{"id":16626,"date":"2019-01-28T09:28:34","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T14:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/?p=16626"},"modified":"2019-06-26T11:32:10","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T15:32:10","slug":"the-best-lighter-chicken-nachos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/the-best-lighter-chicken-nachos\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Lighter Chicken Nachos"},"content":{"rendered":"

These lighter chicken nachos might have fewer calories, but they don\u2019t sacrifice an ounce of flavor. They\u2019re piled high with tortilla chips, delicious (and easy!) slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken, seasoned black beans, melted cheddar cheese, and all the fixins\u2014for only 396 calories or 8 WW points!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

You know how even mediocre pizza is still pretty good? Nachos don\u2019t work like that. Good<\/em> nachos are hard to come by. At their worst, the ratio of chips to cheese is off and the toppings aren\u2019t evenly distributed, leaving half of the chips without even a shred of cheese. This is what creates those friendship-ending moments where one person picks up the single chip holding ALL the cheese and everyone at the table gasps and dies inside.<\/p>\n

All of the best nachos are topped with some sort of Tex-Mex-style meat, or well-seasoned beans\u2014or better yet, both! These toppings are key when it comes to making nachos that are a little lighter and healthier and yet still taste great. My rule of thumb is: the more flavorful the meat and\/or beans, the less you need to rely on cheese to provide all the flavor and satisfaction (allowing you to use a little less). These chicken nachos prove that, with a completely delicious slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken and black beans. And the best news is, the recipe is almost laughably easy. All you need are 4 simple ingredients: boneless, skinless chicken breast, a can of black beans (rinsed and drained), a can of diced tomatoes (I always use Tuttorosso<\/a>), and 1 packet of taco seasoning mix (I like McCormick 30% Less Sodium Taco Seasoning<\/a>). Combine them in your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours. The chicken that emerges is full of flavor and so tender that it practically falls apart at the touch of a fork. The beans are soft and faintly spiced. You can even use the juicy, seasoned tomatoes (drained of the liquid) as a kind of salsa.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The only remaining ingredients are the tortilla chips and the corn. The rest is up to you: salsa, chopped avocado or guacamole, cilantro, red onion, pickled jalape\u00f1os, sour cream (or nonfat Greek yogurt to add creaminess and tang with fewer calories)\u2026For chips, I almost always use Tostitos brand\u2014either the Restaurant-Style (used in the photos) or the Bite Size (called for in the recipe). Since we’re trying to keep the nachos on the lighter side, I recommend using the bite size because 1 serving (1 ounce) is 24 chips\u2014an amount that allows you the fun and satisfaction of many small bites.<\/p>\n

Now it’s time to bake our chicken nachos. You have 2 options:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Bake the nachos in a single layer using TWO baking sheets. This can help prevent sogginess.<\/li>\n
  2. Layer them on ONE baking sheet. I’m partial to layering.\u00a0 To do this, spread half of the tortilla chips in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Then, evenly distribute half of the slow cooker shredded chicken, beans, some of the drained diced tomatoes, corn, and cheddar cheese. I love adding corn for a bit of sweetness. Repeat the layering with the rest of the chips and toppings.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Either way, bake until the cheese melts and the ends of the chips turn a light golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve them right from the pan, topped with whatever you like!<\/p>\n

    Enjoy!<\/p>\n

    \"The<\/p>\n

    <\/div>
    \n\t
    \"The<\/div>\n\t
    <\/div>\n\t<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print Recipe<\/a>\n\t\n\t
    <\/svg><\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/svg><\/span>
    5<\/span> from 2<\/span> votes<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    The Best Lighter Chicken Nachos<\/h2>\n
    <\/div>\n
    These lighter chicken nachos might have fewer calories, but they don\u2019t sacrifice an ounce of flavor. They\u2019re piled high with tortilla chips, delicious (and easy!) slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken, seasoned black beans, melted cheddar cheese, and all the fixins\u2014for only 396 calories or 8 WW points!<\/span><\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    Prep Time<\/span>15 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
    Cook Time<\/span>4 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span> 20 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
    Total Time<\/span>4 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span> 35 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    Course: <\/span>Main Course<\/span><\/div>
    Cuisine: <\/span>Mexican<\/span><\/div>
    Keyword: <\/span>best chicken nachos, low calorie chicken nachos, slow cooked chicken nachos<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
    Servings: <\/span>6<\/span> servings<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
    Calories: <\/span>396<\/span>kcal<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
    Author: <\/span>Andie Mitchell<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

    Ingredients<\/h3>
    • 1 14.5-<\/span> ounce<\/span> can diced tomatoes<\/span><\/li>
    • 1 1.25-<\/span> ounce<\/span> packet taco seasoning mix<\/span> I like [McCormick 30% Less Sodium Taco Seasoning Mix<\/span><\/li>
    • 1 15-<\/span> ounce<\/span> can black beans<\/span> rinsed and drained<\/span><\/li>
    • 1<\/span> pound<\/span> boneless<\/span> skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)<\/span><\/li>
    • 1<\/span> cup<\/span> frozen sweet corn<\/span> thawed<\/span><\/li>
    • 1<\/span> cup<\/span> shredded cheddar cheese<\/span> 4 ounces<\/span><\/li>
    • 6<\/span> ounces<\/span> Tostitos Bite Size Tortilla Chips<\/span> 6 servings or about half of a standard size bag<\/span><\/li>
    • Optional toppings: salsa<\/span> sour cream, avocado, scallions, black olives, pickled jalape\u00f1os)<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n

      Instructions<\/h3>
      • In the base of your slow cooker, combine the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Stir in the drained black beans. Nestle the chicken breasts in the tomatoes, spooning some over the top to cover them. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.<\/div><\/li>
      • Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and use a fork to pull the chicken into smaller pieces or shreds. Use a slotted spoon or a fine mesh sieve to remove the beans and some of the diced tomatoes from the slow cooker and place them in a medium bowl. Discard the thinner liquid left behind. (Note: If you aren\u2019t planning to use the meat right away, reserve \u00bd cup of the liquid to pour over the meat in a storage container to help keep it moist and flavorful in the refrigerator.)<\/div><\/li>
      • Preheat oven to 350\u00b0 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.<\/div><\/li>
      • Spread half of the tortilla chips in a single layer on the baking sheet, then evenly distribute half of the chicken, beans and tomatoes, corn, and cheddar cheese. Repeat the layering with the rest of the chips and toppings and bake until the cheese melts and the ends of the chips turn golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately with whatever toppings you like\u2014salsa or fresh pico de gallo, avocado, chopped cilantro, red onion, pickled jalape\u00f1os, sour cream.<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n
        <\/div>\n

        Notes<\/h3>
        1 serving: 8 WW Freestyle Points<\/span>
        <\/div>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n

        Nutrition<\/h3>
        Calories: <\/span>396<\/span>kcal<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Protein: <\/span>27<\/span>g<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Fat: <\/span>14<\/span>g<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Sodium: <\/span>709<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Fiber: <\/span>5<\/span>g<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Sugar: <\/span>4<\/span>g<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        These lighter chicken nachos might have fewer calories, but they don\u2019t sacrifice an ounce of flavor. They\u2019re piled high with …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1158,1079,1058],"tags":[159,1138,1128],"class_list":["post-16626","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipes","category-appetizers","category-poultry","tag-chicken","tag-healthy-comfort-food","tag-mexican"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}