Description
Mexican tostadas de tinga bring spicy chicken to crisp tortillas with zesty flavors. Layers of smoky, tangy ingredients create a delicious meal you will crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (473 ml) cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie or boiled)
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- ½ cup (118 ml) chicken broth
- ½ cup (118 ml) white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 tostada shells (store-bought or homemade)
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) dried oregano
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) cumin
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- 1 cup (237 ml) refried beans (optional, for spreading)
- ½ cup (118 ml) shredded lettuce
- ½ cup (118 ml) crumbled queso fresco (or feta)
- ½ cup (118 ml) sour cream or Mexican crema
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup (59 ml) chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: In a skillet, transform chopped onions into a translucent, fragrant foundation, then quickly introduce minced garlic to amplify the flavor profile without scorching.
- Build Sauce Complexity: Combine crushed tomatoes with chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, and salt, creating a robust sauce that simmers and melds flavors for approximately 5 minutes.
- Texture Development: Incorporate chicken broth to adjust sauce consistency, blending for smoothness or maintaining a rustic texture according to preference.
- Chicken Integration: Gently fold shredded chicken into the spicy, smoky sauce, allowing each morsel to become thoroughly infused with the vibrant flavor landscape.
- Final Reduction: Simmer the chicken tinga mixture, concentrating flavors and thickening the sauce for 5-10 minutes until the texture reaches a perfect, luxurious consistency.
- Serving Preparation: Remove from heat, letting the mixture rest briefly before nestling the succulent chicken atop crisp tostada shells, ready to delight the palate.
Notes
- Control Spice Level: Adjust chipotle peppers to manage heat intensity, adding gradually and tasting to suit personal preference.
- Texture Mastery: Choose between smooth or chunky sauce by controlling blending time and technique with chicken broth.
- Moisture Management: Simmer chicken tinga carefully to prevent dryness, maintaining sauce’s moisture for juicy, flavorful result.
- Versatile Protein Swap: Replace chicken with shredded jackfruit or pulled pork for alternative dietary needs and exciting flavor variations.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg