Sweet Smoky BBQ Chicken Tostadas (Printable)

Crispy tostadas piled with smoky BBQ chicken, fresh toppings, and creamy sauce for a bold Tex-Mex dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ BBQ Chicken

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded (about 10 oz)
02 - 1 cup smoky BBQ sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Tostada Shells

05 - 8 corn tostada shells

→ Toppings

06 - 1 cup shredded lettuce
07 - 1 cup chopped tomatoes
08 - ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
10 - 1 ripe avocado, sliced
11 - ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 - ⅓ cup sour cream

→ Optional Garnishes

13 - 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
14 - Lime wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange tostada shells on a baking sheet and warm for 5 minutes until crisp.
02 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the shredded chicken, BBQ sauce, honey or brown sugar, and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is heated through and evenly coated, about 5 minutes.
03 - Arrange the warmed tostada shells on serving plates. Divide the BBQ chicken evenly among the shells.
04 - Layer each tostada with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, red onion slices, shredded cheese, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro.
05 - Drizzle sour cream over each tostada. Top with jalapeño slices and a squeeze of fresh lime juice if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get that slow cooked BBQ flavor in under 40 minutes, which feels like you are getting away with something.
  • Tostadas are endlessly customizable, so picky eaters and adventurous ones can coexist peacefully at the same table.
  • The sweet and smoky combination on a crispy shell is genuinely hard to stop eating once you start.
02 -
  • Assemble right before eating because once the sauce meets the shell, you have about five minutes before things start getting soggy and sad.
  • Do not skip warming the shells, since cold tostadas taste flat and break into shards instead of holding together for a proper bite.
03 -
  • Shred rotisserie chicken while it is still warm because the meat pulls apart effortlessly and absorbs sauce better than cold chicken ever will.
  • Use a squeeze bottle for the sour cream so you get clean, even lines across each tostada instead of uneven clumps.

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