Chicken Tinga Tostadas

Ingredients:

To make the chicken tinga:

For the chicken:

    • 2 lbs chicken breast
    • 6 cups of water (or more depending on your pot size)
    • 1 tablespoon salt (for the chicken)
    • 1/3 bunch cilantro
    • 1/4 onion (for the chicken)
    • 2 garlic cloves

For the salsa:

    • 3 medium tomatoes (I use red roma tomatoes)
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (for the salsa)
    • 3 chipotle peppers
    • 1/4 onion
    • 1/3 cup chicken broth (the one used to cook the chicken)

To assemble

    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 1/2 onion
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tablespoon pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

To make the optional salsa topping (This is a tomato salsa that has no spice. If you like spice you can add jalapeno peppers):

  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

To make the bean topping for the tostada (optional)

  • 4 cups cooked beans (check out my recipe here:Bean Recipes) or you can also use canned beans
  • 1 cup of the bean broth (the one used to cook the beans) or water if using canned beans
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • 2 serrano peppers
  • 1/4 onion
  • 1 garlic clove

Optional Toppings For the Tostada

  • Tostadas
  • lettuce
  • avocado
  • queso fresco
  • crema con sal or sour cream
  • tomato

Steps:

For the chicken tinga:

  1. Add the 6 cups of water to a pot (or more if you have a large pot)
  2. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/3 of a bunch cilantro, 1/4 onion and garlic to the pot
  3. Cook the chicken for 1 hour on medium heat(cover with the lid initially until the water comes to a boil, then remove the lid and cook for the remaining time)
  4. Fill another pot with water and add your tomatoes (3 if just making the chicken tinga or 5 total if you are also making the salsa topping)
  5. When the chicken is done cooking remove and place into a bowl to cool down
  6. In the meantime prepare your salsa
  7. In a blender add your 3 chipotle peppers, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 tomatoes (cut these in half to make it easier on the blender), and 1/3 cup of the chicken broth (the one used to cook the chicken)
  8. Blend until well combined (if making the optional salsa topping make this now as well)
  9. When the chicken has cooled shred the chicken
  10. Chop 1/2 onion into half moon pieces
  11. Preheat a pot on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons oil
  12. Add the cut onion into the pot and cook until the onions become transparent
  13. Add the chicken, 1 tablespoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the salsa you blended earlier and 2 bay leaves to the pot
  14. Mix until well combined
  15. Cook for 15 more minutes with the lid on and stir occasionally
  16. The chicken tinga is done!

For the bean topping:

  1. Add 4 tablespoons oil to a pot
  2. Add your serrano peppers and garlic and cook until both are roasted
  3. Add your cooked beans and bring to a boil on medium heat(about 6-8 minutes. May take longer with canned beans)
  4. Remove the beans of the stove and remove the peppers
  5. Smash the beans into a paste like consistency (you can use a bean smasher, hand mixer, or hand blender in the same pot
  6. Return the beans onto the medium flame
  7. Add 1 cup of broth from the beans you cooked (or water if you are using canned beans)
  8. Cook beans for another 5 minutes
  9. Your beans are done!

For the optional salsa topping:

  1. In a blender blend 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 onion, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tomatoes (cut into pieces), 1/2 cup chicken broth
  2. Blend until well combined (if you like spice you can add jalapeno peppers)

To assemble the tostada

  1. Add a layer of beans onto the tostada
  2. Add your chicken on top of the beans
  3. Add lettuce, avocado, queso fresco, and crema de sal as desired
  4. Make the tostadas right before serving (if left too long they become soggy so eat them right after assembling)
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