Here at Delish, we believe that tostadas just might be the perfect
weeknight dinner. They have all the delicious crunch of a tortilla chip, but act as a sturdy vehicle for whatever toppings you like. Here, that means creamy homemade refried beans and chile-spiked shredded chicken topping. We load these up with plenty of toppings, but not so many that our tostadas can’t carry them to our desired destination. Ready to make the best chicken tostadas ever? Keep reading on for all of our top tips:
How to make the best chicken tostadas:
To make this chicken tostada recipe go more quickly, you’ll use shredded rotisserie chicken and canned beans. Looking to take your kitchen game up a notch? Make the beans from scratch and roast a chicken to use instead, or fry tostadas at home. If, on the other hand, you’re super-pressed for time, you can skip making the refried beans and buy two cans of refried beans instead.
Top tip: For extra sturdiness, spread a thin layer of refried beans on one tostada, then top with a second tostada. Top with more refried beans, the chicken, and then the rest of the toppings.
How to top chicken tostadas:
These tostadas are endlessly versatile—top them however you please! After our bean and chicken mixture, we went with romaine, sliced avocado, queso fresco, and cilantro. Feel free to switch it up based on what you prefer. Add homemade salsa, salsa verde, guacamole, or hot sauce—get crazy with it.
Tostada variations:
Since a pack of store-bought tostadas comes with more than you need for this recipe, try them topped with whatever you like—may we suggest sautéed garlic-cilantro shrimp and smashed avocado to start? Then, expand to black bean tostadas and breakfast tostadas.
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp.neutral oil, divided
- 1large white onion, one-half finely chopped, one-half thinly sliced
- 1 tsp.ground cumin
- 3 tsp.kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp.freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2(15.5-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 c.low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 tbsp.fresh lime juice
- 4cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)
- 1(4-oz.) can diced green chile peppers
- 4 c.shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 c.chopped cilantro leaves, plus more for serving
- 8store-bought tostadas (deep-fried flat corn tortillas)
- 3 c.shredded romaine
- 1avocado, sliced
- 1 c.crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
- Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
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- Step 1
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 3 tbsp. oil. Add finely chopped onion, cumin, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Add beans and 1 c. broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until most liquid has reduced, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to cook, using a potato masher or fork to smash beans, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.
- Step 2Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, heat remaining 2 tbsp. oil. Add sliced onion and remaining 1 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño, if using, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in green chiles and remaining 1 c. broth. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 5-7 minutes. Stir in chicken until warmed through. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
- Step 3Top tostadas with bean mixture, chicken mixture, romaine, avocado, and queso fresco. Garnish with more cilantro. Serve with lime wedges alongside.
- Step 1
