Loaded BBQ Chicken Totchos (2024)

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5 stars (26 ratings)

May 9, 202244

These cheesy loaded BBQ chicken totchos (tater tot “nachos”) are fantastic! Hearty enough for an easy weeknight dinner, fun enough for an appetizer or party – they are so yummy!

This innocent-looking tater tot recipe is easily one of the best things I’ve eaten all year. Delicious eaten warm straight from the pan, the leftovers are even better.

I’ve never considered myself a tater tot fan, but thanks to these totchos, I am firmly planted in the keep-tater-tots-around-at-all-times camp.

How to Make Totchos

These loaded totchos are incredibly easy to make. On a sheet pan or in a 9X13-inch pan bake tater tots until sizzling, and then layer:

Cooked chicken + BBQ sauce
Monterey Jack cheese
Thinly sliced red onion
Bacon
More cheese (of course)

This layered concoction bakes until the cheese is melty and all the ingredients are hot and bubbling.

Once the totchos come out of the oven, start layering on the toppings.

You can pick and choose whatever toppings you like, but here are our favorite toppings for these loaded BBQ chicken totchos:

Sour cream
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped avocados or guacamole
Chopped fresh cilantro
Sliced jalapeños (fresh or jarred)

SO INCREDIBLY YUMMY.

All of the ingredients in the tochos and the toppings can be altered according to your likes, dislikes and little taste buds. It’s a very adaptable recipe! Just follow your heart. You really can’t mess these up.

A Moment of Silence for Leftovers

These BBQ chicken totchos make an excellent and very easy weeknight dinner. But they’d be perfect for an appetizer or party or any other special, fun event.

What I really need to emphasize one more time is my undying love for the leftovers.

Slightly warmed up in the microwave, toppings and all and with extra cheese for good measure, these totchos are the most heavenly mess of leftover deliciousness I’ve ever eaten.

Like, hide the leftovers behind the wilting container of spinach in the fridge kind of good. I can’t wait for you to try these totchos. They are next level delicious.

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Loaded BBQ Chicken Totchos

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

5 stars (26 ratings)

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Ingredients

28-ounce bag tater tots
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 ½ cups BBQ sauce
2 to 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup thinly sliced or chopped red onion
½ to 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon (about 6-8 slices)

Toppings:

Sour cream
Chopped tomatoes
Diced avocados or guacamole
Chopped cilantro
Sliced or diced fresh or jarred jalapeños
Any other toppings you like

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange tater tots in an even single layer down the center of a half sheet pan or in the bottom of a 9X13-inch baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tater tots are heated through and sizzling (they'll cook more in a later step).
While the tater tots bake, combine the cooked chicken and BBQ sauce.
Top the tater tots evenly with the chicken mixture, half of the cheese, red onion, bacon, and remaining cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and all the ingredients are heated through.
Top with any and all toppings you like and dig in.

Notes

BBQ Sauce: my favorite homemade BBQ sauce recipe here.

Substitutions: all of the ingredients in this recipe can be altered, increased, or decreased according to your likes and dislikes; it’s a very adaptable recipe!

Author: Mel

Course: Main Course

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posted on May 9, 2022 (last updated March 30, 2024)

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44 comments on “Loaded BBQ Chicken Totchos”

Amy Okey — December 26, 2023 @ 6:01 am Reply
This is great! I didn’t have tots so I cooked those “little potatoes” on the grill, smashed them and continued with the toppings- yum!
Meme — March 14, 2023 @ 6:03 pm Reply
What is all the hype about?! Well, just try it and you will see. I wish I would have made a full batch so I could try leftovers. It is satisfying to taste every flavor. There are no throw away ingredients. They go together harmoniously. Everyone enjoyed it. Thank you!
Michelle — March 2, 2023 @ 8:56 am Reply
This has become a new family favorite for all the right reasons: Fast and easy to put together, minimal clean up and so so good. We all fight over the leftovers. When there are leftovers.
Marie — November 14, 2022 @ 6:53 pm Reply
A fantastic meal was enjoyed by all! Thank you
CJB — October 9, 2022 @ 5:51 pm Reply
These were the best to end fast Sunday ha! We had all the basics and gobbled it right up. Definitely making again.
Brenna — September 2, 2022 @ 9:24 am Reply
Amazing! My family was super skeptical when they saw me putting this together. When I said I was making “totchos” I think they thought I had finally lost my marbles. But after they tasted it my highly critical nine year old said it belongs in a five star restaurant. This will definitely be a regular for us, especially for school nights. Thank you!
Jayme — August 18, 2022 @ 6:21 pm Reply
My family loves this meal! I make it super easy and use instead of chicken, three large cans of shredded pork from Costco. I mix it with the BBQ sauce and 1 Tbsp of steak sauce then proceed with the recipe as written. Super easy, weeknight dinner that every one loves!
See Also
Buffalo Chicken Totchos
Nancy E. — June 23, 2022 @ 12:22 am Reply
I saw this recipe right before my tot-loving husband’s birthday. It was perfect! He and most of the rest of our crew loved it. I have two kids that don’t like bbq sauce. Weirdos.
Melissa — June 22, 2022 @ 2:41 pm Reply
Ridiculously easy and delicious. All my kids ate it (a minor miracle).
Betty — June 11, 2022 @ 10:40 am Reply
I am dying to try this recipe, but the only meat I have on hand at the moment is ground beef. Could I sub this for the chicken and leave the rest of the recipe as is?
- Mel — June 13, 2022 @ 8:11 am Reply
  Sure, I think you could try that!
J — May 30, 2022 @ 6:56 pm Reply
This was so good. Comfort food at its best! I made it for my husband and 6 kids as they got back from a day of hard work and chainsawing. It was delicious and filling. I didn’t have any avocados or jalapeños but it would be even better with them. This would be a good take-in meal for a family with kids!
J — May 30, 2022 @ 3:00 pm Reply
This was so good. Comfort food at its best! I made it for my husband and 6 kids as they got back from a day of hard work and chainsawing. It was delicious and filling. I didn’t have any avocados or jalapeños but it would be even better with them. This would be a good, easy take-in meal for a family with kids.
Michelle — May 23, 2022 @ 10:35 am Reply
A million stars. Delicious. Surprising. ADDICTIVE! A new family favorite.
Dodi — May 21, 2022 @ 10:08 am Reply
We had plans to go camping this weekend and my daughter suggested we make tin-foil nachos. I had just seen this recipe and thought it might be fun to try it over a fire. So, we did tin foil totchos! I made slow cooker BBQ shredded chicken and did not add any extra bbq sauce when we cooked them. As with any food cooked over a fire, they were not evenly cooked and would have been better in the oven. But, they were still quite good and really fun. Also, way easier than trying to do regular tin foil dinners.
- Mel — May 21, 2022 @ 10:39 pm Reply
  What a fantastic camping meal!! Thanks for the suggestion!
Rae — May 19, 2022 @ 7:21 pm Reply
This looks soo good!! I make something similar with waffle or crinkle fries and bbq pulled pork as the base. I add corn and green onions but hadn’t thought of any fresh nacho toppings like you have added after baking. I am definitely making a hybrid version of my recipe and yours next time. Thanks for the fun ideas 🙂
Lisa Washburn — May 19, 2022 @ 6:56 am Reply
These totchos were soooo good! My 13-year-old said, “Mom, this looks like restaurant food!” They were a hit. Thanks!
Carolee — May 18, 2022 @ 7:50 am Reply
Hi Mel! Do you have a recommendation on best form of cooked chicken for this recipe? Like should I just cook some cut up pieces on the stove? Or what’s your fave for this dish? This looks like a fun Friday night dinner!
- Mel — May 18, 2022 @ 11:37 am Reply
  Hey Carolee! I usually use a rotisserie because it’s quick and easy (and I don’t have to cook the chicken). Some people have reported back they used canned chicken and it worked great, too. Or you can cook some chicken thighs or breasts in the instant pot or slow cooker and shred OR do what you suggested and cook up chicken pieces in a skillet on the stove. There’s really no wrong way!
Rachel Russell — May 17, 2022 @ 11:21 pm Reply
Loved !
Arlene O. — May 17, 2022 @ 7:53 pm Reply
Made these for dinner tonight — delish! My family was snatching bites of things the whole time I was prepping it, so I had to kick them out of the kitchen. My daughter can be picky at times, but she even asked me to make this for her birthday dinner (which isn’t for a couple more months lol!). Thanks for another yummy dish, Mel!
- Arlene O. — May 17, 2022 @ 7:54 pm Reply
  Oops forgot to add some stars…
Linda — May 15, 2022 @ 8:35 pm Reply
I made these for a family gathering and they were a huge hit!! Thanks Mel!!!
- Mel — May 17, 2022 @ 2:17 pm Reply
  Yay, Linda! Thanks for letting me know!
Ashley — May 13, 2022 @ 8:13 pm Reply
My husband is with you – he is NOT a fan of tater tots, yet this recipe had him digging in for seconds! He can’t eat tomato/nightshade based foods, so on his half I used a homemade queso recipe instead of the barbecue sauce. Between the two options, it was a hit with everyone!
- Ashley — May 13, 2022 @ 8:15 pm Reply
  My five stars didn’t seem to take in my first comment, so I’m making sure they do in my second!
- Mel — May 17, 2022 @ 2:17 pm Reply
  Thanks for the review, Ashley! Great idea on using queso to offset having to eliminate some ingredients. Happy these were a hit!
Samantha Price — May 12, 2022 @ 7:02 pm Reply
Mel.. this was amazing! I switched out regular bacon for turkey bacon. And regular tater tots for sweet potato ones! Absolutely amazing! Your best recipe yet. Thanks as always.
- Samantha Price — May 13, 2022 @ 5:51 am Reply
  Also.. wanted to mention to anyone reading this. The guacamole is definitely necessary!!! Lol
  - Mel — May 17, 2022 @ 2:16 pm Reply
    Ha! I agree about the guac!
Courtney — May 12, 2022 @ 8:25 am Reply
Nachos are my favorite food, so I am definitely going to have to try these, BUT I have never liked BBQ sauce/flavoring. I’m afraid if I leave it out these will be dying for some seasoning/flavor. Any suggestions on alternate flavors/sauces/spices/marinades that can give the chicken a yummy boost?
- Mel — May 14, 2022 @ 3:01 pm Reply
  Hi Courtney, you could try to mix spices like cumin, chili powder, oregano, etc into a tomato-based mixture (like tomato sauce maybe?) and toss that with the chicken for a Mexican-ish flavor vibe?
- Kate — May 18, 2022 @ 8:50 am Reply
  Same! I used grilled chicken which was all ready super tasty and queso (nacho cheese sauce) and is was DELISH!
Tara — May 11, 2022 @ 12:56 pm Reply
Yum! Came on here to figure out what to make for dinner tonight and as always, you didn’t let me down! Thank you!
- Mel — May 11, 2022 @ 3:19 pm Reply
  Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Tara!
Callie — May 10, 2022 @ 7:03 pm Reply
Oh my gosh! I made these tonight and they were PHENOMENAL! I used the Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce from Trader Joe’s. YUM! Thanks, Mel!
- Callie — May 11, 2022 @ 10:29 am Reply
  I forgot to put my five stars on my review! So I’m back to make sure everyone knows how amazing these are. Hahaha!
  - Mel — May 11, 2022 @ 3:19 pm Reply
    Oh yay! I’m so, so happy you loved them! I was really hoping people would love this recipe as much as I did!
Colleen Stutz — May 10, 2022 @ 6:39 pm Reply
We tried these tonight and we loved them! I only made half the recipe for my husband and me and we have enough for another meal. I will definitely make these again!
- Mel — May 11, 2022 @ 3:19 pm Reply
  Thanks, Colleen! Appreciate you letting me know!
Jimi Nickel — May 10, 2022 @ 5:42 pm Reply
These were amazing!
- Mel — May 11, 2022 @ 3:18 pm Reply
  I’m so happy you liked them! Thanks for letting me know!
Elisabeth B. — May 9, 2022 @ 12:19 pm Reply
Looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try this!! Thanks Mel!!