Tostadas, fast, fun, fresh and infinitely versatile. For this version, fresh baked tostada shells deliver creamy beans, savory chicken and a surprise tangy seasoned romaine topping. These Black Bean Chicken Tostadas with Tangy Romaine make a great little dinner idea.
Mexican Food Rocks
Many years and many tostadas later, I’m still hooked and think they’re about the best Mexican food going. With that beautiful warm tortilla shell, it seems you could throw about anything on it and have a good snack. But it should be a great snack. What makes a tostada a great tostada?
How to Make A Great Homemade Tostada Shell
- It starts with a good tortilla
- corn, of course
- that’s cooked just chewy enough not to crumble in your hands
- and one that stays crisp for the duration.
The purchased tostada shells are great for a super quick fix, but making your own homemade Tostada shells take just a few minutes.
I’ve had hit and miss results from frying soft tortillas, seems they can easily end up heavy and soggy. I like to bake them 400 degrees for around 6 minutes. Just lay soft corn tortillas on a baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides with vegetable oil, sprinkle with light dusting of salt and chile powder. Slide them into the oven for about 3 minutes, turn them over, repeat salt, and chile powder and cook 3 minutes longer.
Homemade tostada shells are best eaten right out of the oven. So be sure you have all of your tostada ingredients ready to assemble.
Build it Right
A great tostada is piled high with texture and flavors. Start with something soft and creamy, beans or avocado for example. Savory seasoned meat of any kind. A crunch of fresh vegetable …raw onion or radish come to mind. Usually topped with crisp lettuce. A dollop of sour cream or Mexican crema adds a cool tangy finish. And, of course, shredded cheese or crumbled cojita are standard.
I’ve gotten in the habit of serving any tostada with a wedge of lime. A quick squeeze will send it over the top for an easy Mexican dish.
Easy enough, right? And this formula leaves us with an endless lineup of combinations.
Flavoring the lettuce will bring any tostada to a new level of excitement. One I prefer is the chopped Romaine tossed with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Try it sometime, you’ll be surprised the flavor it brings.
And, of course, a good salsa is a must. Garnish these black bean tostadas with Homemade Roasted Tomatillo Salsa for some added excitement.
Easy Is A Good Thing
To make this easy Mexican chicken tostada even easier, I used a purchased rotisserie chicken and canned black beans.
This tostada meets all of the criteria for greatness. The creamy layer of black beans that have been flavored with garlic and onion, a savory layer of seasoned chicken breast, all topped with the crunch of a beautifully flavored lettuce.
With tangy romaine, this is a great tostada
- corn tortillas
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 can black beans drained with liquid reserved
- salt
- 3 cups Cooked Chicken Rotisserie, or roasted chicken breasts, shredded
- 3/4 cup crema creme fraiche, or sour cream thinned with a little milk
- 1 cup salsa
- Around 1/2 cup grated Mexican queso cheese or parmesan or romano
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups romaine lettuce sliced about 1/4 inch wide
- The Beans: Saute the onion until golden brown, then add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes. Add the beans and mash them up along with the onions. Add the reserved liquid as you go. Taste for salt.
- The toppings: When ready to serve, set out bowls of the crema, chicken, beans. Toss the lettuce with the olive oil and vinegar and set it out.
- Layering: Spread each tortilla with a couple tablespoons of beans, chicken, then about 1/4 cup of the lettuce. Drizzle some crema on top of that.
- Spoon on the tomatilla salsa and dust with cheese.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of tortillas with olive oil. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 3 minutes, flip, and bake for additional 3 minutes. Once tortillas are done baking, sprinkle with salt and begin to assemble tostadas. Oven baked tostada shells are best served right out of the oven. While tortillas are baking make sure all toppings are ready to go.
Looking for more Chicken Tostada recipe ideas? How about these:
Chicken Tostadas with Feta Cheese
From the Kitchen of Lea Ann Brown, A Denver Area Food Blog, recipes with Western flair
Holly says
January 5, 2013 at 2:51 pmI love recipes that start with rotisserie chicken. Great food without the hassle of roasting a chicken at home. Funny, I am roasting a chicken tonight for dinner! I will use leftovers in a tostada this week.
Lea Ann says
January 6, 2013 at 4:37 pmMe too Holly. Love the texture and flavor of rotisserie chicken.
Pam says
January 5, 2013 at 6:01 pmyes to everything about this recipe !
Lea Ann says
January 6, 2013 at 4:37 pmYes! 🙂
Vickie Hemphill says
January 5, 2013 at 6:33 pmI love the formula for tostadas … genius! And I have two giant bags of tomatillos in the freezer from last summer’s garden. I am inspired! Thank you.
P. S. that salsa photo is beautiful!
Lea Ann says
January 6, 2013 at 4:37 pmGenius????? 🙂 I swear I’m going to grow tomatillos this next year. Never knew you could freeze them. What did you do to them? Just throw them in a bag? That salsa photo just got accepted by one of the big food porn sites who never accept my photos. I was floored.
Vickie says
January 7, 2013 at 8:41 pmCongratulations! The colors are wonderful in that photo – very eye catching. As for freezing tomatillos, I just cut them in half and put them on a cookie sheet to freeze. Once frozen, I put them in a bag. I chop them for chili and soups during the winter. You can bet I’m going to try them in a salsa. 🙂
Lea Ann says
January 9, 2013 at 6:42 amThanks for the freezing tomatilla instructions. And, btw, those dishes are a new set I got for Christmas.
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
January 6, 2013 at 5:16 amI’ve always had problems with tortillas too and now thanks to your instructions about how to bake them, those problems are out the window. Thanks. I’m always ready for Mexican food and love anything with black beans.
Sam
Lea Ann says
January 6, 2013 at 4:34 pmThanks Sam. I find that corn tortillas can be rather finicky. Even when I’m heating a tortilla for soft corn tacos they don’t always behave as they should.
Karen Harris says
January 6, 2013 at 5:23 amI am all about Mexican food. I like to bake my tortillas too when I’m in a mood to be on the healthier side. When I’m going for super crispy I stick my tortillas in the freezer for half an hour to an hour and fry them in super hot oil until nice and brown. They might fall apart on you but what a delicious mess! Your tostadas look really wonderful.
Lea Ann says
January 6, 2013 at 4:33 pmThat’s my problem Karen. I’m not a good fryer. Probably don’t get the oil hot enough.
Curt says
January 6, 2013 at 7:12 amThese tostadas looks really tasty! Next to good southern BBQ, Mexican food is my next favorite. I love almost all the traditional dishes.
Lea Ann says
January 6, 2013 at 4:33 pmMe too Curt. I’m so pleased that you stopped by my blog and the comment. I love all the traditional dishes and find myself being a little snobish about “good” Mexican Food. Some of can be too cheesy and greasy.
Karen says
January 6, 2013 at 1:39 pmLooks good! I’ve never put the torts in the oven.. will have to try that.
Lea Ann says
January 6, 2013 at 4:31 pmI just learned to use the oven for these Karen. I don’t have a deep fryer and just never quite got it right.
Barbara says
January 7, 2013 at 6:35 amThanks for the recipe for making a great tortilla. I’ve never tried it like that and am anxious to try
I actually have a corn tortilla with an egg inside every morning for breakfast. But I just toast it lightly in the same pan as the egg….just firm enough, but not so firm I can’t fold it.
Lea Ann says
January 9, 2013 at 6:43 amThat corn tortilla/egg is a great idea for breakfast. My nutritionist friend would love you for that one.
Jenn says
January 8, 2013 at 5:25 amI love tostadas too! And I’m loving this one with the tangy romaine.. sounds delicious!
Lea Ann says
January 9, 2013 at 6:41 amYou’ve got to try that tangy romaine Jenn. Thanks to Rick Bayless for that trick.
Susan says
January 8, 2013 at 9:17 amThank you for the instructions on baking tortillas, Lea Ann! I can’t wait to try it and these delicious-looking tostadas. Tostadas are one of the very first Mexican foods that I tasted and I still love them.
Lea Ann says
January 9, 2013 at 6:40 amAnd they are so easy for weeknights.
Susan says
January 8, 2013 at 9:22 amps: I don’t see chicken listed in the list of ingredients. Are you using grilled chicken breast?
Lea Ann says
January 9, 2013 at 6:39 amThanks for letting me know.
Susan says
January 8, 2013 at 9:23 amNevermind 🙂 I see above the recipe that you mentioned rotisserie chicken.
Lea Ann says
January 9, 2013 at 6:39 amSounds like I need to add it to the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.
Rocky Mountain Woman says
January 8, 2013 at 11:39 amWhat a great way to use up left over chicken!
I love the flavor combo…
Lea Ann says
January 9, 2013 at 6:38 amThanks RMW. Always good to hear from you.
Jessica says
January 8, 2013 at 6:35 pmI love tomatillo salsa! The best. Thanks for sharing this recipe, love your blog!
Lea Ann says
January 9, 2013 at 6:37 amThanks so much for stopping by my blog and taking the time to comment Jessica. I couldn’t tell you what kind of salsa I like best, they’re all good to me. 🙂
Penny says
January 9, 2013 at 6:53 amHi Lea Ann, Just wanted you to know that you won the cookbook I had for a giveaway. Please email me with your address so I can send it to you.
Lea Ann says
January 10, 2013 at 6:58 amThank you so much Penny. I’ve emailed you.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
January 9, 2013 at 12:39 pmThanks for the tip about baking the tortillas…I’m going to have to try that.
Lea Ann says
January 10, 2013 at 6:58 amYou’re welcome Karen. Of course fried are better, I’m just not a good fryer.
Chris says
January 12, 2013 at 9:57 amLove this, Lea Ann! Especially the tip on baking the tostada. Mine often puff when I try to fry them.
FAYE RUSANOFF says
September 9, 2018 at 11:11 amHOW DO BAKE A TOSTADAS?