Mexican Pulled Chicken Tostada

Tostadas are basically Mexican Pizzas, with the base being made from crispy Corn Tortillas. You can top Tostadas with almost anything, from sweet to savory, and they can be enjoyed for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner. In this recipe we show you how to make our amazing Mexican Pulled Chicken Tostada. This is a fantastic way to utilize the amazingly tender and flavorsome Pulled Chicken. In this recipe we’ll show you how to make everything from scratch so you can enjoy this delicious dish!

Making the Pulled Chicken

The star of the show for this Tostada is the Chicken, and one that will take the lion share of the time when making this dish. The Chicken is cooked by slowly braising it in a delicious Tomato based sauce that’s flavored with a wonderful array of Mexican flavors including Cumin, Coriander, Garlic, and Chipotle Peppers

The Chipotle Peppers are to me what really transforms the braising sauce into authentic Mexican flavors. The slightly sweet, slightly smoky flavors will instantly transform you to Mexico, or at the very least your favorite local Mexican restaurant!

Another beautiful addition to the dish is the inclusion of roasted Bell Peppers. The Peppers are seasoned generously with Salt and Olive Oil before being roasted in the oven until they begin to char. Allow the Peppers to cool before peeling and discarding the skin, seeds, and core. What you are left with is the most flavorful way to enjoy Peppers, with a rich, sweet flavor and silky texture

Chicken Breasts are added to the braising liquid and slowly cooked

Once you’ve developed your braising liquid you’ll want to submerge the Chicken Breasts fully and drop the heat down to a low simmer. Allow the Chicken to slowly braise in the liquid for about 30 – 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the Chicken reaches 160F

Once your Chicken is cooked, remove the pieces from the liquid and set aside to cool. Once the Chicken has cooled you can simply pull it apart using the back of two forks or just use your hands. I like using my hands as it’s a lot quicker, and you avoid accidentally tearing the Chicken. The Chicken strands will naturally form, allowing you to pull the Chicken into long, delicious strands

Cook down the braising liquid to make a wonderfully rich Sauce

Don’t let that sauce go to waste! Yes the flavors will be infused in the Chicken, but using the braising liquid as a sauce in the Mexican Pulled Chicken Tostada adds so much flavor! The sauce will still be quite liquidy in the pot at this point, so crank the heat and cook for about 30 more minutes to thicken it all up

Once you’ve reached your desired consistency, turn off the heat and return the Pulled Chicken strands to the pot. The Chicken is now ready to be enjoyed! You can utilize it any way you want, from Burritos to Taco fillings, or simply enjoy it as it is. Or fire up some Tostadas!

By itself the Pulled Chicken is an awesome plate of food, and so versatile in so many different Mexican dishes

Making the Tostada

Now that your Chicken is done the remainder of the dish is simple to prepare. The second critical element to our Mexican Pulled Chicken Tostada is making the actual Tostada. You’ll need to use Corn Tortillas. I’d recommend going for Taco size Tortillas, as they’ll make the perfect size for a Tostada

Tostadas are always served as a crispy Corn Tortilla. So, to crisp up the Tortilla fill a small frying pan or Saucepan with enough Neutral Oil that will allow the Tortilla to partially submerge. Heat the Oil until it’s about 300F and then carefully place the Tortilla into the Oil

Allow it to cook for about 90 seconds, pressing down on the Tortilla using some tongs to allow it to get submerged in the Oil. Once the Tortilla is crispy and begins to color around the outside, flip it over and give it about 30 seconds on the other side

Once cooked it’ll be beautiful and crispy. We used White Corn Tortillas which taste amazing. I like using White Corn Tortillas as it’s easier to tell when they’re cooked, as they’ll start to change color to a light golden brown

Place the Tortillas on a wire rack so any excess Oil can drip off. Immediately season the Tortillas well with Salt to give them some flavor. Seasoning them when they’re still super-hot straight out of the fryer will allow the Salt to stick to them. Set them aside to cool

Toppings you can add to a Chicken Tostada

You are only limited by your own creativity when selecting toppings for your Mexican Pulled Chicken Tostada. For our recipe we used a very classic combination of flavors: Cilantro, Pickled Onions, Avocado, Cotija Cheese, Chili, and of course, Lime Juice

You will need to prepare the Pickled Onions in advance. We’ll show you how to make them in the recipe below! You can also check out how to make them here. I always like to have a batch of Pickled Onions in the fridge. They’re so versatile and work with so many dishes

Cotija Cheese is a famous Mexican Cheese, known for its crumbly texture. Depending on where you are in the world it may be a little difficult to find. If you can’t find Cotija Cheese I recommend using a crumbly Feta Cheese, which works as a more than suitable replacement

Plating the Tostada

As difficult as this may be to hear, (and I can’t believe I’m writing this) I recommend not adding too much of each topping to the Tostada. Piling on a heaping amount of the Pulled Chicken will simply overwhelm the flavors of the Tostada

Instead, aim for more subtle quantities of plating, and opt for multiple Tostadas instead of our massive one. It’s going to taste better and will be a lot easier to eat as well! Remember, Tostadas are eaten with your hands, so if you’ve piled those toppings sky high it’s almost guaranteed they’re going to go everywhere after 1 or 2 bites!

Add some fresh slices of Avocado to the bottom of the Tortilla (or mash it up and smear on the bottom), then add some of those wonderful Pickled Onions. Place a generous spoonful of Pulled Chicken and place it in the middle of the Tostada then finish the dish by topping it with Cilantro and Cheese. Add a squeeze of Lime Juice and a few dashes of Hot Sauce and it’s ready to enjoy!

Mexican Pulled Chicken Tostada Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Bell Pepper
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• 1 Brown Onion, diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Coriander Powder
• 2 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 400g / 14 oz. Canned Tomatoes
• 2 heaped tbsp. Chipotle in Adobo Sauce
• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1 ½ cups of Chicken stock (recipes here)
• Salt
  
  

Pickled Onions Ingredients

• 1 Red Onion
• 2 tbsp. White Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Salt
  
  

Tostada Ingredients

• 6 Corn Tortillas (Taco Size)
• ½ cup Neutral Oil (Vegetable or Canola Oil)
• 1 Avocado, sliced
• ½ cup Cilantro, roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup Cotija Cheese
• 1 Red Chili, finely sliced
• 4 Limes
  
  

Instructions

1. Cut the Onion into thin slices and place into a sealable container. Add Vinegar and Salt and mix well. Seal and refrigerate overnight
2. Place the Bell Pepper on a large sheet pan and season with Olive Oil and Salt. Roast in the Oven for 30 – 35 minutes until the skin has blackened and charred. Remove from oven and allow it to cool. Peel and discard the skin, core, and seeds. Dice the flesh and set aside
3. Add Vegetable Oil to a large pot or Dutch Oven and heat over medium high heat. Add Brown Onion and sauté for 5 minutes, then add the Garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant
4. Add the Chili Powder, Cumin, Coriander Powder, and 2 tsp. of Salt and stir through, then add the Tomato Paste, Canned Tomatoes, and Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
5. Bring to a Boil then drop the heat to a simmer. Add the Chicken Breasts, ensuring they are fully submerged then cover and cook for 30 – 40 minutes, until the Chickens internal temperature reaches 160F
6. Remove Chicken and set aside to cool before pulling into strands with your hands or the back of two forks. While the Chicken is cooling, remove the lid from the pot and increase the heat to high to thicken the Sauce
7. Cook for 30 minutes until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Remove from heat then return the Chicken to the Pot and mix through
   
   

Making the Tostadas

8. Add the Neutral Oil to a small frying pan or pot and set over high heat. Once the Oil is hot enough (it will sizzle and bubbles will form once Tortilla is added), add a Tortilla
9. Fry for 90 seconds, pressing down occasionally with tongs to allow it to submerge. Once the edges begin to turn golden, flip and cook for 30 more seconds until crispy. Set aside on a wire rack and season immediately with Salt and repeat for remaining Tortillas
10. Place a few Avocado slices on your Tortillas then add a few Pickled Onions. Add 2 tbsp. of Pulled Chicken to the center of the Tortilla. Finish with Cilantro, Cotija Cheese, Chili, and fresh Lime Juice
    
    

Recipe Notes

• Use a test Tortilla to check the temperature of the Oil when making the Tostadas
• You can serve all the ingredients family style on individual plates at the table so people can build their own Tostadas
• We recommend serving with your favorite Hot Sauce
  
  

Our amazing Mexican Pulled Chicken Tostada recipe is a fun and interactive way to enjoy a beautiful and authentic home cooked Mexican meal. It’s a great dish to feed the family as everyone can build their own Tostadas at the table

For more tasty Mexican recipes, we recommend you check out these wonderful recipes:

• Mexican Red Rice
• Braised Mexican Short Ribs
• Mexican Street Corn
• Green Chicken Enchiladas
  
  

Happy Cooking!