Buffalo Chicken Nachos with Ranch (Printable)

Crispy chips piled with spicy buffalo chicken, melted cheese blend, and cool ranch—perfect game day appetizer.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
02 - 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce

→ Nachos

03 - 7 oz tortilla chips
04 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
05 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Toppings

06 - 1/4 cup sliced green onions
07 - 1/4 cup diced celery
08 - 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
09 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

→ Ranch Drizzle

10 - 1/3 cup ranch dressing

# Directions:

01 - Heat oven to 400°F.
02 - In a medium bowl, toss shredded chicken with buffalo wing sauce until evenly coated.
03 - Spread tortilla chips evenly on a large oven-safe platter or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
04 - Scatter buffalo chicken evenly over the chips.
05 - Sprinkle cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses evenly over the chicken and chips.
06 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
07 - Remove from oven and drizzle ranch dressing over the hot nachos.
08 - Top with green onions, diced celery, tomatoes, and cilantro as desired.
09 - Transfer to serving platter and serve while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery and tastes like you planned it all week.
  • The contrast between spicy buffalo heat and cool ranch is ridiculously satisfying.
  • You can double or triple it without any extra effort, just bigger trays.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully in the oven, and somehow they taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skimp on chip quality, flimsy chips will collapse under the weight and turn into a soggy mess before you even get them to the table.
  • If you add the ranch before baking, it will split and look oily, always drizzle it on after the nachos come out of the oven.
  • Let the nachos rest for about a minute after baking so the cheese sets just slightly and everything holds together when you grab a chip.
03 -
  • Use parchment paper or foil on your baking sheet for easy cleanup, because melted cheese is impossible to scrub off later.
  • If your buffalo sauce is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of melted butter or a splash of hot sauce so it coats the chicken evenly.
  • For crispier nachos, toast the chips in the oven for two minutes before adding toppings, it gives them extra structure.
  • Always taste your buffalo sauce before tossing it with the chicken, some brands are much spicier than others and you might want to adjust the amount.
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