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Jun 12, 2019 Jul 5, 2023
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Savor the deliciousness of BBQ Chicken Tostadas with shredded chicken, barbecue sauce, and cheese piled on crispy corn tortillas. It’s a quick and easy dinner recipe that’s perfect for busy nights. With only 4 basic ingredients and simple prep, in less than 20 minutes, you can treat your family to a mouthwatering meal that’s gluten-free.
Table of Contents
- The Best BBQ Chicken Tostadas Recipe
- Ingredients
- How to Make BBQ Chicken Tostadas
- Tips for Success
- Make it a meal
- About The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook
- Get the Recipe
The Best BBQ Chicken Tostadas Recipe
This BBQ chicken tostada recipe has become an absolute sensation! Sure, chicken tostadas are a tried-and-true Tex Mex favorite. But this version puts a sassy, saucy twist on that dish. Anything that combines barbecue sauce, chicken, and cheese is going to be a winner.
Much like BBQ Chicken Pizza and BBQ Chicken Nachos, these tostadas are no exception!
This recipe has been pinned hundreds of thousands of times. With reviews and photos everywhere on social media, you know it has to be a winner. It’s one of the fastest easy dinner recipes you’ll ever make, and the entire family will love it.
Ingredients
Grab just a few items for a meal that comes together in minutes. All of the details and amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. But just to show you how easy it is, take a look at this short ingredient list and quick recipe overview.
- Tostada shells or corn tortillas – If you can’t find crispy tostada shells, you can make them with corn tortillas. More on that below.
- Chicken – cooked and shredded.
- Barbecue sauce – use your favorite. I like Original Stubb’s BBQ Sauce.
- Shredded cheese – the original recipe calls for mozzarella, but cheddar, Monterey jack, and pepper jack are great too.
- Optional – sliced scallions, salsa, sour cream, or other toppings or garnishes.
What kind of chicken should I use?
Since all you need is cooked chicken, you really have so many options!
- Cook a big bunch of boneless, skinless chicken in your slow cooker to use all week.
- Make extra baked BBQ chicken breasts or grilled chicken breasts.
- If you are preparing roast chicken or slow cooker roast chicken, you can always make two.
- It’s a great recipe using rotisserie chicken, so grab one from the store or make your own Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Tostadas
- Toss the shredded chicken in your favorite barbecue sauce.
- Pile the barbecue chicken on the tostada shells.
- Cover with cheese and bake.
- Before serving, drizzle on some more barbecue sauce and any toppings you like (keep reading for ideas).
It’s as simple as that. And let me tell you, they will be eaten just as quickly as they were made!
Tips for Success
Make healthier tostada shells. You can get store-bought tostada shells. But if you only have corn tortillas or prefer an option that’s not fried, you can brush them lightly with little oil and bake for three or four minutes on each side. All the details are here – How to Make Tostada Shells – and it works perfectly!
Try variations. You can truly customize this chicken tostada recipe however you like it. Here are some ideas.
- You can make them with mozzarella, as per Mary’s original recipe. But they are equally delicious using sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, or pepper Jack cheese.
- Swap the meat and use leftover pulled pork, barbecue beef, or even chopped up cube steaks to make steak tostadas.
- Mix and match different barbecue sauces to vary the flavor from sweet to tangy to spicy. You can even try something creative like Balsamic BBQ Sauce or Bourbon BBQ Sauce.
Add toppings. Of course, these chicken tostadas are tasty as-is, but you can really make a fun meal with all kinds of toppings.
- Try classics like scallions, sour cream, cilantro, or Guacamole.
- Give those traditional garnishes a twist with Mango Salsa or Avocado Crema.
- They would also be great drizzled with Greek Yogurt Ranch or even Jalapeno Ranch Dressing for a kick.
- And for something salty, a sprinkle of cooked bacon never hurts.
Make it a meal
We often enjoy BBQ chicken tostadas with classic barbecue sides like coleslaw or potato salad. But sometimes you just need some greens like a Bacon Barbecue Ranch Salad.
A kid-friendly meal certainly pairs well with finger foods like Cauliflower Tots or Gluten Free Air Fryer Onion Rings.
And the adults can sip on a Skinny Grapefruit Margaritawhile the kids enjoy Mango Lava Flow Smoothies.
About The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook
I shared this recipe when I was doing a review of The Weeknight Dinner Cookbookwritten by my friend Mary of Barefeet in the Kitchen.
This cookbook is perfect for those crazy weeknights when you want to make a delicious and nutritious dinner for the family. But you have to work with the time you’ve got before heading out the door or tackling homework.
The chapters are broken down into how long it takes to prepare each recipe. There’s even a chapter for recipes that only require a few minutes of hands-on time, and thenthey are left alone to bake, simmer, or slow cook.
Plus it has sides, staples, and simple sweets. One extra bonus with all of the recipes in the book as well as on Mary’s site is that she gives gluten free options for everything, including flour substitutions in the baked goods!
I highly recommend picking up a copy!
More Cookbooks by Mary Younkin for Busy-Day Meals
- If you like this chicken tostadas recipe, pick up your copy of The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook.
- When you need quick sweet treats like Monster Cookie Bars, then you’ll need The Weeknight Dessert Cookbook.
- The Weekday Breakfasts & Lunches Cookbook makes morning and mid-day a breeze, like these Breakfast Tostada Stacks.
4.7 from 87 votes
Easy BBQ Chicken Tostadas
Savor the deliciousness of BBQ Chicken Tostadas with shredded chicken, barbecue sauce, and cheese piled on crispy corn tortillas. It's a quick and easy dinner recipe that's perfect for busy nights. With only 4 basic ingredients and simple prep, in less than 20 minutes, you can treat your family to a mouthwatering meal that's gluten-free.
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 8 minutes mins
Total: 18 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 8 tostada shells or 8 corn tortillas, brushed lightly with olive oil and baked for 3-5 minutes per side, until crispy
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 1 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce, divided
- 2 cups shredded cheese (Mary uses mozzarella in the cookbook, but I have also used cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a blend)
- 3 green onions, very thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lay out the tostada shells (or baked tortillas) on two rimmed baking sheets.
Combine the chicken and 1 cup of the barbecue sauce in a small bowl, and stir to coat.
Divide the chicken between the tostada shells and top with the cheese (about ¼ cup on each).
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, just until the cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining ½ cup barbecue sauce. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Easy BBQ Chicken Tostadas
Amount Per Serving (2 tostadas)
Calories 693Calories from Fat 297
% Daily Value*
Fat 33g51%
Saturated Fat 13g65%
Cholesterol 107mg36%
Sodium 1730mg72%
Potassium 554mg16%
Carbohydrates 66g22%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 36g40%
Protein 31g62%
Vitamin A 825IU17%
Vitamin C 3.7mg4%
Calcium 359mg36%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
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Categories:
- Dinner
- Family Friendly
- Gluten Free
- Mains
- Quick
- Recipes
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