Last updated on June 27th, 2022
Crispy corn tortillas…shredded chicken in adobo sauce…sour cream, crunchy cabbage, and queso fresco — I love every delicious layer of these Spicy Chicken Tostadas! Need a gluten-free main course that will satisfy your soul? I filmed and wrote out the recipe for you:
In the above video, you’ll find several tips for making Spicy Chicken Tostadas. You will also find a nifty trick for shredding chicken!
Recipe Notes
A note about chipotle peppers. These smoked jalapeño peppers are packed in adobo sauce and sold in 7 ounce cans. As shown in the video, I used only 2 peppers from the can plus a few teaspoons of the sauce. Feel free to adjust quantities here — use more or less depending on your love of “hot” food.
A note about tostadas. These are simply corn tortillas that have been fried to crunchy perfection. You can fry them yourself, as I used to do, or take the easy road, and buy them already fried.
And here, for your convenience, is the printable recipe:
Spicy Chicken Tostadas (Tinga de Pollo)
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Enough water to cover the chicken
For the sauce:
- 1 generous tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes and their juices
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed, or 2 teaspoons garlic paste
- 1/2 cup chicken stock (from the cooked chicken above)
- 1 7-ounce can Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you will need only 2-3 peppers from the can)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or, substitute 3 teaspoons cilantro paste)
For serving:
- Crispy corn tortillas (sold as "tostadas")
- sliced raw onion
- thinly sliced cabbage
- Queso fresco (a Mexican cheese)
Instructions
- Poaching the chicken -- Put the chicken breasts in a heavy sauce pan, and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat, add the salt and pepper, and let simmer until the chicken achieves 165°F -- about 20 minutes. Reserve the poaching liquid. Meanwhile, shred the chicken and set it aside.
- Making the sauce -- Tip the oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onion and then cover the pot, lower the heat, and let the onion sweat until soft but not colored -- about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the reserved chicken poaching liquid. Then stir in 2-3 chipotle peppers (use more or less depending on taste), and 2-3 teaspoons of the adobo sauce. Bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in the cilantro.
- Transfer the sauce mixture to the jar of an electric blender. Blend at high speed until smooth -- about 30 seconds. Return the sauce to the pot or Dutch oven. Add the shredded chicken, and heat just until the chicken is warm throughout -- 2-3 minutes.
- Assembling the tostadas: For each serving, spread a crisp tortilla with sour cream. Then spoon on some of the chicken-and-sauce mixture. Top with sliced raw onion, sliced cabbage, and crumbled queso fresco,
Mary Jouver says
Oh my gosh…I cannot wait to try this recipe!!!
Megan Black says
Just a heads up !!In the recipe ingredients it says a 7 oz can of chipotles in adobos sauce! Make sure to
realize that they are HOT and so is the sauce! So put a tiny tiny bit on a spoon and taste before you add it in! You WILL be surprised. I know it says to use just a few in the body of instructions, but I want to save any one from fire in their mouth!
Linda says
Looks like a winner, Kevin! I’ll give it a try.
Where do you find the squeezable cilantro & garlic paste? Would
it be on store shelves or in the refrigerated section?
Jenny De Armond says
I have all the ingredients already except the cabbage. Dang it! I know the cabbage isn’t required but I do love the crunch it provides. Maybe I’ll pick up some radishes as well?! Thanks for the inspiration.