Delicious dinner? Or weird pregnancy craving? I’LL LET YOU DECIDE.
Baby Jackson #2 is coming this fall and after a couple months of nothing but apples and Triscuits sounding good, I’m now in the blissful second trimester and all I want is everything garlic and SPICY.
Naturally, this means a lot of buffalo sauce in my life.
One of my favorite ways to consume buffalo chicken has been in this loaded Irish nachos format. Crispy garlic potato slices topped with homemade buffalo chicken and cheddar and bleu cheese and cilantro and green onion. It’s my kind of sheet pan dinner!
Get the ranch out if that’s what you’re about. I’m not normally one to take a strong stance on ranch dressing but it is so, so good on these!
WHAT ARE IRISH NACHOS?
Irish nachos are nachos made with crispy roasted potato slices instead of tortilla chips. It’s the potato base that makes them Irish, not the toppings!
TIPS FOR THE POTATOES
Potatoes make for such a satisfying nacho base! It feels like fun comfort food. The ideal potato slice for Irish nachos should be cooked through and beginning to crisp.
The key to consistent crisping is evenly sized potato slices. I highly recommend using a food processor for this! It takes about 1 minute to perfectly slice 2 pounds of russets.
Depending on what kind of sheet pan you’re using, the potatoes might stick during roasting. I recommend using a metal spatula (this is what I have and use all the time) so you can get a clean flip without breaking up the potato slices!
HOMEMADE BUFFALO SAUCE
Making buffalo sauce at home is so easy. Like, TOO easy.
It’s just hot sauce, butter, and garlic powder. Whisk hot sauce and garlic powder into melted butter until smooth and then forever regret learning this information.
You can use it for anything you like buffalo sauce on – veggies, chicken wings, mac and cheese, french fries, etc. We most often use it with shredded chicken for buffalo chicken sandwiches or these nachos!
THE HOT SAUCE
For making buffalo sauce, you’ll want a cayenne pepper hot sauce, such as Frank’s. There are lots of off-brands that are easy to find, too!
You can definitely, definitely eat these nachos off of plates, but it feels really right to just grab forks and go to town straight off the sheet pan, so that’s usually how we do it!
Buffalo Chicken Irish Nachos
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Buffalo Chicken
- 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce (such as Frank's)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1/4 cup sliced green onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Directions
Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.Toss sliced potatoes in a large bowl with with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread into a single layer on a large sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes. Flip with a metal spatula and roast 15 minutes more, until potatoes are cooked through and begin to crisp.
Buffalo Chicken
- While the potatoes roast, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the hot sauce and garlic powder. Add the shredded chicken and toss to coat. Continue cooking over low heat – stirring occasionally – until the chicken is heated through.
Toppings
- Spread the buffalo chicken over the potatoes and sprinkle with the cheddar and blue cheese. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. Serve immediately.
