Chicken Tostadas are a classic Mexican dish that are perfect for a quick and easy dinner or for serving at a party. These crispy, crunchy tostadas are topped with seasoned shredded chicken, fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, tangy cheese, and a dollop of sour cream, making for a delicious and satisfying meal. The combination of textures and flavors in each bite is simply irresistible!
Once a way to make use of stale tortillas (by toasting and/or frying them), tostadas are so good that it wasn’t long before people simply started using fresh tortillas. After biting into these layers of flavor—crunchy, creamy, luscious—you’ll see why.
To make chicken tostadas, you first need to cook and shred some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. This can be a rotisserie chicken or easily done by boiling, baking, or grilling the chicken until it’s fully cooked, and then shredding it with two forks. Once the chicken is ready, it’s time to assemble the tostadas. Start by laying a crispy tostada shell on a plate, and then spread a generous amount of refried beans on top. Next, add a layer of the shredded chicken, followed by a sprinkle of cheese. Finally, top with fresh lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream.
This recipe is incredibly versatile, and you can customize it to your liking by adding your favorite toppings such as avocado, jalapenos, or hot sauce. Chicken Tostadas are also a great meal to make ahead of time, as the tostada shells can be purchased in advance and the toppings can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Whether you’re serving a crowd or just looking for a quick and easy dinner, these chicken tostadas are sure to become a family favorite. So, gather your ingredients and let’s get cooking!
Serve with Spanish Rice and Schmaltz-Refried Pinto Beans. Here are some other good accompaniments for this recipe homemade Classic Mexican Guacamole and Mexican Salsa
PrintChicken Tostadas
Once a way to make use of stale tortillas (by toasting and/or frying them), tostadas are so good that it wasn’t long before people simply started using fresh tortillas.
- Prep Time: :15
- Cook Time: :45
- Total Time: 1:00
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stove Top / Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 medium white onion
- 1 pound tomatoes, quartered
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 or 2 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
- 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 6 large radishes, halved and sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
- 1 rotisserie chicken, meat coarsely shredded (4 cups)
- 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 (1-pound) can refried beans, heated
- 1 avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1/4 cup crumbled queso añjo (aged white cheese, also called cotija) or ricotta salata
- Accompaniments: sliced serranos; lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat broiler.
- Cut half of onion into 3/4-inch wedges, then chop remainder. Toss onion wedges, tomatoes, garlic, and whole chiles with 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-sided sheet pan, spreading in 1 layer.
- Broil about 4 inches from heat until softened and charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss together lettuce, radishes, chopped onion, and half of cilantro.
- Purée tomato mixture in a blender along with one or both roasted serranos (to taste) and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth(use caution when blending hot foods). Transfer purée to a bowl and stir in chicken, remaining cilantro, and salt to taste.
- Heat remaining 1/2 cup oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry tortillas, 1 at a time, turning once or twice and pressing with tongs to immerse, until golden brown, 45 to 60 seconds per tortilla. Drain briefly on paper towels, then transfer to plates.
- Spread tortillas thickly with heated refried beans, then top with chicken mixture. Slice avocado over tostadas and dollop with crema.
- Mound lettuce mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese.
- Serve with: Margaritas