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Two chicken tinga tostadas topped with refried beans, cotija and cilantro on a slate plate, 45 degree view

Easy Skillet Chicken Tinga Tostadas with Refried Beans

Shredded chipotle chicken tinga over refried beans on crisp tostadas, with 40 g protein per serving from whole foods.
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 33 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 315

Ingredients
  

Chicken tinga
  • 500 g boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 breasts, about 250 g each); patted dry
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion medium (150 g); thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (411 g / 14.5 oz); with juices
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo peppers
  • 1 tbsp adobo sauce from the can
  • 120 ml chicken broth / 1/2 cup
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
Beans and tostadas
  • 1 can refried beans (430 g / 15 oz)
  • 2 tbsp water for warming the beans
  • 8 corn tostada shells
Toppings
  • 60 g cotija cheese crumbled
  • 120 g plain 2% Greek yogurt / 1/2 cup
  • 1 lime 1 tbsp juice for the yogurt, rest cut into wedges
  • 100 g green cabbage finely shredded
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (10 g); chopped

Method
 

Make the tinga
  1. Heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Blend the tomatoes with their juices, chipotles, adobo sauce, garlic, broth, oregano, cumin and salt in a blender for about 30 seconds until completely smooth.
  2. Warm the oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Cook the sliced onion for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft with golden edges.
  3. Pour the blended sauce into the skillet and bring it to a gentle simmer. Nestle in the chicken breasts, spoon sauce over the top, cover, and cook over medium-low for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping once, until the thickest part reads 165 F / 74 C.
Warm the beans and shells, then shred
  1. In the last 10 minutes of simmering, spread the tostada shells on a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18-inch sheet pan and bake for 4 to 5 minutes until hot and crisp. Warm the refried beans with the water in a 2-quart / 1.9 L saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until loose and steaming.
  2. Shred the chicken right in the skillet with two forks. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring, until a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a clean trail. If sauce still pools, keep simmering, because wet tinga makes soggy tostadas.
Assemble
  1. Stir the Greek yogurt with 1 tbsp lime juice and a pinch of salt, and cut the rest of the lime into wedges. Spread about 55 g (3 to 4 tbsp) refried beans on each shell, then top with about 100 g (a generous 1/3 cup) tinga, cabbage, cotija, a spoonful of yogurt and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and eat within 5 minutes.

Notes

  • Blend the sauce fully before the chicken goes in so the tinga has no tomato chunks.
  • Pull the chicken at 165 F / 74 C and shred it right away while it's hot.
  • Use one chipotle pepper instead of two for a milder tinga.
  • Assemble at the table and eat within 5 minutes for crisp shells.