and honey, then season both sides with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Roast for 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway, until fully cooked. Let rest, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
For the Nachos:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a medium bowl, mix fire-roasted corn, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, mayo, and Tajín.
- On a large sheet pan, layer tortilla chips, half the cheese, chopped chicken, and corn mixture. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melty.
- Top with extra Tajín, cilantro, Cotija cheese, crema or sour cream, and jalapeños.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
Nutrition Facts
approximate value based off of 4 servings:
517 calories
26g protein
32 g fat
31 g carbs
