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    Home » Recipes » Chicken

    Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostadas) + VIDEO

    Published: Apr 23, 2019 · Updated: May 3, 2023 by Maggie Unzueta

    Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostadas) are a great way to use up leftovers. Mexican food that’s easy-to-make and delicious to taste.
    Jump to Recipe
    Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostadas) are a great way to use up leftovers. Mexican food that's easy-to-make and delicious to taste.
    Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostadas) in front of half an avocado, lettuce and tomatoes.
    Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostadas) are a great way to use up leftovers. Mexican food that’s easy-to-make and delicious to taste.Recipe with VIDEO. By Mama Maggie's Kitchen
    Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostadas) in front of half an avocado, lettuce and tomatoes.

    Tostadas de Polloare a great way to reinvent leftovers.

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    We live on leftovers at my house. I always make extras for a quick lunch the next day or an easy weeknight dinner. 

    This delicious chicken tostada recipe is perfect for the whole family.

    Top with salsa de aguacate for an explosion of Mexican flavors! 

    Table of Contents

    • 1 How to Cook the Chicken
    • 2 How to Make Crispy Tostada Shells:
    • 3 Storing Tostada Shells: 
    • 4 Assembling Tostadas
    • 5 More Mexican Tostadas:
      • 5.1 HUNGRY FOR MORE?
    • 6 Chicken Tostadas (Tostadas de Pollo)
      • 6.1 Ingredients
        • 6.1.1 Optional Toppings:
      • 6.2 Instructions
      • 6.3 Video
      • 6.4 Notes
      • 6.5 Nutrition

    How to Cook the Chicken

    Cooked chicken and chicken broth in a stock pot.
    • Place chicken in a large pot with water, onions, garlic, bay leaf, and salt.
    • Cook for 1 hour over medium-high heat. 

    Feel free to use any cut of chicken. Boneless chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thighs are the easiest since you don’t have to remove the meat from the bone. 

    Or, you can use pre-cooked shredded rotisserie chicken. Ready-to-go from the store to table. However, with homemade chicken, you get homemade chicken broth. That’s a big plus! 

    For easier cooking, make the chicken in the slow cooker, instant pot, or pressure cooker. 

    Two forks shredded cooked chicken on a decorative blue plate.

     With two forks, shred the cooked chicken. 
    • Refrigerate the shredded chicken until ready to use.

    You want to be sure you do this when the chicken is cool enough to handle.

    With cooked chicken, you can make Enmoladas, Chicken Tinga Tostadas, or Entomatadas de Pollo. Or this delicious Chicken Taco Soup during the cooler months. 

    How to Make Crispy Tostada Shells:

    A large stack of tostadas on a decorative Mexican clay plate.
    • Preheat an oven at 400 degrees.
    • Place corn tortillas in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
    • Brush lightly with vegetable oil on both sides.
    • Bake for 4 minutes. Flip and bake for another 4 minutes, or until golden brown. 

    You can’t make tostadas using flour tortillas. If you cut the tortillas into small wedges, you are making tortilla chips. 

    Don’t have time to make your own? Using store-bought tostada shells is perfectly ok. 

    Storing Tostada Shells: 

    Place them in an airtight plastic bag. Try to remove the air from the bag, or as much as you can. Be careful not to break the crunchy tostadas.

    They will last for several days outside of the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing tostadas because they will lose their texture. You’ll end up with soggy tortillas.

    Assembling Tostadas

    Ingredients for chicken tostadas on a wooden surface - tostadas, tomatoes, lettuce, crema mexicana, shredded chicken, avocado.

    The ingredients for are very simple for a very easy dinner recipe. You’ll need:

    • Tostada shells
    • Shredded chicken
    • Lettuce and tomatoes
    • Avocado slices
    • Mexican Crema (or sour cream)
    • Refried beans (or black beans)

    Stack ’em high, and give ’em a try.

    However, it can be tough to fit everything on top of the tostada. Use your best judgement when assembling. 

    Shredded chicken on top of a tostada on a decorative Mexican clay plate.
    • Smear a thin layer of frijoles refritos. 
    • Add the chicken on top of the tostada shell.

    Instead of beans, you can also use mayonnaise or sour cream. Any of those will act like a “glue” for the shredded chicken. 

    All that’s left from here is to add your favorite toppings and serve.

    Optional toppings:

    • Pickled Jalapeños
    • Chopped Cilantro
    • Nopalitos
    • Guacamole
    • Cotija Cheese or Queso Fresco
    • Chopped fresh cilantro 
    • Pico de Gallo
    • Squeeze of fresh lime juice
    • hot sauce

    Once you add the chicken, feel free to add whatever toppings you like. 

    Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostada) surrounded by its ingredient and Loteria cards.

    More Mexican Tostadas:

    • Tostada de Atún
    • Salpicón de Res
    • Lentil Tostadas
    • Vegetarian Bean Tostadas (for my vegetarian friends)

    For those spicy food lovers, try some Chile de Arbol Salsa or Chipotle Salsa.

    Mexican recipes do not get any easier than this! Make these Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostadas) on busy weeknights.

    They make the perfect meal for chicken leftovers and hit the spot every time. iBuen Provecho! 

    HUNGRY FOR MORE?

    Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter for my latest recipes and videos.

    Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostadas) in front of half an avocado, lettuce and tomatoes.

    Chicken Tostadas (Tostadas de Pollo)

    Tostadas de Pollo (Chicken Tostadas) are a great way to use up leftovers. Mexican food that’s easy-to-make and delicious to taste.
    5 from 34 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Lunch or Dinner
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 312kcal
    Author: Maggie Unzueta

    Ingredients

    • 2 Chicken breasts Boneless preferred
    • 4 cups water enough to cover the chicken
    • 1 tbspn salt
    • ½ onion
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 8 tostada shells

    Optional Toppings:

    • ½ head lettuce shredded
    • 2 tomatoes diced
    • avocado
    • Crema Mexicana (or sour cream)
    • Queso Fresco
    • Salsa Verde
    • Pickled Jalapeños
    • Cilantro Chopped
    • Refried Beans
    • Guacamole
    • Radishes

    Instructions

    • Add chicken to a large stock pot.
    • Add enough water to cover (about 4 cups), ½ onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon salt.
    • Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
    • Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool.
    • Discard the onion and the garlic.
    • Store the chicken broth in a separate container for later use.
    • Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin.
    • Shred the chicken with two forks.
    • To prepare the tostada, add about 2 tablespoons of the shredded chicken.
    • Add the toppings – lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, crema mexicana, etc.
    • Be sure not to load the tostada too much, or it will be difficult to eat.
    • Eat by carefully picking up the tostada with both hands, just like a pizza.
    • Serve with a fork. Some of the toppings are sure to fall on the plate.
      Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    You can also use rotisserie chicken. 
    Use your best judgement when assembling the tostada. Some of the toppings are bound to fall. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1803mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 884IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!

    More Mexican Chicken Recipes

    • Empanadas de pollo served with a bowl of salsa on the side.
      Empanadas de Pollo (Chicken Empanadas)
    • Chicken Fajita Nachos served in a baking dish and topped with jalapeno slices.
      Chicken Fajita Nachos
    • A bowl of spicy chicken chipotle pasta topped with chopped parsley.
      Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta
    • Sopa de pollo con fideos served on a deep bowl with a spoon.
      Sopa de Pollo con Fideos

    About Maggie Unzueta

    Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lily

      May 04, 2023 at 5:50 pm

      5 stars
      These are delicious and easy to customize. I batch prepared the chicken and I’ve been eating this for lunches all week. Very delicious!

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        May 05, 2023 at 1:22 pm

        That’s awesome to hear. So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Geoffrey at Spoonabilities

      May 04, 2023 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      I was going to ask if you can use rotisserie chicken because I just made some chicken salad with it. But you already answered my question in the recipe card note. Thanks!! I’ll get on it right away!

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        May 05, 2023 at 1:09 pm

        Glad to hear that the recipe card notes were helpful! Yes, rotisserie chicken can be a great time-saving option for this recipe. Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. veenaazmanov

      May 04, 2023 at 5:15 pm

      5 stars
      Love the leftover cooking idea. This dish sounds delicious and a perfect dinner option.

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        May 05, 2023 at 1:05 pm

        Yes! It’s a great way to use up any leftover chicken you may have. Plus, you can adjust the toppings to your liking, so it’s a versatile and flavorful dish!

        Reply
    4. Carrie Robinson

      May 04, 2023 at 1:43 pm

      5 stars
      Oh yum! Now these would be a nice change-up from our usual taco night. 🙂

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        May 05, 2023 at 1:02 pm

        Yes, Tostadas de Pollo are a great way to mix up your usual Mexican dinner routine! Plus, they’re super customizable, so you can add whatever toppings you like. Enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Sunrita Dutta

      May 04, 2023 at 1:32 pm

      5 stars
      Such a fantastic and fun dish to make. Super hit. I did not get tostada shells so used taco shells instead. Just delicious.

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        May 05, 2023 at 11:03 am

        Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Using taco shells as a substitute for tostada shells is a great idea, and I’m sure it added a nice crunch to the dish. Enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Ed

      August 31, 2022 at 8:27 am

      Don’t forget seafood tostadas!

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        September 17, 2022 at 9:02 am

        lol. Of course not. I have a few ceviche recipes on here. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Ada

      June 16, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      These look so delicious! I’d love to try making them sometime.

      Reply
    8. Melissa Cushing

      June 15, 2019 at 10:49 am

      5 stars
      I am always looking for new delicious recipes to serve to my family and these are everything! They look so delicious and love the avocados! Great recipe and I have printed this out to try… thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    9. Kushigalu

      June 15, 2019 at 9:46 am

      5 stars
      Totally in love with the recipe. Looks so delicious. I would love to try it soon!

      Reply
    10. Cyn Gagen

      June 14, 2019 at 8:10 am

      These sound amazing! I always have cooked chicken on hand and this would be perfect to be able to have a quick and easy but incredibly delicious meal.

      Reply

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