Mambo Chicken Nachos

Now that it’s officially spring, BBQ season is just around the corner! Don’t be the eighth guest to bring brownies or a cheese platter to your neighbor’s backyard get-together, instead mix things up with a fun dish that is super easy to prepare.

My friend Ashley gave me a bottle of Washington DC Original Mambo Sauce to try out for the blog a couple of weeks ago (she and a few other fellow AU students are helping the company with their public relations efforts for the semester), and my mind instantly went to shredded chicken. While the website touts the sauce for being perfect as a condiment to pour onto fries or wings, I thought it would also be great as a marinade to start up the dish.

The DC Original Mambo Sauce is part tangy, part deep BBQ flavor and all-around delicious.

Mambo Chicken Nachos

Ingredients:

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)

2 tbsp Washington DC Original Mambo Sauce (+ extra for serving)

1 tbsp lime juice (+ extra for serving)

1 cup chicken stock

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 avocado, chopped into cubes

1 medium-sized tomato, chopped into cubes

1 cup shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

2 tbsp chopped spring onion

1 6 oz. bag multigrain tortilla chips

Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

Marinate the chicken with mambo sauce and lime juice overnight (a plastic bag or sealed container will do the trick). The next day, add the marinated chicken, chicken stock and crushed garlic to a dutch oven on medium heat. Once the chicken stock starts to boil, turn heat to low, cover the dutch oven and let the chicken poach for two hours. At the end of the two hours, remove the chicken from the pot and shred it by using two forks. Spoon a bit of the stock over the shredded chicken and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and begin to assemble the nachos in an oven-safe pan. Pour the tortilla chips into the bottom of the pan, top with shredded cheese, chicken and spring onion. Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Top the nachos with the chopped tomato and avocado and finish with sea salt, lime juice and mambo sauce to taste.

Serves 6 as an appetizer or 3 as a main.

If you’re going to bring these delicious nachos to a party, just skip the oven step at home and heat once you’re there!

I served the nachos for dinner last night with baked yams; they are fun to eat and a definite crowd-pleaser!

You can also use the shredded chicken from the nacho recipe to make some flavorful sliders. Pile the chicken onto mini buns, top each with additional mambo sauce and a pickle slice, and you’ll have an impressive appetizer for pass-arounds!

What recipes will you be cooking up for BBQ season?

-M