Chicken Tinga Tostada Recipe
This authentic chicken tinga tostada recipe is made easy with our make-ahead slow cooker chicken tinga, canned refried beans, mashed avocado, and queso fresco. Make these tostadas for a fun twist on taco night!
Equipment
- Frying pan
- Cooling rack optional
Ingredients
- 6 4-inch corn tortillas
- ¼ cup vegetable oil approximately
- 1½ cups shredded slow cooker chicken tinga
- ½ cup canned refried beans
- 1 avocado
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 to 3 tbsp queso fresco crumbled
- Fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- First, prepare your workstation for frying the tortillas. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire cooling rack on top. Then, preheat about a quarter-inch of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is nice and hot, carefully place the tortillas in the pan with tongs (you will likely need to work in batches of only 2 or 3 tortillas at a time). Fry for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the bottoms are lightly golden brown, then flip and fry for another 30 seconds or so. Transfer tortillas to the wire rack to drain over the paper towels. Continue until all the tortillas have been fried.
- Next, prepare your tostada toppings. If you have prepared shredded chicken tinga in the fridge, measure out about 1-1/2 cups in a microwave-safe dish. Reheat in the microwave for about 1 minute, stirring halfway through, or until warm. Similarly, transfer canned refried beans to a microwave-safe dish and heat for about 1 minute, stirring halfway through.
- Next, scoop the avocado flesh into a small bowl and add the lime juice and sea salt. Mash with a fork until smooth, and set aside.
- Finally, assemble the tostadas. First, spread a thin layer of refried beans over the top of each fried tortilla. Then, top with a spoonful of shredded chicken tinga and a scoop of mashed avocado. Finally, sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
Notes
Slow cooker chicken tinga: We recommend preparing a big batch of chicken tinga ahead of time using our easy slow cooker recipe (here). Then you can easily reheat a small bowl for easy tostadas!
Frying the tortillas: Fried corn tortillas are much more flavorful than store-bought tostada shells, and surprisingly easy to make. Just make sure you drain them on a wire cooling rack if you have one - this will provide the proper airflow for them to drain while crisping evenly. If you don't have a cooling rack, you can drain them directly on the paper towels, but note that they will likely retain more oil and not be as crispy.
Serving suggestions: Depending on preference, you can plate all the tostadas at once and serve them already assembled - or you can bring all the toppings to the table for a build-your-own tostada night! Pair with a side of chips and salsa and a margarita for a delicious Mexican dinner.
Nutrition
Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg