“When I was first developing this recipe, I wanted to put the chicken on the waffles, but it wasn’t really working out,” says Dan Whalen of his Chicken and Waffle Nachos. “Once I realized that the chicken serves as a chip in its own way, it all came together for me. I use frozen chicken strips and waffles for this and have zero shame about it — it makes these nachos pretty effortless.”
1 bag (25 ounces) frozen breaded chicken strips
20 frozen waffles, halved
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Jack cheese
About 20 pickled jalapeño slices
2 scallions, trimmed, and green and white parts sliced
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup hot sauce
Cook the chicken according to the package directions (breaking up any large pieces so the pieces are all about the same size). Meanwhile, cook the waffles according to the package directions, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the cooking time so they get crunchy.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with a rack in the center.
Arrange the waffles in an even layer on a sheet pan, overlapping them as little as possible. Top with the chicken, distributing it evenly, then add the cheddar and Jack cheeses and jalapeño slices.
Bake until the cheeses have melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Top the nachos with the scallions, syrup, and hot sauce. Serve hot.
“Excerpted from Nachos for Dinner: Surprising Sheet Pan Meals the Whole Family Will Love! by Dan Whalen (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2021. Photographs by Penny De Los Santos.”
If you gobbled down these Chicken and Waffle Nachos, try these Street Corn Nachos next.