Description
Our gluten-free chicken tostadas are a quick dinner for a busy night. You get crispy tostada shells, seasoned chicken & delicious toppings in every bite!
Ingredients
Scale
For The Seasoned Chicken:
- 12 ounces cooked, shredded chicken
- 3-4 Tablespoons minced cilantro
- 1 heaping tablespoon your favorite salsa (red or green)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For The Tostadas:
- 8 gluten-free corn tostada shells*
- 1 can refried beans
- Seasoned chicken (above)
- 2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese*
Optional Toppings:
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- Sour cream, Mexican crema, or cilantro lime ranch dressing
- Shredded lettuce or cilantro lime slaw
- Diced tomatoes or pico de gallo
- Taco sauce, salsa, or hot sauce
- Cotija cheese
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 8 tostada shells on a sheet pan. (You may need two pans, depending on the size of your tostadas.)
- Season The Chicken. In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chipotle chili powder, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine until the chicken is evenly coated. (You might be tempted to add more salsa here–I don’t recommend it! You don’t want the tostadas to get soggy.)
- Warm & Thin The Beans. In a microwave-safe bowl (or a small saucepan on the stove) warm the refried beans with 1-2 Tablespoons of water until they’re heated through, smooth, and easy to spread.
- Layer Tostadas. Spread each tostada with refried beans, then top with shredded chicken and cheddar cheese.
- Bake. Then, bake tostadas 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Add Toppings. Remove from the oven and top with your favorite toppings. I like guacamole, lettuce or cilantro lime slaw, and maybe some cilantro-lime ranch, taco sauce or hot sauce, but you can add your favorites!
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away. Leftover tostadas don’t keep well, so only make the amount you plan to eat at a time for best results. (The individual components, like chicken, beans, and cheese will all keep well 2-3 days in the fridge if you want to make more later!)
Notes
- Gluten-Free Tostada Shells. Not all tostada shells are gluten-free, so double-check your labels before purchasing! We like Guerrero corn tostada shells, which are certified gluten-free. Can’t find any at the grocery store? You can make your own with corn tortillas, oil, and salt. (See the blog post FAQ for more tips!)
- Cheese. Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded or bagged shredded cheese, which is often coated in an anti-caking agent that makes melting trickier.
- Simplify Prep. You don’t have to bake these tostadas, I just like melting the cheese. For simpler prep, you can heat the chicken, and heat the beans, then just let everyone build their own and layer toppings on the tostadas at room temperature.
- Make-Ahead Tips. To get ahead for later, you can season the chicken and keep it in the fridge up to 2-3 days. You can also grate the cheese and prep the toppings and store separately in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble them.