Low Carb Keto Nachos Recipe With Spicy Chicken

Name: Low Carb Keto Nachos Recipe With Spicy Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese ((shredded; or 6 large slices)); 1 1/2 cups Cooked chicken breast ((plain without seasonings; diced or shredded)); 1/2 large Avocado ((diced)); 1/2 cup Roma tomato ((diced)); 3 tbsp White onion ((minced)); 1 tsp Paprika; 1/2 tsp Garlic salt; 1/2 tsp Cumin; 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper ((or more to taste)); 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese ((shredded))

Jump to recipeThe best keto nachos recipe needs no specialty ingredients! 30-minute low carb nachos are made on cheesy chips and smothered with a taco seasoned chicken mix.

By Maya Krampf

31 Comments

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This keto nachos recipe is totally munch-able and most definitely crave-worthy. The best part about these low carb nachos is that the ingredients are so simple. You probably have them on hand right now. Shredded chicken, cheese, veggies, and spices are all you need to create these gorgeous, colorful keto friendly nachos. Mexican night never tasted so good – while being good for you at the same time.

This keto nachos recipe was originally published on May 26, 2016, and was republished in April 2020 to add better photos, useful tips and answer common questions.

Are Nachos Keto Friendly?

Regular nachos are not keto friendly, since they use tortilla chips made with corn or wheat. Which is precisely why we needed our own keto friendly nachos!

While nachos out at restaurants are too high in carbs, nachos on keto are possible with this recipe! They’re also super delicious and made with wholesome, healthy ingredients.

Cheese crisps make easy, delicious keto nacho chips, and the toppings are naturally low in carbs. You can definitely eat these keto nachos while sticking to your keto diet.

How To Make Keto Nacho Chips

I kept this low carb nacho recipe super simple by using shredded cheddar and this method for cheddar cheese crisps. Essentially, you make mounds of shredded cheese on parchment paper and bake until crispy. You’ll want to use only cheddar instead of the cheddar parmesan blend I used at that link (cheddar is a better flavor pairing for nachos), but the process is exactly the same.

I have some tips for you for making the best keto nacho chips, as well as some variations:

Cheese can be shredded or sliced. If you have cheese slices on hand, you can make nacho chips with them just as easily as shredded. Cut them into 1-inch squares, space them 2 inches apart on parchment paper, and bake. Just make sure that the cheese is pre-sliced, or otherwise slice it using a mandolin, because it’s critical for these to be thin and uniform in size.
Add chip seasonings if you like. I kept my chips simple with just plain cheese, since the toppings are seasoned, but feel free to season the chips as well. Simple sprinkle seasonings of your choice on top of the cheese pieces or shreds before baking the chips. Chili powder and garlic powder are the most common, or even a little cumin.
Make your low carb nacho chips as either rounds or triangles. I made my chips into circles, which is how they spread naturally and find that’s the least amount of work. But if you want a triangle shape, you can bake an entire sheet of cheese (no spaces between), and then once cooled, slice diagonally in opposite directions to cut into triangles.
Watch closely. Watch the low carb nacho chips closely when they are in the oven! Since they’re all cheese, low carb cheese crisp nachos can go from gooey to burned in a matter of seconds. Five minutes was the perfect amount of time in my oven, but yours may vary. Start with five minutes and add more as needed gradually.
Bake until golden brown. The low carb nacho chips are done when the edges are starting to brown but the center is still bright orange and sizzling. Don’t worry, the bright orange center will crisp up as they cool. Don’t wait for the entire chip to turn brown, because by then they will taste burnt.

If you like this method for making keto nachos with cheese, you’ll probably also like the cheese taco shells I make in a similar way.

Finally, if you want a more authentic chip that isn’t just crispy cheese (even though that is delicious!), you can grab some almond flour and make keto tortilla chips like this instead.

How To Make Keto Nachos

Once you have the chips ready, it’s time to make some keto friendly nachos with them!

Make nacho topping. Dice cooked chicken, avocado, tomatoes, and onions. Mix the spices together, then stir into chicken mixture.

Assemble keto friendly nachos. Top cheese chips with spoonfuls of the chicken then a bit of mozzarella cheese.

Bake very briefly. Put them in the oven for just a couple of minutes, or until cheese on the top has melted – but not longer.

IMPORTANT: Be careful to not bake them too long, or the cheese chips will melt!

Topping Ideas For Keto Friendly Nachos

I topped these keto friendly nachos with a combination of chicken, avocado, tomato, onion, and spices. Why did I do it this way? So that the melted cheese on top forms a seal around the toppings and keeps them stuck to the chips, for easier eating.

But you can also add fresh toppings once they come out of the oven, too! Either way, here are some topping ideas for keto diet nachos:

Cooked chicken – I usually make Instant Pot shredded chicken, since it’s so quick!
Ground taco meat – If you want keto nachos with beef instead of chicken, simply brown a pound of ground beef, add 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, and cook until the extra moisture evaporates. Use the same method I used for the meat in taco salad.
Shredded lettuce
Diced onion
Sliced black olives
Fresh tomato salsa – Or any other salsa you like, such as avocado salsa or even hot sauce
Sour cream
Guacamole – Best. Guac. Ever.
Cilantro
Keto cheese sauce – This is probably too much when you already are using cheese chips, but if you decide to use almond flour tortilla chips, cheese sauce will pair great with those.
Jalapenos

More Keto Mexican Recipes

Love Mexican food? You’ll want to check out all the different ways to make keto tacos, plus some of the most popular reader-fave keto Mexican recipes:

Keto Taco Casserole – Made in a slow cooker, for an easy hands-off meal using pantry ingredients.
Keto Tamales – With a mouthwatering masa, and no corn!
Mexican Poblano Peppers – Stuffed with chicken and cheese, these stuffed peppers have a very similar flavor profile to this keto chicken nachos recipe.
The Best Carne Asada – Complete with method for cooking the steak and the most amazing marinade.
Beef Barbacoa – Super easy, super flavorful, and perfect over a Mexican salad or even cauliflower rice.
7-Layer Taco Dip – Perfect for making ahead! Great for a party, but also awesome for lunch.

Low Carb Keto Nachos Recipe With Spicy Chicken

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31 Comments

Trudy
0 February 7, 2022Reply

Pork rinds work well with these toppings as an easier nacho. I add the grated cheese on top put it in the microwave for a minute or so to melt the cheese. I pick out the bigger flatter pork rinds and save the smaller curled ones for breading in other recipes.
Annie
0 February 6, 2022Reply

I am game to try two recipes today this one and the chicken parm. Do you have any cheese brands that you know of that are more keto than others?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 February 7, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Annie, Pretty much all cheese is low carb.
Beth haltom
0 August 26, 2020Reply

I just love all your recipes you post!! I am making this one tonight. sounds delicious! thank you for the recipe.
PATRICIA MURILLO
0 July 31, 2020Reply

What temperature to bake the cheese and for how long?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 July 31, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Patricia, Follow the instructions for this recipe: Baked Cheddar Parmesan Crisps for the cheese chips.
Madaline
0 July 13, 2020Reply

Just had this for lunch. Needed 2 cups of cheese for 24 chips & I was nervous it wouldn’t be enough for me, my husband, & 3 kids (11, 7, 3) but I was mistaken. I’m staring at 4 leftover nachos that I’m desperately holding myself back from eating.

I made a few adjustments. I only mixed the chicken in the spices. I turned the tomatoes & onions into pico de Gallo. I also topped the nachos with lettuce & a cilantro crema. They were out of this world.

I love your website so much & your meal app has been a huge changer for my household. Thank you so much for this & all your recipes.
Jessica
0 April 27, 2020Reply

We just started keto and I am amazed at how many delicious things I can make without carbs… like cheddar chips! Thanks!
Suzy
0 April 27, 2020Reply

I am loving all of the flavors in these nachos! The cheese is the best!
Charlene
0 January 15, 2020Reply

How is the chicken cooked for this?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 January 16, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Charlene, This chicken is cooked in the crock pot and shredded.
  - Charlene
    0 January 17, 2020Reply
    
    On low or high? And for how long?
    Thanks for the help!
    - Charlene
      0 January 17, 2020Reply
      
      In other words, what are the detailed instructions on cooking the chicken?…in water…length of time…temp…and any other question concerning the cooking! 🙂
      Thanks!
    - Wholesome Yum M
      0 January 20, 2020Reply
      
      Either! It just depends on how much time you have to let them cook. Place chicken breasts in a single layer in the crock pot. Add 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth per pound of chicken. Set to low for 6-8 hours, or to high for 3-4. Once done, you can shred your chicken easily with a couple of forks.
Debbie
0 May 21, 2017Reply

I grate my cheese and put it in a silicon muffin pan then nuke them til crisp. I have two large ones and a mini one, perfect round chips every time!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 May 22, 2017Reply
  
  Thanks for sharing, Debbie! That’s a great idea!
  - Su
    0 June 15, 2020Reply
    
    Great recipe! I used ground turkey for the meat, and once i had added the taco seasonings no one knew it wasn’t ground beef. The cheese crisps were perfect for taste and texture. I’ll make those by themselves too for snacks. Thanks!
Cristina
0 November 19, 2016Reply

Can these be made in batches and stored to take to a party or do they have to be eaten right away?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 November 19, 2016Reply
  
  You can make most of it in advance. I would wait to add the avocado and put the topping on the chips until right before, just to avoid the avocado browning and to keep the chips under the topping crisp. Or you could add the avocado in advance too, just toss it with a little lime juice to keep it from browning. When I made this, I actually made a large batch and we had leftovers – they were still good from the fridge the next day, but the chips were not as crispy.
Carley
0 November 2, 2016Reply

Can I replace the chicken with ground beef and the net carbs still stay the same?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 November 2, 2016Reply
  
  Yes, you can. The fat and protein will change, but carbs should be the same.
Amy Gowans
0 August 25, 2016Reply

These look delicious. What is the serving size for this recipe? It doesn’t say in the nutritional breakdown.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 August 25, 2016Reply
  
  Thank you, Amy! The nutrition facts listed are for one large chip with the toppings, or about 1/24th of the recipe. You’d probably have more than one for a serving, though. Hope that helps!
  - Felicia
    0 January 31, 2018Reply
    
    So one chip with toppings is 330 calories?
    - Maya | Wholesome Yum
      0 February 2, 2018Reply
      
      Hi Felicia, thanks for pointing this out. The serving size is actually six large chips with toppings. So six chips (with toppings) is 330 calories.
Darlene Goudy
0 August 7, 2016Reply

I have tried making cheese chips but I could not get them off the parchment. It was an epic fail. Can I spray with cooking spray ?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 August 7, 2016Reply
  
  Hi Darlene, You can try cooking spray but most likely that wasn’t the issue. I would try keeping them in the oven for a minute longer, and waiting for them to cool before removing them from the parchment paper. If they are still gooey, they are not ready to be removed yet. They will harden as they cool. Hope this helps.
Marlene
0 May 29, 2016Reply

Is the sliced cheddar you get pre-packaged the right thickness, or should I get it slide in the deli? Love this idea for GF and paleo friends.
- Maya
  0 May 29, 2016Reply
  
  I got the pre-packaged kind, but you can also get it sliced at the deli if you prefer. You could try cutting it yourself too, if you think you can get it to a uniform thickness. Glad you like it!
Tasha
0 May 26, 2016Reply

These look so delicious! I will definitely be trying these! Love your new theme, looks great!
- Maya
  0 May 26, 2016Reply
  
  Thank you! Let me know what you think of them if you try them! Off to visit your site now, too. 🙂