alright friends, i get it: chicken tikka masala nachos might sound a little weird. also? they. are. delicious. please don’t knock ‘em ‘til you’ve tried ‘em.
i *did* promise you a fun recipe to use up the slow cooker chicken tikka masala and what’s more fun than nachos?! chips + cheese is a good foundation for so many things and in this case, we layer on leftover chicken tikka masala, scallions, and cilantro and suddenly have an easy, tasty snack (or dinner, i’m not judging) that will keep you full for quite a while (thank you, protein and fat).
i honestly don’t remember how i first came up with the idea for these nachos. it was a while ago and i was excited about it in theory, but didn’t have a masala sauce that i was excited about sharing with you at that time. in fact, in my recipe ideas notes, i have a comment that “i am not telling people to open a jar (of premade masala sauce)”.
so, it took a minute for these chicken tikka masala nachos to come to fruition. but now that we have our slow cooker chicken tikka masala that makes 6 servings, there’s a good chance that we have some extra chicken tikka masala begging to be combined with crispy chips and melty monterey jack cheese.
and while we’re talking about chips, can i just take a moment to gush about my absolute favorites of all time? the first time i tried xochitl’s totopos de maiz (tortilla chips), i knew i had finally found a chip that helped me understand what all the fuss about chips is about.
these chips are really thin and crispy, which i love, but if you like those thick, circular dipping/scooping-type chips, you might not love these. i love them precisely because they are *not* thick. but they do tend to break when scooping up a big chunk of guacamole. no matter.
they really won my heart by offering a no salt version that is delicious and full of corn flavor, which is pretty impressive, especially for something without the flavor enhancing properties of salt. they’re also gluten free, non-gmo certified, and don’t get fried in hydrogenated oil so, you know, if you’re going to eat chips…
ok, i think that’s enough love for chips, but it seemed relevant. if we’re going to make chicken tikka masala nachos, we don’t want to mess around with inferior chips. especially not if we’re going to pass nachos off as dinner…
did you make this recipe? i’d love to know what you think of it! leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #tastyseasons.
chicken tikka masala nachos
Save to BigOven 
Ingredients
- 4 oz. (113 g.) tortilla chips
- 6 oz. (170 g.) leftover chicken tikka masala
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced (i use from the white part all the way up to nearly the end of the dark green part)
- 4 oz. (113 g.) monterey jack cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400° F. if you want easy cleanup, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- spread the tortilla chips out in a single layer on a (foil lined) baking sheet.
- using two forks, shred the chicken. you want some sauce with it, but not so much that it's gloppy and the chips get soggy. heat the chicken briefly so that it's at least room temperature so that it heats up during the brief time the nachos are in the oven (cold chicken won't heat up before the cheese burns). spread the chicken and sauce evenly over the chips.
- sprinkle the scallions then the monterey jack cheese evenly over the nachos. i like to put the cheese last so that it helps to hold everything in place.
- bake for about 4 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and bubbling. remove from the oven, sprinkle the cilantro over the top, and enjoy immediately. i assume i don't need to tell you that leftover nachos are no bueno so just make what you/your team are going to eat right away. you can always make more nachos later.
Notes
feel free to adjust the ratios to your liking! the measurements here are just a starting point.
Nutrition Facts
chicken tikka masala nachos
Serves: 4 as a snack / 2 for dinner
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 381 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 19 g. | 29.2% | |
| Saturated Fat 7 g. | 35% | |
| Trans Fat 0 g. | ||
| Cholesterol 45 mg. | 15% | |
| Sodium 419 mg. | 17.5% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 36 g. | 12% | |
| Dietary Fiber 5 g. | 20% | |
| Sugars 4 g | ||
| Protein 19 g. | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
tasty seasons
