This easy Shredded Chicken Tostada recipe includes flavorful, tender chicken, black beans, cheese, shredded lettuce and salsa on a crispy fried tortilla. Customize them to your liking using your favorite toppings!
One of my all-time favorite meals from a local restaurant here is a chicken or a tri tip tostada. At this place, one tostada is huge and overflowing, a meal in itself.
Because I had been leaning too heavily on going out to enjoy the classic Mexican favorite, I decided to try my hand at making homemade tostadas myself.
I simply set up my Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken in the morning, and does all the hard work to make the best chicken tostadas.
In case you are unfamiliar with this topic, allow me to back up.
What is a Tostada?:
Tostadas are a classic Mexican dish featuring a crispy tostada shell (fried tortilla) with your choice of meat and toppings nestled on top. You can view them as a crispy open-faced taco.
They are generally fairly small, so they can be employed as a side dish, or you can prepare multiple for a full meal.
Many people serve them as an appetizer, cut into small triangles similar to chips.
Due to their size, it is relatively easy to eat tostadas with your hands, as you would a taco. For larger tostadas (the way I make them), a fork and knife is advisable.
While I use shredded Mexican chicken in this recipe, you can also use my Crock Al Pastor, Crock Pot Carnitas, Carne Asada, or Ground Beef Taco Meat. Options galore!
The great news is your local grocery store has everything you need to make this easy recipe.
Let’s now dive into the simple ingredients for these easy chicken tostadas Plenty of customizations to come!
Chicken Tostada Ingredients:
Shredded Chicken: Follow my recipe for shredded chicken in the recipe card below, or use shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken breast, or your own adventure. See other meat options above.
Corn Tortillas: What makes a tostada a tostada! A tostada without a crispy corn tortilla on the bottom is just a mini taco salad.
You can also use store-bought tostada shells or tortilla chips if you don’t want to make your own tostada shells.
While you can use flour tortillas, corn tortillas generally work the best.
Black Beans: Bringing some squishy texture and that unmistakable beanie goodness, I love adding black beans to my tostada recipes.
Substitute for pinto beans or refried beans if you’d prefer.
Salsa: Pick your favorite salsa! I often go with a habanero salsa, and also love my Red Chili Tomato Salsa, and my Easy Salsa Verde.
Avocado: Cut avocados into slices, or make guacamole! Fresh avocados bring rich, creamy flavor to any meal. Always include them!
Cheese: Go with your favorite cheese. I like using queso fresco or cotija cheese, but shredded cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese work too.
Romaine Lettuce: Fresh romaine lettuce brings a refreshing element to this easy dinner. Iceberg lettuce works too.
Here’s where we customize our tostadas!
Additional Topping Options:
Incorporate Mexican Rice, my Guacamole Recipe That Wins Every Time, Corn Salsa, or Quick Pickled Vegetables.
In addition, roasted jalapenos, sour cream, white onions, red onion, lime juice, fresh cilantro, hot sauce, or anything else you know you love!
Enjoy the process of making all sorts of delicious recipes to perfect your own tostadas.
How to Make Shredded Chicken Tostadas:
Prepare the Shredded Chicken:
Transfer the raw chicken thighs to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add in the remaining ingredients (enchilada sauce, salsa, green chilis, and chopped onion) and give everything a big stir.
Secure the lid on the crock pot and cook on high heat for 4 hours, or low heat for 7-9 hours.
Use tongs to transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board. Shred the chicken to your desired consistency using two forks.
Transfer the shredded chicken back to the crock pot with the sauce and keep it warm until you’re ready to use it.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
How to Make Chicken Tostadas:
Prepare the toppings you’ve chosen. Chop the lettuce, heat up the black beans, grate the cheese, slice the avocado, etc.
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and wait for a few minutes for the oil to become very hot.
The oil should be around 340 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures the tortillas become nice and crunchy and don’t get soggy.
If you have a laser thermometer, you can point it at the skillet to check the oil temperature before frying.
Carefully place corn tortillas in the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden brown and have reached your desired level of crisp.
Note: I use a 12-inch nonstick skillet for this, and I can fit 3 tortillas at a time.
Transfer the crispy tortillas to a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat for as many tortillas as you’d like.
Load up the crispy pan-fried tortillas with your desired amount of shredded chicken and your choice of toppings, such as black beans, salsa, cheese, sliced avocado, and chopped lettuce.
Note: if you’re using refried beans, apply a thin layer of refried beans to the homemade tostada shells first so that everything sticks better.
Serve and enjoy!
Store leftover toppings and chicken in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
And that’s it! Easy, customizable, dreamy crunchy open face tacos with all the flavors and textures we love.
The next time the whole family is in the mood for Mexican cuisine, whip up this easy chicken tostadas recipe!
It is perfect for busy weeknights, especially if you use store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of making your own.
If you’re a fan of Mexican food and you’re in hot pursuit of more recipes, check out these reader favorites.
More Mexican Recipes:
- Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
- Crock Pot Birria Tacos
- Crispy Cheesy Potato Tacos
- Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Beef
- Carne Asada Tacos
An easy weeknight meal you’ll want to put on repeat!
Shredded Chicken Tostadas
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken:
- 2 to 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs* 8 thighs
- 1 (15-oz) can enchilada sauce
- 1 cup salsa**
- 1 (7-oz) can diced green chilis
- ½ large yellow onion diced
- Sea salt to taste
For the Tostadas:
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil
- 6 to 12 Corn Tortillas
- 1 to 2 cans black Beans
- 1 to 2 avocados
- ½ to 1 cup grated cheese***
- 2 to 4 cups romaine lettuce finely chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Shredded Chicken:
- Transfer the raw chicken thighs to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add in the remaining ingredients (enchilada sauce, salsa, green chilis, and chopped onion) and give everything a big stir.
- Secure the lid on the crock pot and cook on high heat for 4 hours, or low heat for 7-9 hours.
- Transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board using tongs. Use two forks to shred the chicken to your desired consistency. Transfer the shredded chicken back to the crock pot with the sauce and keep it warm until you’re ready to use it.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
How to Make Chicken Tostadas:
- Prepare the toppings you’ve chosen. Chop the lettuce, heat up the black beans, grate the cheese, slice the avocado, etc.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and wait for a few minutes for the oil to become very hot. The oil should be around 340 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures the tortillas become nice and crunchy and don’t get soggy. If you have a laser thermometer, you can point it at the skillet to check the oil temperature before frying.
- Carefully place corn tortillas in the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden brown and have reached your desired level of crisp. Note: I use a 12-inch nonstick skillet for this, and I can fit 3 to 4 tortillas at a time.
- Transfer the crispy tortillas to a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat for as many tortillas as you’d like.
- Load up the crispy pan-fried tortillas with your desired amount of shredded chicken and your choice of toppings, such as black beans, salsa, cheese, sliced avocado, and chopped lettuce.
- Note: if you’re using refried beans, apply a thin layer of refried beans to the homemade tostada shells first so that everything sticks better.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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