Summer BBQ Chicken Nachos with Buttermilk Onion Rings.
This is the best trashed up dinner ever.
Except according to my husband, who refuses to eat nachos for dinner but WHO CARES.
More for us.
Is it fair to call nachos with obviously fried onion rings “summery” and “light?” Because these just are.
I’ve been craving some onion rings ever since I taught a burger class a few weeks ago where we made crispy onion straws for a quinoa burger topping. Ummm… so good. Needed them again.
This was also BEFORE I burned an entire pain of fries (literally pulled them out of the oven and they were black twigs) but I think these made up for those.
And these nachos are a little high maintenance but you can make a few pieces ahead of time and throw them all together. I just love fat plates of nachos that have something special on top of them – making it an over-the-top indulgence. Much better than chips covered in bagged cheese and shoved in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Still not above that though.
I cheated and used a store bought rotisserie chicken in this recipe. And I’ve gotta tell you. Ever since finding out I had a bun in the oven, I’ve made sure to pick up a chicken at the store because I know that way there is always something for Eddie’s lunches and dinners. However, it’s been the one thing to turn my stomach so even to this day, my game plan is to throw the chicken in the back of the car and drive home as fast as I can while holding my breath. Then I’m like PLEASE TAKE THIS CHICKEN OUT OF SIGHT IMMEDAITELY! And beg him to rip the meat from the bones and dispose of the evidence while I drink bubbly soda. It’s worked out perfectly. And after that: comes nachos. It’s like our reward for driving with chicken and pulling chicken. As long as it isn’t dinner.
My BBQ flavor fantasy includes my favorite sauce with a mix of sweet corn, often some green onions and radishes with a bite. I always like a cheddar, but this time we went with a quick makeshift white cheddar queso and freshly grated cheese – melty in on-so different ways.
It’s just a big pile of love.
BBQ Chicken Nachos with Buttermilk Onion Rings
Ingredients
buttermilk onion rings
- 2 sweet onions, sliced into rings
- 1 quart buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- vegetable oil for frying
nachos
- 2 cups shredded chicken breasts
- 2/3 cup your favorite BBQ sauce, plus more for drizzling
- 1 standard size bag of tortilla chips
- 4 ounces freshly grated white cheddar cheese
- 2 ears of corn, grilled and cut from the cob
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
- 1/4 cup freshly torn cilantro
white cheddar queso
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 4 ounces freshly grated white cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
buttermilk onion rings
- A few hours or even the night before, add the onions to a baking dish. Pour the buttermilk over top making sure to fully submerge the rings. Place in the fridge until ready to use (at least 2 hours). Stir together the flour, salt, pepper, garlic and smoked paprika. Remove the onions from the fridge.
- Heat a saucepan with a few inches of oil over medium heat. Use a candy thermometer to determine when the heat reaches 350 degrees. Dredge the onions through the flour and drop them in the oil, frying until golden and crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and let drain on a paper towel. Make the queso next!
white cheddar queso
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two to create a roux. Once it’s golden and fragrant, slowly whisk in the half and half. Cook for a minute until slightly thick. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese until melted and warm. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Keep over low heat until ready to use, stirring occasionally.
nachos
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the chicken with 2/3 cup of the BBQ sauce. Place the chips on a baking sheet. Cover the chips with a sprinkling of cheese, then add the chicken on top. Throw the corn on next, along with the remaining cheese. Bake the nachos for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and chips and crispy. Remove immedaitely from the oven and cover the chips with the green onions, avocado, tomatoes, radishes and cilantro. Top with the onion rings and drizzle the queso over top. Finish with a drizzle of BBQ sauce.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
a hug of nachos.
58 Comments on “Summer BBQ Chicken Nachos with Buttermilk Onion Rings.”
I totally know that car smelling like chicken thing. Ha ha, and I would guess that would be kinda gross if you were nauseous. Hopefully that’ll pass soon. Loving the collage of pics at the bottom of the post.
Yeah, these are totally worth the effort. And they are totally dinner-worthy, too, no matter what Eddie says. :)
I also agree about the smell of the chicken! Whenever I buy one I try to get the meat off the bones as fast as possible because it just gets more difficult as the chicken starts to cool. In the end, I tell myself it was all worth it because I have heaps of chicken just waiting to be turned into something delicious, and now these nachos will be added to that list. :)
I agree about the rotisserie chicken smell. I’m sure it’s 100 times worse for you with your heightened sense of smell during your pregnancy! These nachos are worth it, though!
I mean, I didn’t think nachos could get much better… But with onion rings on top?? Best idea ever. Oh and nachos for dinner is a common occurrence in my house. Oops.
So these were the nachos Eddie didn’t want…I can’t believe it! Get with the plan Eddie because these look amazing! I’m loving this nacho recipe :)
STOP IT! This is so happening in our house this weekend. Who knew nachos could be so pretty, too?? Mine look like a hot mess every time I make them!
I totally want to be at your next burger class! These nachos ————> FOREVER!
The nachos look incredible and are a fine choice for dinner. In fact, seriously ate them for last night’s dinner :) And I am amazed with being pregnant that you’re frying up onion rings. The smell would have killed me. You are amazing!! Pinned!
The love and hate relationship with cooked chicken is never ending battle. Another one has to be hot chips for me. My onion ring obsession is now stronger than ever, combined with Mexican? I can hardy wait for my next roast chicken; I will save some just for this recipe!
woh.
I think nachos are awesome for dinner! And these nachos sound awesome as well, cannot wait to give them a try – yum! :) Pinning
I made my husband nacho dinner last night.
It’s just like a broken down taco ,but without the salsa down his shirt.
So really ,you have no cravings ??????
It just has to be something you really enjoy right now.
Onion rangs! Yes, please and thank you, all day long. :-D
My 14-year-old niece would eat nachos for breakfast, lunch and supper if she could get away with it. Everywhere we go out to eat, if nachos are on the menu we can rest assured that’s what she’s having.
We could all use a hug of nachos every once in a while. Especially fancy ones like this!
now, you, stop it over there with those buttermilk onion rings!! Looks devine!!
I’ve totally craved onion rings my entire pregnancy! What’s that about?
These look amazing and you totally deserve to take a cheat here and there. I mean, you ARE growing a whole, human person in your body. Seriously.
Yum! Don’t blame you on the smell of the rotisserie chicken. There’s no bun in my oven and I’m still not fond of the smell.
HA! I actually love the smell of rotisserie chicken… even though I don’t eat it. Same with burgers. It’s weird.
I love margaritas and, therefore, I love nachos. The two just go so perfectly together. Have always been a little nervous about making onion rings… even though I have a deep fryer to help me through the process. Need to get over that.
We do have nachos, for dinner, once in a while on Friday when I don’t feel like cooking a big meal. What a great idea to add onion rings, we like them a lot here.
Ummm, I think I actually need these right now. Not want, need.
looks SO good!
I need those onion rings now. No seriously. My stomach audibly rumbled when I saw those pictures
Wait, there are people out there who refuse to eat nachos for dinner?? WHAT. Nachos are definitely one of our lazy weeknight dinners in normal rotation! I love the idea of punching it up with bbq seasonings and onion rings.
OMG the photo series block is AMAZING!
And seriously, those chickens make the car SMELL so gross. So, I don’t blame you.
why would you not want to eat nachos for dinner….? nachos are life. and these look really delicious.
NACHOS ARE MY FAVORITE THING EVARRRRRRRRR!
Seriously. I could go into any Mexican place and have to talk myself out of ordering the nachos for dinner. Sometimes I don’t, and do. Ugh. So good! And onion rings on top? I think I’ll gaining some sympathy weight.
Is it wrong that I want to construct my own grid of nacho photos and set it as my desktop? Mmmm…
I love bright and happy food! All the textures and colors are so delicious looking :)
What a great idea of a wonderful summer dish—-I am craving those onion rings.
It’s boiled meat smell that often gets to me. But thanx for figuring away around it and producing a note worthy dish.
OMG ONION RINGS. On nachos. OMG. Eddie is nuts.
I literally told my husband I was making chicken nachos for dinner and he groaned. He did not want to “eat nachos for dinner…” What is with these men!? Either way, I made it over rice – apparently rice vs. tortilla chips makes some huge difference.
I need this recipe in my life (and mouth) right now! The onion rings with chicken and cheese…OMG I love nachos!
Oh man! This looks delicious!
These nachos. OMG, but that collage pic of the nachos. Dying. Rotisserie chicken has been my life the past month. But only from whole foods. One time I walked around whole foods for 30 minutes piling things I didn’t need I’m my cart to wait on the chickens to cook. And isn’t the whole purpose of them to save time?
I love it. It looks absolutely appetizing.
Who refuses nachos for dinner?! That’s crazy talk. These look amazing oh my goddd.
Looks amazing !
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Wow! I need these in my life!
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Buttermilk onion rings! Love it!
ohhh i want this, now! totally craving nachos right now.
xo, cheyenne
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