Pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store, use up leftovers, or even make a new batch in your slow cooker to make this easy dinner recipe. On busy nights, the family will love these BBQ Chicken Tostadas.
BBQ Chicken Tostadas –> CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE
Guys, you know I always keep it real with you, and today is no exception. So the group of us collectively known as “food bloggers”, well, we are kind of hypocrites.
You see, we love when you make our recipes, and we love even more when you tell us you made them. We love the most when you tell us how much you loved them. We even love when you tell us what you didn’t like because that helps us fix that recipe and make even better recipes in the future. We don’t even mind when you tell us everything you changed about the recipe and it was amazing, because even though what you thought was amazing was actually nothing even close to the recipe we created, hey, you used it as a starting point and made something you loved. We’re cool with that.
The only thing we don’t love is when you tell us that you used less of this and more of that, swapped this ingredient for that one, left this out, added something else, anddddddd… our recipe was terrible.
Hello, you didn’t make our recipe!! I’m sorry you thought your creation was terrible, but mine is pretty awesome and if you didn’t like yours, well, I bear no responsibility for that.
However, as food bloggers, it’s pretty much impossible for us to look at a recipe from a cookbook or another website or blog and just make it as-is. The creative juices are always flowing, and it’s just somehow beyond us to leave well-enough alone.
Hypocrites. But if we screw up someone else’s recipe, we keep it to ourselves. And if we change it and make a new, awesome recipe, we share it with all of our readers, as well as tell them about our awesome blogger friend who has another awesome recipe that inspired this awesome recipe, and you really need to make both.
So anyway, my food blogger tendencies make me a pretty crappy cookbook reviewer. But I have to tell you about the recipes I made (both as-is and with a few tweaks) from The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook written 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. And sometimes when you have no time, you also have to work with what you’ve got in the kitchen because you can’t get to the store. I love that the recipes in The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook are incredible as written, but also can provide a jumping off point for wherever your inspiration takes you.
The chapters are broken down into how long it takes to prepare each recipe, and there’s even a chapter for recipes that only require a few minutes of hands-on time, and then are left alone to bake, simmer, or slow cook. Plus it’s got sides, staples, and simples 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!
For my little fish lovers, I made the Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Broccoli, which had so much flavor with just a few simple ingredients, though I did steam the broccoli a bit before putting it in the oven because my family likes it a little softer. For taco night, I swapped chicken in for the Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork Recipe (Hubby can’t eat much pork), and it was amazing. Plus, since I was only making a couple pounds of chicken and the recipe is for four pounds of pork, I kept half of the seasoning mixture aside which I actually used on some ground beef for another round of tacos just the other day. And the Chocolate Chip Pound Cake is to-die-for! I messed up and didn’t grease my bundt pan properly (when they say grease and flour a bundt pan, they mean it. Cooking spray doesn’t cut it), so I turned it into a trifle, but you better believe I was sneaking pieces as I was layering it with pudding and whipped cream. Mary’s gluten free substitutions are so spot-on that I actually used the ratios in this pound cake recipe to convert another recipe I found into this Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cake.
Guys, I have so many stickers and post-its for other recipes I will be trying soon. Everything from Sweet Chipotle Chicken Bites and Korean Beef with Quick Asian Pickles to Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf and Never-Fail Blondies (I’m thinking of adding white chocolate chips and toffee bits). And I sent my mom the recipe for Cheesy Southwest Beef and Potato Skillet because she loves Tex Mex, and it’s basically a kicked-up version of the Beef Potato Skillet Supper we have loved for years. There’s a photo of every recipe, and they all look mouthwatering!
One recipe I did make as-is (well, almost), were her BBQ Chicken Tostadas…
Anything that combines barbecue sauce, chicken, and cheese is going to be a winner in my house, and these BBQ Chicken Tostadas were no exception. I had baked up some extra chicken breasts a couple days prior, knowing that I was going to make these, but you could easily grab a rotisserie chicken from the store, or, as Mary suggests, cook a big bunch of boneless, skinless chicken in your slow cooker to use all week.
So I shredded that chicken, tossed it in some sauce, piled it on the tostadas, covered with cheese, baked, and drizzled some more barbecue sauce. It’s as simple as that. And let me tell you, I think they were eaten just as quickly as they were made! A simple salad or some frozen veggies on the side, and you have a meal the family will love in no time at all.
Now as I said, I almost made the recipe as-is. The only difference was that I had corn tortillas, and, I’ll be honest, did not know you could buy tostada shells in the store already crisped up. So I brushed the tortillas lightly with little oil and baked them for three or four minutes on each side. Worked perfectly! And in these photos I made them with mozzarella, as per Mary’s recipe, but I have also made them with sharp cheddar, and they are equally delicious. Also, I’ll be honest, I totally skipped the green onions on top because my boys don’t like them.
So make sure you head to the bookstore or Amazon to pick up your copy of The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook so you can read through it while you are munching on these BBQ Chicken Tostadas.
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BBQ Chicken Tostadas
Pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store, use up leftovers, or even make a new batch in your slow cooker to make this easy dinner recipe the family will love.
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.
Enjoy this BBQ Chicken Tostadas recipe!
Here are some other awesome recipes I’ve made from my friends’ cookbooks…
And some more recipes from The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook…
- Fish Tacos with Jalapeno Lime Sauce from Your Home Based Mom
- Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner from The Little Kitchen
- Sweet Chipotle Chicken Bites from Noble Pig
Want to see lots more yummy food from me and my friends, and cute pictures of my kids?
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These tostadas are a huge favorite around here anytime we need dinner asap! I keep pre-cooked portions of ground beef, pulled pork, and shredded chicken in 3 cup portions stashed in the freezer just for this meal. I’m so glad you liked it and that you’re enjoying the cookbook. Thanks so much!
The pictures of this tostada make it look super yummy!
What an interesting recipe. I think I like this book. Nice review. Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Pinned! Have a great week!
Kim
Kim~madeinaday recently posted…Merry Monday Linky Party #126
Yum! these are definitely going into dinner rotation! Thanks for sharing.
I like quick and delicious dinners like this- perfect for a busy weeknight!
Oh my gosh this looks super delicious. I am going to have to try it out! Please come share with us at the Homesteader Hop
These tostadas look so yummy! Thanks for linkin’ up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
mmm yum!
They are sooo good!
These looks great! Thanks for sharing with the Delicious Dishes Recipe party!
I just ran to the store to buy all these ingredients! I cannot wait to make them tonight! I’ve prepped the chicken and tortillas. It will be so easy to throw together!! Thanks!
These look so easy and amazing! I wonder if adding some red or black beans to the chicken wouldn’t be really good?! I think I have to find out!!
I think beans would be a wonderful addition to the chicken tostadas, Lana! I hope you enjoy them!
I LOVE to substitute cilantro for the green onions. Seriously divine!
Those who lack the “cooking gene” follow recipes exactly. Those who CAN cook know how to adjust a recipe to suit their families. Please don’t take it personally. That being said…that is A LOT of sauce. I can’t imagine that it would keep the shell crispy. I use Stubbs BBQ sauce…it’s from Austin and is not sweet. Great idea though and I will try it on the tostado shells. I typically use flour tortillas.
I LOVE Stubbs – it’s my favorite and definitely not too sweet. Since I was reviewing a cookbook, I shared the recipe as it was in the book. That being said, my kids like them this saucy, though I prefer a little less sauce myself. But by using the crispy tostada shells or making the corn tortillas crispy in the oven before topping them, they do stay crispy. I am not sure about flour tortillas. Since I have a gluten allergy, I rarely use them and have not tried them in this recipe.
I was thinking about flour tortillas as well. I am not a fan of corn tortillas..
Flour tortillas would be a great option for you, Janet. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I was looking for healthy recipes. Would this qualify
Dana, “healthy” depends on whether you mean nutritious or something to help with weight loss. If you’re looking to make something nutritious, I would suggest using whole grain tortillas (unless you need something gluten free, in which case corn or rice would be the preferred tortilla choice). To keep sugar and fat content lower, look for a low-sugar barbecue sauce and consider using low fat cheeses.
Super delicious and easy to make after a long day 🙂
Are there any Nutritional Facts I can look up for this, bc I am using My Fitness Pal to record all food intake? Thanks. Family loved & we will use a little less BBQ sauce next time. Used tostadas & they stayed crispy @ 6-8 minutes, as u recorded. Very yummy. I paired it w/home made mac salad. That was a good “neutralizer” for the tanginess. Will make again! 👍
Hi Tamara. Actually, My Fitness Pal has a place in the “recipes” section to import the URL from an existing post on the Internet. It will take all of the ingredients from my recipe and automatically convert them into the recipe creator for you. I suggest that you check each ingredient though, as My Fitness Pal doesn’t always recognize ingredients properly. I hope it helps you to get the nutritional information you’re looking for!
I loved this! I made this as written, but with different cheese I had in the fridge (green onion cheese, it was a great balance). Then I eyeballed the sauce that I mixed with leftover rotisserie chicken, placed the chicken on top of the cheese, added tomatoes, green and red onions (since I had both), cilantro, sour cream and then a little more barbecue sauce drizzled on top. Yummy and fast, thank you so much for posting it!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the BBQ chicken tostadas recipe, Sheryl. Your substitutions sound delicious!
We are having this tonight! So excited!! What would be a good side item for this? Need some ideas!
Hi Karen! I’m sorry that I missed seeing this comment until now. I like to serve the BBQ chicken tostadas with a side of Mexican rice or black beans. I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
I have a feeling these would be a hit at my house. Yum!
These were delicious! Everyone loved them! Thanks for sharing!!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the chicken tostadas, Tobi!
Looks so yummy! Were having this tonight, but instead of BBQ, we’re going to do buffalo chicken! <3 check out the recipe tonight on http://www.lipstickandlemonheads.com 🙂