After-School Smoked BBQ Chicken Totchos

Back-to-school season usually means packed schedules, homework, practices, and trying to get dinner on the table without making another boring weeknight meal. These After-School Smoked BBQ Chicken Totchos turn a bag of crispy tater tots into a loaded BBQ dinner that is easy enough for a school night and good enough for game day.

The chicken gets seasoned and smoked until tender, then chopped or shredded and tossed with your favorite BBQ sauce. Once the tots are crispy, everything gets piled together with cheese, bacon, jalapeños, and another drizzle of sauce before going back into the smoker until hot and melted.

Using the smoker adds another layer of flavor without making the cook complicated. Hickory, pecan, cherry, or apple wood all work well here, and you can easily use leftover smoked chicken if you already have some in the refrigerator.

Serve the whole tray straight from the smoker and let everyone add their own toppings. Sour cream, green onions, pickled jalapeños, ranch, and extra BBQ sauce all work, making this an easy meal to customize for both kids and adults.

Optional Toppings