These chicken tostadas are the most deliciously crunchy open-faced taco you'll ever try! Perfect for leftovers, they're seriously easy and totally customizable too. Ready in a very quick 20 minutes
Jump to:
Why You'll Love My Chicken Tostadas Recipe
I'm always looking for new ways to repurpose leftover chicken, and especially leftover turkey when the holidays roll around. I've been sitting on this tostada recipe for a while. It may not be authentic Mexican tostadas, but it's definitely tasty!
I love that you can really take it in whatever direction you want based on your taste and what you have on hand. These are quick, easy, and perfect for a weeknight dinner. I also love that they're:
- Filling and hearty enough for a meal
- SO simple to throw together. Like, incredibly so.
- Made with minimal ingredients
- Full of contrasting textures (in the best way)
- 100% customizable!
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Chicken- You can use any cut of chicken for tostadas — just shred or chop it up. This also works great with leftover turkey. If you don't have leftovers, I've found the most budget-friendly option is to pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store. You can also make your own shredded chicken in the crockpot or Instant Pot.
- Salsa- Choose your favorite salsa for this! Spicy, mild, or extra hot... anything goes.
- Tortillas- I find corn tortillas work best for tostada shells, but if you prefer flour, then go for it!
- Beans- My beans of choice are either canned refried beans or black beans.
- Cheese- Typically, I use shredded sharp cheddar because I always have it on hand. A taco mix or other shredded cheese of choice works well too!
- Toppings- Here's your chance to get super creative! I like to top these with sour cream, green onion, and avocado... but any topping will be great!
How To Make Baked Tostadas
Step 1- Toast the tortillas and make the filling.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, then grease with nonstick cooking spray. Place the tortillas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and apply more cooking spray. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until crispy.
Add the shredded chicken and ½ cup of salsa to a large bowl and mix to combine.
Step 2- Assemble.
When the tortillas are nice and crispy, top each with 2 tablespoons of beans followed by 2 tablespoons of the remaining salsa. Add the chicken mixture, then sprinkle the shredded cheddar on top.
Step 5- Bake & serve.
Place the sheet back in the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes until heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally, tostadas are flat, crispy tortillas topped with refried beans, protein (like chicken), lettuce, onions, crema cheese, and salsa. Tostada means 'toast' in Spanish, so that crispy base is key!
This is totally up to you. I use a fork and knife, but no judgment if you pick them up with your hands and get after them!
Tostadas are typically flat and crispy shells. Tacos are folded and are often served on softer shells (but not always).
You totally can, but I choose to bake because it's easier and calls for much less oil.
While you can totally mix and freeze the chicken, I'd encourage you to hold off on freezing the tortilla shells. They may not thaw to the right texture.
You can prep all of the components — bake the tortillas, mix the filling, shred the cheese, and open the beans — but wait to assemble just before baking so that the tortilla base stays as crispy as possible!
Tips For Making Mexican Tostadas
- Make sure you don't over-shred your chicken. It'll naturally shred up more as you stir in the salsa, and you don't want it to get stringy or mushy.
- I like to spray my tortillas with cooking spray to help them crisp and brown up even more.
- Don't overcrowd the baking sheet! Remember, one of the key components of this recipe is the crunchy tortilla. If you add too many at a time, they may steam instead of crisp up.
- Warm up the beans to make spreading easier. Refried beans can be kind of stiff straight from the can. Popping them in a bowl and then microwaving in 30-second increments will make them much easier to layer on.
- Shredding the cheese yourself will give you a better melt. Listen, I'm all for convenience, so if a preshredded bag is all you have, that's totally fine — but I encourage you to try shredding from the block at least once!
- Honestly, the measurements I gave for this are suggestions. For this recipe, it's perfectly fine to measure with your heart.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Get ahead and cook and shred the chicken, make the salsa if using homemade, shred the cheese, and chop or dice any other toppings before getting started.
- Leftovers and storage- Leftovers for this are great, but I encourage you to pack things up separately instead of assembled for the best results. These will last up to 3 days covered in the fridge.
What To Serve With Tostadas
These are super versatile when it comes to sides. Since they're pretty hearty on their own, I like to pair them with other light, fresh, Mexican-inspired dishes. Some favorites include:
- Homemade Guacamole and Tortilla Chips
- Mexican Bean Salad
- 7 Layer Taco Salad
- Pineapple Salsa
Other Delicious Leftover Chicken Recipes To Try
Hosting Thanksgiving?
Discover the secret to hosting Thanksgiving without all the stress! Prepsgiving is your FREE guide to making a delicious Thanksgiving feast the easy way.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Chicken Tostadas
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 6 corn tortillas
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 ½ cups salsa, divided
- 1 can refried beans (or well drained black beans if you prefer)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- The toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place tortillas on sheet pan in a single layer and spray with cooking spray. Bake for 5-7 minutes until crispy.
- While the tortillas bake, mix chicken with ½ cup salsa until well combined.
- When tostadas are out of the oven top with 2 Tablespoons of beans per tostada.
- Then top with 2 Tablespoons of salsa per tostada.
- Divide chicken mixture between the tostadas.
- Divide shredded cheddar between the tostadas
- Return to the oven and bake for 7-10 more minutes until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve immediately with the toppings of your choice.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you don't over-shred your chicken. It'll naturally shred up more as you stir in the salsa, and you don't want it to get stringy or mushy.
- I like to spray my tortillas with cooking spray to help them crisp and brown up even more.
- Don't overcrowd the baking sheet! Remember, one of the key components of this recipe is the crunchy tortilla. If you add too many at a time, they may steam instead of crisp up.
- Warm up the beans to make spreading easier. Refried beans can be kind of stiff straight from the can. Popping them in a bowl and then microwaving in 30-second increments will make them much easier to layer on.
- Shredding the cheese yourself will give you a better melt. Listen, I'm all for convenience, so if a preshredded bag is all you have, that's totally fine — but I encourage you to try shredding from the block at least once!
- Honestly, the measurements I gave for this are suggestions. For this recipe, it's perfectly fine to measure with your heart.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Get ahead and cook and shred the chicken, make the salsa if using homemade, shred the cheese, and chop or dice any other toppings before getting started.
- Leftovers and storage- Leftovers for this are great, but I encourage you to pack things up separately instead of assembled for the best results. These will last up to 3 days covered in the fridge.
Nancy P. says
Jessy Freimann says