The 20-Minute Sheet Pan Dinner I Make When Life Is Life-ing

As much as I love to cook, sometimes I just don’t even want to think about making dinner, let alone all the clean-up that happens afterwards. But since I feed a small army every night, pretending dinnertime doesn’t exist isn’t an option. 

Thankfully, I have a number of low-lift dinners in my back pocket that require almost zero effort, minimal clean-up, and still bring us together for at least 15 minutes a day. These BBQ chicken sheet pan nachos are one of those dinners. They’re quick, easy, and will be gobbled up in no time. 

A Flexible Weeknight Winner

This is one of those recipes where the measurements suggested are just that: suggestions. Feel free to add or subtract according to your family’s taste buds! Start with some shredded cooked chicken and toss it in bottled barbecue sauce. My favorite is Stubb’s Original because it has less sugar than other varieties, but Sweet Baby Ray’s is a solid second choice.

Once the chicken is coated, spread it out on top of some tortilla chips—we really love Don Julio Lightly Seasoned Tortilla Chips—then add cheese, pineapple, red onion, and cilantro. It’s sweet, tangy, fast, and can be eaten straight from the pan at the dinner table! 

What Chicken to Use

Here are some different ways to cook the chicken for  this “unrecipe”:

• Rotisserie chicken: For when you don’t feel like cooking at all! I usually have a bag or two of rotisserie chicken on hand in the freezer or can easily grab one at the store. 
• Slow cooker: My favorite method for cooking chicken for shredding in a hands-off way is to stick boneless breasts or thighs in the slow cooker with about 1 cup of water, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and cook the chicken on low for 3 to 4 hours on low or 2 to 3 hours on high. When it’s finished, I take it out of the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. 
• Pressure cooker: If you’d like to pressure cook the chicken, this method is fantastic.

Topping Suggestions

The basic toppings I like to use for these sheet pan nachos are simple:

• Cheddar cheese: Any type of cheddar cheese will do. Use whatever you have on hand! If you’re in a pinch, you can use pre-shredded cheese, but I’ve found that it doesn’t melt as well. I prefer to shred my own cheese (it’s also cheaper!).
• Pineapple: Fresh pineapple is our top choice (snag a container of pre-prepped in the produce section for ease!), but I also use canned pineapple chunks when I’m short on time. Just make sure to drain them really well and lightly pat them dry with a towel before topping.
• Red onion and cilantro: I love the color and brightness that finely sliced red onion and chopped fresh cilantro add here, but you can skip them if anyone in your family isn’t a fan.
• Additional toppings: Like all nachos, this base is flexible for whatever your heart desires! I particularly love adding crumbled feta, pickled jalapenos, chopped avocado, and/or crumbled cooked bacon, in addition to the above. A dollop of sour cream or a dash of hot sauce is great, too!