Tostadas de Tinga de Pollo (Shredded Chicken and Salsa Tostadas) Recipe
Tostadas de Tinga de Pollo are a flavorful Mexican dish featuring crispy tostadas topped with smoky refried black beans, tender shredded chicken cooked in a spicy chipotle salsa, crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro, and chopped onions. This recipe combines textures and smoky, spicy flavors for a satisfying and authentic meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 tostadas 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
Bacon and Beans
- 4 ounces smoked bacon, sliced crosswise into thin strips
- 1 medium white onion, chopped, plus more for serving
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, undrained
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- Kosher salt (optional)
Chicken and Toppings
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (from a roast chicken or rotisserie chicken)
- 1½ cups salsa (such as guajillo or aguacate ahumado salsa)
- 8 tostadas
- 4 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
- Cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving
- Chopped onion, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon: Place the smoked bacon strips in a large, room-temperature cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high. Cooking slowly as the skillet heats helps render the fat without sticking. Stir occasionally until the bacon is browned and crispy, about 6 minutes. Remove the bacon and transfer it to a small heatproof bowl, saving the rendered fat in the skillet.
- Sauté the Onion: Add the chopped white onion to the skillet with the bacon fat. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing occasionally, until the onion is tender and browned, about 6 minutes.
- Add Beans and Chipotle: Pour in the black beans with their liquid, add the cooked bacon back in, along with the chopped chipotle chile and adobo sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the liquid reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Prepare Refried Beans: Using a potato masher, smash the beans until the mixture is thick, smooth, and creamy with almost no whole beans remaining—similar in consistency to sour cream. Remove from heat and taste; season with kosher salt if desired. The mixture will thicken further on standing.
- Heat Chicken in Salsa: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the shredded chicken and salsa. Stir occasionally until the chicken is fully coated and warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary.
- Assemble the Tostadas: Spread approximately 1/3 cup of the warm refried beans evenly over each tostada shell. Top with about ½ cup of the chicken tinga mixture. Finish by sprinkling crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, and additional chopped onion over each tostada. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Adjust the amount of chipotle chile and adobo sauce to control the heat level.
- Queso fresco can be substituted with cotija cheese if preferred.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and use vegetable oil instead, and substitute chicken with sautéed mushrooms or jackfruit.
- Tostadas can be store-bought or homemade by frying corn tortillas until crisp.
Keywords: Tostadas, Tinga de Pollo, shredded chicken, refried beans, chipotle, Mexican recipe, queso fresco, easy Mexican dinner
