This Easy Cheesy Chicken Tostadas Recipe is made with crispy tostada shells, refried black beans, saucy rotisserie chicken, and tons of melted Co-Jack cheese. It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and is one of my favorite easy dinners for busy weeknights.
Why You'll Love It
As a professional chef, cookbook author, and mom of two kids who definitely have opinions about dinner, I'm always looking for meals that work for the whole family without making me cook two separate dinners. And these chicken tostadas are exactly that!
They're essentially crispy, open-faced tacos that everyone can customize however they want. I leave my kids' tostadas simple with refried beans, shredded chicken, and lots of melted cheese. Then I load mine up with avocado, pickled red onions, hot sauce, lime, and flaky salt.
Everybody wins and everyone is happy!
And since we're starting with rotisserie chicken and premade tostada shells, there's almost no prep work involved. I truly love recipes like this for rollover meals. If we have chicken one night, I can use the leftovers to make tostadas the next. Or I'll grab a rotisserie chicken from one of my local grocery stores and use half for this recipe and save the rest for another dinner.
As someone who develops recipes professionally, I've learned that easy dinners don't need a million ingredients to taste good. You just need contrasting textures and enough flavor. Here, you've got crispy tortillas, creamy beans, savory chicken, melty cheese, and fresh toppings. It's simple, but it hits every time.
Ingredients & Substitutions
The best part about this recipe is how flexible it is. Here's what I use along with some easy swaps if you don't have the exact ingredients.
- Tostada Shells: Premade tostada shells are the biggest shortcut in this recipe. If you'd rather make your own tostadas, you can crisp corn tortillas in the oven or fry them until crunchy.
- Rotisserie Chicken: This is my favorite shortcut for getting dinner on the table quickly. You can also use leftover chicken breast, chicken thighs, or any plain cooked shredded chicken.
- Enchilada Sauce: Tossing the chicken with enchilada sauce keeps it juicy and adds tons of flavor. Salsa verde, chipotle peppers in adobo or your favorite red salsa also works perfectly.
- Refried Black Beans: I love the flavor and creaminess of black beans here. Regular refried beans work just as well.
- Cheese: I'm using Land O Lakes® Co-Jack® here becauseThis cheese combo gives you the flavor of Colby with the creamy melt of Monterey Jack. You could also use cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or another good melting cheese.
- Avocado: Creamy avocado balances the crunchy shell and salty cheese. Guacamole is an easy substitute.
- Pickled Red Onions: These add acidity, crunch, and a little brightness. Fresh diced onion or pickled jalapeños also work.
- Hot Sauce: Use your favorite hot sauce and add as much heat as you'd like. A smoky sauce made with chipotle peppers would also be delicious.
- Lime: Fresh lime juice wakes up all those rich, cheesy flavors. Lemon works in a pinch, but lime is definitely my preference.
- Flaky Salt: A tiny sprinkle right before serving makes everything pop. Kosher salt works, too.
- Sour Cream: This isn't required, but a dollop of sour cream is always a great addition if you want something cool and creamy.
How to Make Chicken Tostadas
These tostadas are basically an assembly job, which is exactly what I want from an easy weeknight dinner.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- PREP THE CHICKEN: Add the shredded chicken to a bowl and toss it with the enchilada sauce or salsa until evenly coated. If you're using leftover chicken breast and it seems a little dry, add an extra splash of sauce. You could also add a tiny splash of chicken stock to loosen everything up.
- BUILD THE TOSTADAS: Arrange the tostada shells on the prepared baking sheet. Spread each one with refried black beans, then top with the saucy chicken.
- ADD THE CHEESE: Finish each tostada with a generous handful of freshly shredded Cheese. As a recipe developer, I almost always recommend shredding cheese straight from the block when melting is the goal. It melts beautifully and gives you that gooey, cheesy layer we're looking for here.
- BAKE: Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. They're ready when the cheese is completely melted and the tostada shells are hot and crispy.
- ADD THE TOPPINGS: Serve the kids' tostadas plain or let everyone customize their own. I load mine with avocado, pickled red onions, hot sauce, fresh lime juice, and flaky salt.
- SERVE: Serve immediately while the shells are crispy and the cheese is hot and melty. Sour cream, salsa verde, cilantro, and extra lime are all great additions.
- SAVE: Store leftover chicken, beans, cheese, and toppings separately in airtight containers or zip-top bags in the refrigerator. Keep the tostada shells at room temperature so they stay crunchy.
Can I Make My Own Tostadas?
Absolutely! Store-bought tostada shells are my go-to for busy weeknights, but making your own tostadas is super easy.
Lightly brush corn tortillas with olive oil and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F, flipping halfway through, until they're crisp and golden. You can also add a thin layer of olive oil to a skillet and cook the corn tortillas over medium heat until crisp on both sides.Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your tortillas, so keep an eye on them. They can go from perfectly golden to too dark pretty quickly.
Can I Make the Chicken From Scratch?
Of course! Rotisserie chicken is simply my shortcut because the whole point of this recipe is getting dinner on the table fast.
If you're starting with raw chicken breast, you could use this basic grilled chicken recipe. Or just season it with taco seasoning or keep it simple with some salt and black pepper and cook until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let it rest briefly before shredding so the juices have time to redistribute.
You can also make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot with chicken stock, a garlic clove, and your favorite Mexican seasonings. Once cooked through, shred the chicken and toss it with enchilada sauce, salsa verde, or a smoky sauce made with chipotle peppers.
But if it's 5:30 on a Tuesday and everybody is asking what's for dinner? Get the rotisserie chicken. That's exactly why this recipe exists if I'm being completely honest.
Easy Chicken Tostada Variations
Once you know the basic formula, chicken tostadas are incredibly easy to switch up based on what's already in your fridge.
Swap the chicken for seasoned ground beef, chicken tinga or shredded pork. Make vegetarian tostadas with black beans and cheese. Add corn, baja chipotle sauce, fajita veggies, cherry tomato pico de gallo, jalapeños, shredded lettuce, cilantro, or sour cream after they come out of the oven. You can even put everything out and let the whole family build their own tostadas.
As a mom, this is one of my favorite strategies for feeding picky eaters. I'm still making one dinner, but everyone gets a little control over what ends up on their plate. It's also why customizable Mexican recipes like this are always in my weeknight dinner rotation!
What to Pair It With
These cheesy chicken tostadas are filling enough to serve on their own, but they're also delicious with Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, corn pico, esquites (elote corn cups) or a simple chopped salad. You can also keep things super easy with tortilla chips, your favorite salsa, guacamole, and fresh fruit like this skewered watermelon with tajin.
For busy weeknights, I'm firmly on team don't-make-more-work-for-yourself. If you've got crispy tostadas, cheesy chicken, creamy beans, and a bunch of toppings, dinner is handled.
And if you want more easy dinner recipes, check these out:
- Tostadas de Pollo - Easy Shredded Chicken Tostadas
- Teriyaki Tuna Tostadas with Avocado & Spicy Mayo
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Viral Shaken Rotisserie Chicken and Rice with Lemon, Feta & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- One Pot Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
Recipe
Easy Cheesy Chicken Tostadas Recipe (Rotisserie Chicken)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 tostada shells
- ½ large rotisserie chicken shredded
- ¼ cup enchilada sauce or salsa
- ½ 14.4 oz can refried black beans
- 1 8 oz block Co-Jack Cheese shredded(by Land O Lakes® )
Optional Toppings
- Pink Pickled Onions
- Avocado
- Hot sauce
- Lime
- Flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Toss the shredded chicken with enchilada sauce or salsa until evenly coated.
- Arrange the tostada shells on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spread each tostada with refried black beans, then evenly divide the saucy chicken on top.
- Top each tostada with a generous layer of shredded Land O Lakes® Co-Jack® Cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and the tostadas are hot and crispy.
- Serve them plain for the kiddos or top with avocado, pickled red onions, hot sauce, lime, and flaky salt for the grown-ups.
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