These family friendly chicken tostadas make for a perfect weeknight dinner. Who can resist simple ingredients like taco chicken, refried beans, lettuce and tomatoes stacked on a crispy tortilla shell?
A Perfect Meal for a Party, or a Night In!
This chicken tostada recipe is easy enough to whip up on a busy weeknight. Plus, it doesn’t call for any fancy ingredients, so it’s a hit with both the kids and adults.
But if you’re looking for a great dish to serve at a large party, tostadas also fit the bill! Just set out the tostada shells, chicken, and all the other toppings, and let people assemble their own.
Your guest will love that they get to customize their own tostada according to their tastes. And for a party, you can really go crazy with the toppings!
Suggested Toppings for Chicken Tostadas:
- Refried beans – These are great for spreading on the tostada shell, they help hold the other ingredients in place.
- Chicken – Obviously you need this essential ingredient. For a large gathering, keep it warm in a crock pot.
- Cheese – My family has simple tastes, so we like cheddar or Mexican blend cheese. But you could use pepper jack, colby jack, cotija cheese, queso fresco, or any cheese you like.
- Lettuce – Crispy iceberg is traditional, but you can use romaine, butter lettuce, or even shredded cabbage if you prefer.
- Tomatoes – I like to used dice roma tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes, but any variety will work.
- Diced Avocados
- Guacamole – You can make your own, or use store bought.
- Onions – purple onions, yellow onions, or green onions will all work. Pickled onions add a nice tang as well.
- Salsa, pico de gallo, or hot sauce.
- Sour cream or Mexican crema add a nice creaminess that balances out the crunch of the shells and lettuce.
- Cilantro always adds nice fresh flavor to any Mexican dish.
- Diced bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, or any chili peppers add nice color and a bit of heat.
- Fresh lime for squeezing over the tostadas is a nice touch.
HOW TO MAKE TOSTADA CHICKEN
- PREP – Wash and chop the lettuce, tomatoes, and any other vegetables you will be using.
- SEASON – Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breast with the taco seasoning and salt. If they are thick, I like to pound them down to about 1/2″ so they will cook faster.
- COOK CHICKEN – Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°. (If you haven’t downloaded it yet, grab my printable meat temperature chart!)
- SHRED – Transfer chicken to a bowl or pan and shred with two forks. Return to the pan and add the bouillon and water. Cook and stir until heated through.
- ASSEMBLE – Heat the refried beans and spread 2-3 tablespoons on a tostada shell. Top with cheese, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and any other toppings of your choice.
Like crisp tacos, tostadas are eaten by hand. Simply pick one up and take a bite from the side, trying to get some of each layer in every bite!
They can definitely be messy, so make sure you have a plate underneath to catch everything that falls. I like to serve forks so all those yummy toppings can be scooped up and enjoyed.
How to store leftover chicken tostadas:
Store all of the topping ingredients in separate containers. Diced tomatoes only last about a day, but everything else should be good for 3-4 days.
The shredded chicken will last in the refrigerator for up to five days in an airtight container.
To warm it, you can simply reheat it in the microwave, or heat it in a saucepan with a little bit of water.
You can also freeze the cooked meat for up to six months. I like to chill it first, then place it in heavy duty ziplock bags. You can either let it thaw in the refrigerator, or just heat it frozen.
If you need to serve a large gathering, you can triple or quadruple the recipe and prep all the meat ahead of time.
MORE TASTY MEXICAN DISHES:
- Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe
- Chicken Fajita Rice
- Mexican Rice Casserole (One Pot)
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Chicken Fajita Quesadilla
- Taco Salad Recipe with Doritos
- Fajita Stuffed Chicken
- Beef and Cheese Taquitos
CHICKEN TOSTADA RECIPE
Chicken Tostadas
Ingredients
Tostada Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp salted butter
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon or chicken base
- ⅓ cup water
For Tostadas:
- 12 tostada shells
- 16 oz can refried beans heated
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 cups shredded lettuce
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- Optional ingredients: avocados diced onions, sour cream, salsa, cilantro
Instructions
- Pound chicken breast to even thickness (1/2"-3/4") using a meat mallet or rolling pan. Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning and salt.
- Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from the heat.
- While the chicken is cooking, wash and chop the vegetables.
- Use two forks to shred the chicken, then return to the skillet. Add bouillon and water. Cook and stir over medium low heat until heated through.
- For each tostada: Spread 2-3 tablespoons of refried beans on a tostada shell. Top with about 1/3 cup of shredded chicken, 2 tablespoons of cheese, 1/3 cup of lettuce, and a tablespoon or two of diced tomatoes.
- Repeat with each tortilla shell. Serve immediately with additional garnishes on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
With their combination of tender chicken, crispy tortillas, and a variety of toppings, chicken tostadas are sure to become a go-to meal for your family.
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Okay these tostadas were absolutely delicious. The whole family loved them, I can’t wait to make them again.
Yay, I’m so happy to hear that Jessica!
Loved these! My whole family enjoyed these for dinner and I liked how easy they were to make.
Been craving for these shredded chicken tostadas since yesterday and I’m glad I found the recipe! It was super easy to follow and turned out full of flavors and incredibly delicious.