It is almost time for Cinco de Mayo – one of our favorite spring holidays. This festive holiday is an annual celebration to commemorate the Mexican Army’s victory over the French empire at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, but, as many of you know, it is celebrated exuberantly here in the United States. To assist you in having plenty of fare for any of your Cinco de Mayo festivities, we will be posting recipes for all your entertaining needs.
Now, nachos are not exactly traditional Mexican cuisine. In fact, they were created just south of the border in 1943 by Ignacio Anaya, a Mexican restaurateur, to feed groups of Army wives who were visiting from Eagle, Pass, Texas. Ignacio was the maître d’ at the Victory Club restaurant, where the group of wives arrived outside of regular operating hours. Not wanting to turn them away (and unable to locate the restaurant’s chef), Ignacio went ahead and whipped up a plate of fried tortilla chips topped with melted cheese and sliced jalapenos – basically whatever he had lying around in the kitchen that evening.
From that moment, a sensation was born! Nachos Especiales quickly gained popularity in Tex-Mex cuisine. They even named October 21, International Day of the Nacho to honor Ignacio’s culinary contribution. We enjoy this delightful dish all year long, however, May has quickly approached – so, first, it will be nachos for Cinco de Mayo.
Our version of the nacho consists of a layer of shredded chicken, tomato-based sauce and more – making Smoky Pulled Chicken Nachos a great addition to your holiday line-up. This dish definitely has some added heft to it, straddling the line between a snack/appetizer and meal and allowing them to assist in soaking up a margarita (or four) when celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
Get ready to prepare the ultimate nacho dish for your party! The pulled chicken in the sauce can be prepared a day or two in advance. You can layer and bake the nachos whenever you are ready to serve. Kyle garnished his nachos with all the fixings, but for a party you can create your own little nacho bar by putting all the toppings in separate bowls.
As many of our readers already know, Kyle is raw onion averse. My relationship with onions is not so pleasant either, due to my digestively challenged nature. For this recipe, Kyle chose to top the nachos with thinly sliced shallots tossed in about 1 tablespoon of lime juice to further mellow the flavor. Of course for your own version of the recipe, feel free to use white or red onions if you prefer, this recipe is infinitely adaptable. For the cheese topping, he felt crumbled cotija cheese would be most authentic, BUT, he only had goat cheese – however it really made a great substitute!
The tangy flavor to the goat cheese was reminiscent of the creamy, acidic pop of flavor that sour cream can typically provide. Kyle prefers these nachos without the usual slathering of melted, shredded cheese. He feels it would overwhelm the intense smoky flavor of the pulled chicken. In addition, it saved the dish from becoming a total gut buster. Therefore, one doesn’t feel completely guilty about polishing off an entire pan in one sitting (oops!).
Since we are slowly entering into the lovely weather of the Spring season, Kyle cooked a second batch in a pan on the grill. The tortillas browned quite a bit more than they would have in the oven version; however, the grill definitely infused them with a higher level of smokiness, really accentuating the flavors of the pulled chicken. Our nachos were topped off with some avocado, thinly sliced jalapeno, some scattered cilantro, and a drizzle of fresh lime juice. The great thing about this recipe is that you can dress them up any way you like! The world is your nacho!
This recipe will be the perfect addition to any Cinco de Mayo celebration. Paired with some Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole and some margaritas – or other tequila cocktails – you cannot go wrong with your culinary spread on May 5!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 8 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. Chile powder
- ½ tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- pinch cayenne pepper
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 9-ounce bag tortilla chips
- 4 ounces crumbly cheese (cotija would be most authentic, but Feta and goat cheese both work great here), plus more for garnish
- To serve:
- thinly sliced jalapeno
- ½ a white onion, minced or 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- diced avocado
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add oil, onion, garlic, and sugar to a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and fragrant, but not browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add chicken, spices, vinegar, tomato sauce and stock to the pan a stir to combine. Increase heat to medium heat, bring mixture to a boil and cook until sauce is reduced and quite thick, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Coat a large baking sheet with foil and coat the foil lightly with oil or cooking spray. Spread half of the tortilla chips on the sheet, then top with half of the chicken mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat this step once more with remaining chips, chicken and cheese. Bake 15 minutes.
- Top with a handful of jalapeno, onion or shallot, cilantro, avocado, and lime wedges (or whichever garnishes suit your fancy). Serve and enjoy!
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