Every game day spread needs nachos, and these Chicken Bacon Ranch Nachos will not disappoint. Grab a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and dig in!
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I love nachos! They're perfect for game-day snacking and are a fun way to change up the dinnertime routine.
My family - and many of you - love these Doritos Nachos with Ground Beef. So creating another nachos recipe with Doritos was a no-brainer! Doritos are perfect for nachos because they add an immediate punch of flavor.
These Chicken Bacon Ranch Nachos are made with Cool Ranch Doritos and the flavor combination is a winner!
Ingredients
- Cool Ranch Doritos are the perfect base for this chicken-bacon-ranch trifecta.
- Chicken - I like baking chicken seasoned with Ranch dressing mix for added flavor. You can also use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken.
- Bacon - Simply because everything is better with bacon.
- Ranch dressing - Skip the sour cream and use Ranch dressing as a garnish for incredible flavor.
- Colby Jack cheese is my go-to for these nachos. You can also try a blend of Cheddar and Monterey or Pepper Jack. Use freshly shredded cheese for the best results.
- Pickled red onions - I love the acidic bite of these onions. You can make these or find them in the pickle aisle in your grocery store. Feel free to use raw, sliced red onions or chopped scallions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
See the recipe card for complete instructions and ingredient amounts.
- Arrange half of the Doritos on a sheet pan and top with half of the chicken, bacon, and cheese. Repeat with a second layer.
- Bake at 375 degrees until the cheese is melted, approx. 10 minutes. Watch the nachos closely since Doritos can burn easily.
- Garnish with pickled onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and ranch dressing. Serve immediately.
What are the best toppings for nachos?
Anything that you love to put on tacos can go on nachos. Customize to your liking. Some of my favorites include:
- Pickled or fresh jalapeños
- Cilantro, scallions, chives, or parsley
- Black olives
- Pickled red onions
- Guacamole
- Ranch dressing or sour cream
- Diced tomatoes or salsa
How to make Ranch chicken
Rotisserie chicken is a great short cut in this recipe, but if you want to add another layer of Ranch flavor, this chicken is the way to go!
- Combine a packet of Ranch dressing mix with 3 tablespoons of oil. Rub this mixture all over one pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts (I prefer using thin-cut chicken breasts).
- Bake at 425 degrees until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. For thin-cut chicken, this will take approx. 15 minutes.
- Cool and chop to use in the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Fresh toppings - such as tomatoes, olives, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream - should be put on after baking. Before baking, add the cheese and cooked proteins like chicken, beef, or bacon, as well as veggies like beans, corn, and onions.
Make sure the chips are well covered with cheese before baking. This cheese layer will protect the chips from getting soggy from toppings like salsa, sour cream, or fresh tomatoes.
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📖 Recipe Card
Chicken Bacon Ranch Nachos
Ingredients
- 14½ ounces Cool Ranch Doritos
- 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
- 6 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)
- 16 ounces Colby Jack cheese (shredded)
- ¼ cup Ranch dressing (for topping)
- pickled red onions (for topping)
- jalapenos (for topping)
- cilantro or parsley (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- On a half-sheet pan, arrange half of the Doritos. Top with half of the chicken, bacon, and cheese. Repeat with a second layer.
- Bake the nachos for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted. After 10 minutes, keep an eye on them, since the Doritos can burn more easily than traditional tortilla chips.
- Garnish with pickled onions, jalapenos, and cilantro. Drizzle with Ranch dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For Ranch flavored chicken, combine a packet of Ranch dressing mix with 3 tablespoons of oil. Spread this mixture on both sides of 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts (I prefer using thin-cut chicken breasts). Bake at 425°F until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Cool and chop.
- Buy a block of cheese and shred it when ready to use. Freshly shredded cheese melts so much better than pre-shredded cheese which has additives to prevent clumping.
- Build the nachos in layers so that all of the chips are equally coated with cheese and other toppings.
- Build the nachos on a sheet pan for ease of heating and clean-up.
- Garnish the nachos with various toppings or set out the toppings for a "top-your-own-nachos" bar.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
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