Smoky Honey Chicken Nachos

The recipe · 2 dinner portions or 4 snack portions

Smoky Honey Chicken Nachos

From my cookbook in progress, Eat Different: Safe Foods for Neurodivergent Minds.

Cooking battery 2/3. Steady attention.

Hands-on

10 min

Total

18 min

Makes

2 dinner portions or 4 snack portions

Times are estimates. Hands-on time is included in the total.

Tools: Mixing bowl, rimmed sheet pan, thermometer

Texture and flavor: I want the smoke first and just a little sweetness after. A sturdy chip, melted cheese, and a small bite of chicken are enough to get me started.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces sturdy tortilla chips
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar
• Optional toppings such as sour cream, pickled jalapeños, salsa, or sliced green onions

How to make it

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line the sheet pan with parchment and spread the chips in a mostly single layer.
2. Stir the tomato paste, water, honey, smoked paprika, lime juice, and garlic powder together. Toss with the cooked chicken. Taste a small piece. The smoke should come through first, with the sweetness behind it.
3. Scatter half the cheese over the chips. Add the chicken in small clusters, then scatter on the remaining cheese.
4. Bake for 5–8 minutes, until the cheese is melted across the tray and the chicken reaches 165°F. Check at 5 minutes so the exposed chips don’t get too dark.
5. Serve right away. Put wet toppings in small bowls for dipping if you want the chips to stay crisp.