Are you sick of tacos? If yes, then who are you and do you really exist?
Let me rephrase the question. Are you a taco fanatic but you’re looking for something a little different? If no, then carry on with life as you know it. If yes, then tostadas are where it’s at.
Instead of using a hard taco shell or a soft tortilla, you’re using a baked tortilla here, otherwise known as a toasted tortilla. Get it? Tostada. Except if you are like me then you’ll accidentally be calling these Tostitos simply because the two words sound similar. After having called them a “tostito” once, I have a mental block now and have been calling these chicken tostitos at home (despite my husband’s efforts of correcting me). Go me. 😉
Then you pile on all the taco or burrito-like goodies. Today, I used chicken, black beans, and cheese. I’m sure you’re not surprised about these ingredients since I kind of gave it away in the title of the post.
The black beans are mashed and seasoned so basically these are homemade refried beans. I have to be honest, but I find the sight of refried beans to be repulsive. While they can be very tasty, they just look unappetizing. However, making it at home changes all the rules. I don’t find homemade refritos gross even though they look like dog food and ruin blog pictures. Never fear, cheese is near. Just cover everything up with loads of it because more is better. 🙂
Chicken, Black Bean, and Cheese Tostadas Recipe
(4 servings)
Ingredients:
- 8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
- 5 tablespoons oil, divided per the directions
- 1 pound chicken (I used breast tenderloins.)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 can (16 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup crumbled cheese (I used extra sharp cheddar.)
- fresh cilantro
- (Optional) lime, sour cream, salsa
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Brush about 3 tablespoons of oil on both sides of the tortillas.
- Arrange the tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 to 12 minutes. (Longer for more tostada-like, shorter for more taco-like.)
- In a medium skillet, over Medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the chicken. Season it with salt and pepper and cook it until it’s done.
- Remove the chicken and cut it into small pieces or shred it and set it aside.
- In the same skillet, heat another 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the finely chopped onion and cook it until it’s softened. (About 5 minutes.)
- Season with the chili powder and cumin and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the black beans and water.
- Mash the beans using a fork until the mixture is creamy. (About 5 minutes.)
- Season the bean mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To arrange the tostadas:
- Spread some bean mixture over the baked tortilla.
- Add some chicken chopped chicken on top of the bean mixture.
- Sprinkle some cheese and cilantro on top of the chicken.
- (Optional) I enjoyed fresh lime juice on top of my tostadas. My husband enjoyed sour cream and salsa on top of his tostadas.
Slightly Adapted: America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Simple Recipes
Here are some other terrific taco or burrito-like recipes.
