Elevate Game Day with Buffalo Chicken Nachos

About this recipe

Crispy, loaded Buffalo Chicken Nachos packed with bold flavor and melty toppings. The ultimate game day recipe that's easy to make and impossible to resist. Your crowd will beg for more.

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It’s November and that means the holidays are fast approaching! If you’re looking for the ultimate nacho dish to impress your guests, this Buffalo Chicken Nacho recipe is sure to please!

Believe it or not, I hadn’t made nachos since my Loaded BBQ Chicken Nachos almost two years ago! However, I was invited to participate in another nacho collaboration and I was happy to bring the nachos back after such a long delay! If you’re looking for an epic spread to serve your guests, then you’ve come to the right place!

This buffalo chicken nacho recipe will be unlike any other. While other buffalo chicken nacho recipes feature shredded chicken tossed in buffalo sauce, this recipe has got crunchy and juicy buttermilk popcorn chicken tossed in the buffalo sauce! These buffalo popcorn chicken nachos were inspired by my favourite poutine - I used to think that the Classic Poutinewas my favourite, but when it comes to enjoying a poutine with toppings, a buffalo chicken poutine is always my favourite! I just love the crispy chicken and that amazing sauce - it complements French fries so nicely! If you want to see a buffalo chicken poutine recipe then be sure to let me know in the comments!

I always say that I get lots of my recipe inspiration from enjoying a meal out (or inside when I have takeout!). If you’re in a rut in the kitchen, then I totally recommend you take a trip out and see what dish you’d like to create! I give more details about this in my 5 top tips to discover your true potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!. Be sure to try these out as part of your Live to Cook one month challenge - I guarantee you’ll put your heart on this plate for your friends and family at your next dinner party or game day night!

To follow along and to grasp all the concepts then be sure to watch the video. You’ll see exactly how to marinate the chicken, fry it, and assemble and cook the nachos. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes go live with the written ones! I love to share both so you’re set up for success with your cooking journey! Let’s get cooking!

Why You’ll Love Buffalo Popcorn Chicken Nachos!

Easy to make: Most of the work done in this recipe is for the buttermilk fried chicken! Otherwise, you just need to assemble and bake!
Crispy buttermilk fried chicken: This is totally the star of the nachos! The chicken on its own is just so crisp outside and juicy inside, but when you top it with the buffalo sauce, it’s just a whole other creation!
Saucy & cheesy: The chicken is super saucy and we’re going to garnish with sour cream. We’ll also load up the cheese with a Mexican cheese blend and some blue cheese crumbles!
Colorful: This plate of nachos is almost too pretty to eat! We’ve got so many colors going on that make the dish really inviting! I always say that we eat with our eyes, and this is so true here!

What is the Secret to great Nachos?▼

No piece of nacho should be empty. Any nacho recipe should ensure that each chip has some or all elements of the toppings to make the dish fun throughout!

How Should Nachos Be Layered? Do You Put Meat or Cheese First on Nachos?▼

Think of it like a lasagne. You want every layer, every bit of the dish to have something delicious. The cheese is helpful in getting toppings to stick so they don’t just fall off when you have the nachos. Use the cheese as the base and in the way you see fit to make the most delicious stack. Just be sure to leave the sauces for topping until after baking.

How Do You Make Nachos Not Soggy?▼

Sogginess comes from excess liquid. This can come in the form of natural juices from fresh veggies like tomatoes or from grease released from cheese while baking. If using fresh tomatoes, try to use only the flesh of the tomato and avoid adding excess juices from it.

Do I Bake Or Broil Nachos?▼

A combination of baking and broiling is best. Bake the nachos until the cheese starts to melt and then turn on the broiler until the cheese and chips are done to your liking

Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Nachos

For all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe, don’t forget to scroll to the bottom for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD or press the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can also scale the recipe based on how large of a nacho plate you want to make - all ingredient quantities get automatically adjusted for you!

For the Nachos

Nacho chips
Mexican cheese mix
Blue cheese
Jalapeño, thinly sliced
Onions
Tomatoes
Sour cream, for garnish
Green onions, for garnish

For the Buffalo Chicken

How to Make Buffalo Popcorn Chicken Nachos

To Make the Buffalo Sauce

Buffalo sauce being poured from a jar into a pot for buffalo chicken nachos.

Buffalo sauce simmering in a pot with a pat of butter melting on top

Homemade buffalo sauce in a stainless steel pot on a stovetop, bright orange-red in color.

To Make the Buffalo Popcorn Chicken

For the spice mix

Combine all the spices for the spice mix together and store in an airtight container.

Homemade spice mix for buffalo chicken in a white bowl, combining red and green spices.

Homemade spice mix with paprika, dried herbs, and seasonings in a white bowl with oil being drizzled in.

For the marinade

Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and add to a large bowl along with the spice mix from earlier. Mix well to coat the spices all over the chicken.

Sliced chicken breasts on a red cutting board being cut into cubes with a knife.

Cubed chicken coated with brown spice mixture in a glass bowl during marinade preparation.

Pour buttermilk over the chicken and add enough to completely submerge the chicken.

Cubed chicken coated in spice mix being submerged in buttermilk in a glass bowl.

Add salt and then toss the chicken well in the buttermilk.

Marinate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

To bread the chicken

In a large casserole or bowl add flour, salt, pepper and baking powder. Mix well.

Chicken pieces coated in flour breading mixture in a glass bowl for buffalo chicken nachos.

Flour mixture with salt, pepper, and baking powder in glass bowl being mixed for chicken breading.

Add 2-3 Tbsp of the buttermilk marinade on the breading mix and mix to combine.

Add the chicken pieces to the bowl of flour and toss well with the flour. Press lightly to ensure you get crusting and layers of flours over the marinated chicken. There is no need to drip any excess marinade while breading the chicken.

Repeat step 3 for the remaining chicken pieces.

Flour-coated chicken piece held in hand, showing thick breading layers ready for frying.

To cook the chicken

Pour oil in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven until it fills around 2 inches of the height of your skillet/dutch oven. Preheat the oil to around 350F. In the meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 F as well.

Carefully, transfer each breaded chicken to the oil and fry until crispy golden brown outside, make sure to turn the chicken every 2-3 minutes to ensure even color on each side. Adjust heat as required to ensure the oil maintains this temperature.

Breaded chicken pieces frying in hot oil in a skillet, turning golden brown.

Breaded chicken pieces frying in golden oil in a stainless steel skillet, turning golden brown.

After 8-12 minutes, or when you are happy with the colour of the chicken, transfer each chicken piece to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Check some of the chicken pieces to check if the internal temperature at the thickest part of the chicken is 165F.

Golden-brown breaded chicken pieces frying in hot oil in a stainless steel pot.

Golden-brown fried chicken pieces being lifted from hot oil with a slotted spoon in a stainless steel pot.

While the chicken is frying, prepare the sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan and add 2 cups of hot sauce to the saucepan. Bring it up to a simmer.

Once the sauce has come to a simmer, turn off the heat and transfer the sauce to a large bowl. Add the cooked crispy chicken pieces and toss well to combine.

Melted butter and hot sauce being poured into a glass bowl containing orange buffalo sauce.

Crispy fried chicken pieces tossed in buffalo sauce in a glass bowl, glistening with orange-red coating.

To Assemble the Nachos

Preheat oven to 400F
Arrange the nachos on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in roughly the same shape as your final serving platter. Sprinkle on the cheese and let it fall through the cracks. You can layer the cheese between nachos as well.
Top with chopped onions, jalapeño, tomatoes, buffalo chicken pieces and blue cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is molten. Slide the nachos off the parchment paper to the serving plate

Hand sprinkling shredded cheese over tortilla chips on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Buffalo chicken nachos topped with shredded cheese, diced white onions, and purple onions on a white plate.

Tortilla chips topped with melted cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, purple onions, and shredded chicken on a white plate.

Buffalo chicken nachos topped with melted cheese, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, and red onions on tortilla chips.

Top with sour cream and chopped green onions. Enjoy!

Hand holding a crispy buffalo chicken piece over a plate of loaded nachos topped with sour cream and green onions.

Tips & Tricks for Party-Perfect Popcorn Chicken Nachos

The flour breading coating around the chicken should have cracks and be flaky to guarantee a crispy and flaky crust when the chicken is done frying.
Use a sheet of parchment paper to ensure minimal cleanup and to simply slide off the nachos off the baking sheet to the serving platter.
To have the cheesiest experience, lay the nachos in a single layer and leave minimal gap between the chips before adding the cheese.
Use a squeeze bottle to garnish nachos with your favourite sauces including hot sauce or sour cream.

Buffalo popcorn chicken nachos topped with white drizzle sauce, diced tomatoes, and sliced jalapeños on a white plate.

Prepping Tips for Buffalo Popcorn Chicken Nachos

I wouldn’t recommend that you make these Buffalo Popcorn Chicken Nachos in advance! They will not be crispy and fresh as when you serve them immediately out of the oven! However, you can follow some tips to make the prep efficient so all you need to do is cook and serve when you’re ready!

Chop up all the veggies and store them in airtight containers or keep them on a plate and cover the plate with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
If grating your own cheese, grate the cheese and cover in the fridge.

Pour your oil into the pan or wok you will be frying the chicken in and heat it when ready.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra