Creamy Chipotle Chicken Tostadas

I make these Creamy Chipotle Chicken Tostadas on weeknights when I'm craving some comfort food. 

The creamy, gooey chicken is ultra-satisfying, and when you combine it with refried beans and warm tostada shells you'll have a crunchy delight on your hands 🙂

Sound good?

How To Make Creamy Chipotle Chicken Tostadas

There are plenty of good options for the chicken, so feel free to use your preferred cooking method.

Lately I default to the brine-and-bake method when shredded chicken is called for, so that's what I used for this batch.

Start by adding 1/4 Kosher or sea salt to a mixing bowl along with a single quart of cold water.  Stir to dissolve the salt and let your chicken breast rest in this brine for 30-60 minutes. 

Even a 30-minute swim will give you a nice bump in flavor, so I try to do this whenever time allows. 

Once brined I just plop that chicken breast in the oven for 20 minutes or so (400F).  It's a great hands-off method that I use frequently. 

But again, feel free to cook the chicken as you see fit as it's the sauce that's the key to this recipe!

For the chipotle sauce, start by cooking 1/4 onion and a whole, peeled garlic clove in some oil over medium heat. 

Once the onion is starting to brown I usually add a single tablespoon of flour directly to the pan, stirring for a minute or so.  

This will thicken up the sauce and help it cling to the chicken, but you can consider this flour step optional. 

Then we'll add:

3/4 cup stock
2 chipotles in adobo  More info on chipotles in adobo
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano  What is Mexican oregano?
1/8 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Bring this mixture up to temp and then give it a whirl in a blender or food processor. 

You can use less chipotle for a milder version. 

Add the blended sauce back to the pan and drizzle in 1/4 cup heavy cream. 

Feel free to use any heavy cream substitutes that you have on hand. 

Reduce heat to medium-low and bring this mixture up to temp gently. 

Once it's combined you can take a final taste for seasoning. 

I added another pinch of salt, some freshly cracked black pepper, and a spoonful of adobo sauce from the can for a bit more heat. 

Yum!!

It's a creamy, fiery delight and it will be a great sauce to add to your repertoire. 

Once you're happy with the seasoning you can add the cooked, shredded chicken, combining well. 

But don't eat it all yet!

Once you've got this chicken on hand then everything else is a bonus, so feel free to get creative with the toppings.   If you start with a base of refried beans and chicken, like this:

Then you really don't need much else. 

So for this batch I topped with:

crumbled Queso Fresco  What is Queso Fresco?
freshly chopped cilantro
a final squeeze of lime

And they were perfect!

That final squeeze of lime really brightens up the chicken so I usually serve it up with some lime wedges. 

And don't forget that you can always bake your own tostada shells if you don't have any on hand.  That's what I did for this batch and it is super easy. 

You're just rubbing some oil on corn tortillas and giving them 4 minutes per side in the oven (400F).   Keep in mind that this technique works best with thin tortillas.  More info on baking your own tostada shells. 

Okay, please keep these Creamy Chipotle Chicken Tostadas in mind for weeknights when you're craving some comfort food. 

The creamy, gooey chicken hits all the savory notes and makes for a unique, satisfying meal. 

Enjoy!!

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