55m$17.78

Chicken Tinga Tostadas

Crisp corn tostadas topped with tender shredded chicken in a smoky tomato-chipotle sauce, crunchy green cabbage, sour cream and crumbled queso fresco.

cabbage
chicken
chicken tinga
chipotle
make ahead
mexican
queso fresco
serves four
tostadas

Bundle it with similar meals

15 min prep40 min cook4 servingsmediumOct 19, 2026

Cuisine: Mexican

Cook this recipe

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts-1 1/2 pounds
Canned crushed tomatoes-15 ounces
Crisp corn tostada shells-8 each
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce-2 each
Green cabbage-2 cups
Garlic cloves-2 each
Queso fresco made with pasteurized milk-3/4 cup
Water-1/2 cup
Sour cream-1/2 cup
White onion-1 each
Vegetable oil-2 tablespoons
adobo sauce-1 tablespoon
Fine salt-3/4 teaspoon

Prepare the vegetables and toppings

Measuring Cups

Knife

Cutting boards

Wash your hands and clean the work surface. Rinse the cabbage under running water, remove any damaged outer leaves and dry well before shredding. Slice the onion, mince the garlic and finely chop the chipotle peppers. Measure the toppings and refrigerate them until serving.

2 cups green cabbage

1 Each white onion

2 Each garlic

2 Each chipotle pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup queso fresco

Cut the chicken safely

Knife

Cutting boards

On a separate clean cutting board, carefully slice each chicken breast horizontally into two thinner cutlets. Do not rinse the chicken. Wash your hands and clean the knife, board and surfaces after handling it.

Keep raw chicken and its utensils separate from cabbage and other ready-to-eat toppings; wash hands and clean the knife, board, and surfaces after handling it.

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast

Build the tomato-chipotle sauce

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Skillet

Wooden spoon

Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, measured adobo sauce, salt and water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.

Add ingredients carefully to the hot skillet to reduce oil splatter.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Each white onion

2 Each garlic

15 ounces tomato

2 Each chipotle pepper

1 tablespoon adobo sauce

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Water

Simmer the chicken to 165°F

Tongs

Skillet

Wooden spoon

Instant-read food thermometer

Nestle the chicken into the sauce and spoon some sauce over it. Cover and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 12–18 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each piece registers 165°F. Avoid a vigorous boil, which can toughen the chicken.

Check each piece in its thickest part with a clean instant-read thermometer; verify 165°F and clean the thermometer before and after checking.

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast

Shred the chicken and thicken the sauce

Skillet

Wooden spoon

Plate

Forks

Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Shred it with two forks, then return the chicken and its collected juices to the skillet. Simmer uncovered for 5–8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce clings to the shreds rather than pooling beneath them. If the sauce thickens before the chicken is evenly coated, lower the heat and cover briefly instead of adding liquid.

Assemble and serve the tostadas

Assemble immediately before serving. Divide all the chicken among the eight crisp tostada shells. Divide the cabbage, sour cream and queso fresco evenly among all eight tostadas. Serve two tostadas per person.

8 Each corn tostada shell

2 cups green cabbage

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup queso fresco

How did it turn out?

Rating and review tools are unavailable right now.

Chicken Tinga Tostadas

Shopping options

Cost Summary

Cook this recipe

How did it turn out?