This is an assembly more than a cook. Store-bought rotisserie chicken is shredded, tossed with red enchilada sauce and heated until steaming, while the beans and corn warm and an avocado is mashed with lime and salt.
The crisp shells get a few minutes in the oven, then each is built with chicken, beans, corn and a smear of guacamole, and finished with crema, diced tomato, white onion and cilantro.
One Tostada, Bottom to Top
Toppings
A drizzle of crema, diced tomato, white onion and cilantro.
Guacamole
A small smear of avocado mashed with lime and salt.
Beans and corn
Warm black beans and corn kernels.
Chicken
Shredded rotisserie chicken heated in red enchilada sauce.
Shell
A crisp flat corn tostada shell, warmed 3 to 4 minutes.
How to Make It
Chicken heated in red enchilada sauce
Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the shredded chicken with the red enchilada sauce and heat until steaming hot.
Beans and corn warmed, avocado mashed
Warm the black beans and corn separately. Mash the avocado with the lime juice and salt.
Tostada shells warmed
Lay the tostada shells on a sheet pan and warm them for 3 to 4 minutes.
Shells topped with chicken, beans, corn and guacamole
Top each shell with the sauced chicken, black beans, corn and a small smear of guacamole.
Crema, tomato, onion and cilantro
Drizzle with crema and finish with diced tomato, white onion and cilantro.
Ingredient Notes
- Shredded rotisserie chicken
- Three cups, already cooked and reheated in the sauce until steaming, about 165°F.
- Crisp corn tostada shells
- Eight flat shells, warmed briefly in the oven.
- Mexican-style crema
- A third of a cup, drizzled over the top. Keep it refrigerated until serving.
Why This Recipe Works
- Heating the chicken in the enchilada sauce seasons every shred and brings it to a safe serving temperature.
- Warming the shells briefly refreshes their crunch.
- A simple guacamole of avocado, lime and salt stays bright against the red sauce.
- Cool crema and raw tomato and onion balance the warm, saucy chicken.
Success Tips
- Build the tostadas right before eating so the shells stay crisp.
- Drain the black beans well so their liquid does not soften the shells.
- Mash the avocado last so the guacamole stays green.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate leftover chicken, guacamole and crema promptly, and store them separately from the shells.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the rotisserie chicken need heating?
Yes. Heat it in the enchilada sauce until steaming hot, about 165°F.
What kind of shells are used?
Crisp, flat corn tostada shells.
Serving Ideas
Serve the tostadas straight after building, with the crema drizzled across and extra cilantro on the side.
