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Meat, Americas

Chicken tinga on tostadas

Chicken tinga on tostadas is a Mexican dish of shredded chicken simmered in a smoky, spicy tomato sauce, served on crispy corn tortillas with avocado and sour cream. It serves 4, takes 40 minutes, is rated easy, and costs about €3.00 per serving. The trick is simmering the chicken directly in the sauce so it absorbs all the flavor.

Shredded chicken in a smoky, spicy tomato sauce, piled on crispy tostadas with avocado. A treat for a celebration night.

Chicken tinga on tostadas
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.00
Calories per person
540 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Tinga is shredded chicken drenched in a tomato sauce that gets a smoky edge from smoked paprika and a gentle kick from Espelette pepper. The texture plays on contrast, tender chicken against a tostada that snaps under your teeth, with avocado smoothing everything out. A squeeze of lime wakes it all up right before serving.

It is a great dinner for letting everyone build their own tostada exactly how they like it, kids included since they can control how much heat they add. It works just as well for a weeknight treat as for a casual dinner with friends, since the whole thing comes together in 40 minutes.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken breasts 600 g

Pantry

  • Corn tortillas 8
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Chipotle pepper or smoked paprikaoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Espelette pepperoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Oreganooften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Avocado 2
  • Lettuce 1
  • Lime 1

Dairy

  • Thick sour cream 10 cl

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Poach the chicken breasts in gently simmering salted water, then shred them with a fork. 15 min

    Keep a bit of the poaching liquid to loosen the sauce later if needed.

  2. Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic in oil, then add the tomatoes, smoked paprika, Espelette pepper, and oregano. 12 min

    Smoked paprika stands in for chipotle, but feel free to track some down in the international spice aisle.

  3. Blend the sauce, return it to the pan with the shredded chicken, and let it simmer. 10 min

    The sauce should coat the chicken, not drown it.

  4. Bake the tortillas at 200°C with a light brushing of oil until crisp. 8 min

    Flip them halfway through so they crisp up on both sides.

  5. Top the tostadas with tinga, mashed avocado, shredded lettuce, and sour cream, then finish with a squeeze of lime.

    Top them at the last minute or the tostadas will go soft.

Our tips to get it right

  • Shred the chicken while it is still warm, it pulls apart much more easily than once it has cooled down.
  • Blend the tomato sauce until smooth so it coats every strand of chicken instead of leaving chunky bits.
  • Assemble the tostadas right before serving, they lose their crunch within minutes once topped.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for shredded turkey thighs for a slightly deeper flavor.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with shredded mushrooms or mashed black beans.
  • For a faster version with hungry kids, use leftover roast chicken and skip the poaching step entirely.

What to serve it with

  • Mexican tomato rice
  • Simmered black beans
  • Lime water or agua fresca

Storage

Tinga keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, stored separately from the tostadas so they stay crisp. It freezes well on its own for up to 2 months. Reheat the sauce gently in a pan before piling it onto fresh tostadas.

Questions about this dish

Can you make chicken tinga ahead of time?

Yes, the chicken sauce can be made a day ahead and gently reheated, it actually tastes even better the next day. Prepare the tostadas and avocado right before serving so they stay fresh and crisp.

Can you replace chipotle pepper with something else?

Smoked paprika works really well if you do not have chipotle, which is exactly what this recipe uses. If you find chipotle powder in an international spice aisle, it will add a deeper smoky punch.

How do you get the tostadas really crispy?

Brush the tortillas lightly with oil on both sides before baking them at 200°C. Flip them halfway through so they brown evenly and turn properly crunchy.

Is chicken tinga very spicy?

With the amounts in this recipe, the heat stays mild and kid friendly. For more kick, add a bit more Espelette pepper toward the end of cooking.

How long does it take to make a chicken tinga on tostadas?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a chicken tinga on tostadas?

About 540 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken tinga on tostadas cost?

About €3.00 per serving, or €12.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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