Slow Cooker Cheesy Ground Chicken Nachos are exactly what you NEED in your life! Economical ground chicken, a blend of three cheeses and bold seasonings make this easy slow cooker recipe a "must-try". Bonus: there’s NO Velveeta—just real, melty cheese for the perfect bite every time! It is the premiere crock pot dish for everything from movie night to pot-lucks, to game day!
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📝Shopping list
To make these incredible slow cooker chicken nachos, you'll need:
- ground chicken
- cream cheese whipped
- black beans rinsed and drained
- chunky salsa
- chili peppers canned, diced
- sour cream
- mozzarella cheese shredded
- Mexican blend cheese shredded
- sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- taco seasoning homemade or store bought
- pickled jalapeno optional but recommended!
- green onions optional garnish
- tortilla chips your favorite brand
🔪Instructions
This great recipe involves just a few simple steps:
Preparing Your Slow Cooker
Prepare your slow cooker by coating it with a non-stick agent. Any nonstick cooking spray or oil will work. Olive oil and avocado oil are my go-to coatings.
NOTE: some slow cooker inserts come with a nonstick surface. Use of a non-stick agent is still suggested. However, oil is sometimes recommended rather than spray to protect the longevity of the non-stick surface. Check your slow cooker's manual if you have any concerns.
Alternatively, you can choose to use a slow cooker liner.
Cooking
- 🧀 Place ground chicken in the bottom of a greased slow cooker. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to break it apart slightly.
- 🧀 Add in all remaining ingredients (except chips) and stir to fully combine with chicken
- 🧀 Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- 🧀 When cooking time is complete, stir an additional cup or so of cheese into chicken mixture.
- 🧀 When fully melted, your easy nachos recipe is ready to serve!
Top Tip
If you are using a smaller slow cooker that is very full, stir about ⅔ of the way through cooking time. This will help distribute the heat more evenly.
To confirm that your dish is fully cooked through, use a meat thermometer. Ground chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165℉.
🍽Serving suggestions
This crockpot chicken nachos recipe is great served with:
- Guacamole
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
- Sliced black olives
- Pico de Gallo
- Sliced green onion
- Chopped red onion
- Lime wedges
In addition to nachos, this recipe is great:
- As a slow cooker chicken nacho dip for crispy corn chips
- Drizzled over fresh veggies
- With soft pretzels
- In a wrap with lettuce and tomato
- Stuffed into a baked potato for an easy weeknight dinner.
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Crockpot nachos are a great addition to any make-your-own nacho bar.
Use the slow cooker’s "Keep Warm" setting if you plan to serve this dish make-your-own style.
🔁Substitution ideas
- Swap cream cheese. Use block cream cheese in place of whipped. Cut the block into 8 chunks prior to adding. Stir ingredients in slow cooker about an hour into cooking time to fully incorporate the cream cheese blocks.
- Make shredded chicken nachos! Replace ground chicken with boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thigs. After breasts are cooked through, remove them from the crockpot, shred and stir back into the cheesy sauce.
- Bean switcheroo. Swap black beans with pinto beans, kidney beans or navy beans
- Spice it up! For a spicier nacho recipe, use spicy salsa, hot chili peppers and regular (not pickled) jalapenos.
- Ditch the chicken. Ground turkey or cook sausage crumbels are perfect replacements.
Storing
Store amazing chicken nachos leftovers in an airtight container. They can be stored for up to three days in the refrigerator and gently reheated in a microwave oven.
For best results, I do not recommend freezing leftovers.
If you love this recipe...
Please let me know in the comment section below!
😉Hints & hacks
- If you have a larger crockpot, this is an easy recipe to make into a double batch. Just make sure to monitor the internal temperature using a meat thermometer.
- Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can affect melting (although I always use it!). Buying shredded cheese that says it is specifically for melting helps. And, of course, you can choose to shred your own.
- If you are a fan of gooey melted cheese dips, you will love Texas trash dip, Creamy Corn Dip, and Soft Pretzel Dip.
- I always suggest the use of a slow cooker liner for easy clean up. I like to buy mine in bulk for a cheaper per-piece price.
- In the market for a new crock pot? I love mine!
- Always check to ensure your slow cooker is plugged in and turned on! There is nothing more disappointing than coming home to a cold crockpot! 😏
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Nachos
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Print Pin Rate SaveAll nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Equipment
- 3.5 quart slow cooker or larger
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 12 oz whipped cream cheese
- 15.5 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- 15.5 oz chunky salsa
- 8 oz diced chili peppers
- ½ cup sour cream
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
- 8 oz Mexican blend cheese shredded, divided
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- ¼ cups taco seasoning store bough or homemade. See below for homemade recipe
- 4 oz pickled jalapeno optional
- green onion optional garnish
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Place 2 lbs ground chicken into a greased slow cooker and use a rubber spatula to break apart slightly
- Add 12 oz whipped cream cheese, 15.5 oz can black beans, 15.5 oz chunky salsa, 8 oz diced chili peppers,½ cup sour cream, 4 oz mozzarella cheese, 4 oz Mexican blend cheese, 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ cups taco seasoning, and 4 oz pickled jalapeno (if using) and stir well to fully mix
- Cover and cook on low for for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours
- After cooking, stir an additional cup of cheese into your slow cooker and allow to melt in. Remaining cheese can be used to top individual plates of nachos.
- S2 lbs ground chickenerve over tortilla chips with favorite toppings such as green onion (see above for suggestions)
Final Step
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Notes
- 4 tablespoon chili powder
- 1.5 tablespoon cumin
- 1.5 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
Nutrition
All nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
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