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BBQ Chicken Tostadas are a quick and easy dinner recipe that is sure to be a family favorite. Especially on busy nights, with only 4 basic ingredients you can have dinner in less than 20 minutes. Shredded chicken, your favorite barbecue sauce, and cheese piled on corn tortillas plus a few minutes of prep time – what’s not to love?! Plus, they are gluten free!
Originally published on Oct 20, 2016
The Best BBQ Chicken Tostadas Recipe
I shared this recipe when I was doing a review of The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook written by my friend Mary of Barefeet in the Kitchen. However, before I tell you about the cookbook, let’s talk about her BBQ chicken tostada recipe…
It has become an absolute sensation!
This recipe has been pinned hundreds of thousands of times. With reviews and photos everywhere on social media, you know this barbecue chicken tostada recipe is a winner. It’s one of the fastest easy dinner recipes you’ll ever make, and the entire family will love it.
Just grab your favorite barbecue sauce, cheese, and tortillas or tostada shells for a meal that comes together in minutes.
Because anything that combines barbecue sauce, chicken, and cheese is going to be a winner. This dish was no exception!
All of the details and amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. But just to show you how easy it is, take a look at this short ingredient list and quick recipe overview.
Ingredients
- Tostada shells or corn tortillas – If you can’t find crispy tostada shells, see How to Make Tostada Shells with corn tortillas.
- Chicken – cooked and shredded.
- Barbecue sauce – use your favorite. I like Original Stubb’s BBQ Sauce.
- Shredded cheese – the original recipe calls for mozzarella, but cheddar, Monterey jack, and pepper jack are great too.
- Optional – sliced scallions, salsa, sour cream, or other toppings or garnishes.
What kind of chicken should I use?
You have so many options!
- Make extra baked BBQ chicken breasts or grilled chicken breasts.
- If you are preparing roast chicken or slow cooker roast chicken, you can always make two.
- It’s a great recipe using rotisserie chicken, so grab one from the store or make your own Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken.
- Mary suggests cooking a big bunch of boneless, skinless chicken in your slow cooker to use all week.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Tostadas
- Toss the shredded chicken in your favorite barbecue sauce.
- Pile the barbecue chicken on the tostada shells.
- Cover with cheese and bake.
- Before serving, drizzle on some more barbecue sauce.
It’s as simple as that. And let me tell you, they will be eaten just as quickly as they were made!
Brianne’s pro recipe tips
Substitute for tostada shells
You can get store-bought tostada shells. But if you have corn tortillas, you can brush them lightly with little oil and bake for three or four minutes on each side. Works perfectly!
Variations
- You can make them with mozzarella, as per Mary’s original recipe. But they are equally delicious using sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, or pepper Jack cheese.
- The recipe in the cookbook calls for green onions on top after baking. I skipped them because my boys don’t like them.
- Swap the meat and use leftover pulled pork, barbecue beef, or even chopped up cube steaks.
Make it a meal
Toppings
- Some people have enjoyed topping them with Mango Salsa.
- They would also be great drizzled with Greek Yogurt Ranch.
- Also, try Kid-Friendly Guacamole.
Side dishes
- Bacon Barbecue Ranch Salad would pair perfectly with its blend of sweet and spice.
- Barbecue and coleslaw go hand-in-hand, so try these with this Healthy Hawaiian Coleslaw or Maple Dijon Cole Slaw.
- For more cheesy deliciousness, Cauliflower Tots are always a good idea.
- The adults can sip on a Skinny Grapefruit Margarita and maybe the kids would enjoy Mango Lava Flow Smoothies.
About The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook
Get The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook
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.
The chapters are broken down into how long it takes to prepare each recipe. There’s even a chapter for recipes that only require a few minutes of hands-on time, and then they are left alone to bake, simmer, or slow cook.
Plus it has sides, staples, and simple 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!
Mary’s gluten free substitutions are so spot-on that I actually used the ratios in this Chocolate Chip Pound Cake recipe to convert another recipe I found into this Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cake.
For my little fish lovers, I made the Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Broccoli. And that Chocolate Chip Pound Cake is to-die-for!
Cookbooks by Mary Younkin
- If you like this recipe, pick up your copy of The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook.
- When you need quick sweet treats like Monster Cookie Bars, then you’ll need The Weeknight Dessert Cookbook.
- The Weekday Breakfasts & Lunches Cookbook makes morning and mid-day a breeze, like these Breakfast Tostada Stacks.
More kid-friendly chicken dinner recipes
- Mediterranean Chicken Pinwheels
- Cheesy Chicken Foil Packs
- Orange Chicken Broccoli Rice Bowls
- Chicken Enchilada Skillet
- Instant Pot Pineapple Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner from The Little Kitchen
- Sweet Chipotle Chicken Bites from Noble Pig
Easy BBQ Chicken Tostadas
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.
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakekalechip on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
Champ! I enjoy learning how to make it easier. Kids enjoy eating happily! Thank you for sharing!
This recipe is going to change my life! Quick, easy, and pretty healthy! Thank you 😊
Delicious, and so quick and easy to make!!
I’ve made it per the directions several times before today. However, today I made a Mexican form. Used Mexican cheese, leftover fajita meat, Mexican street corn. Then cooked per directions. Put green chili queso sauce, taco sauce, jalapeños, and sour cream on top. Yum to both options.
Nice, I have done something similar for the both Chicken Tostadas recipe on my site.
Love these! I definitely cook them for longer than recommended but they’re delicious!
I added some diced up jalapeños to the top and it was so simple but so delicious. Will definitely make again for those lazy nights.
Bet this is delicious. The picture alone made me hungry. Thanks for this!
I made mine with smoked pulled pork tonight it was a hit! Thank u! Thank u!!
Oooh, delish!
This recipe was a HUGE hit with my family. I had diced jalapeño, cilantro and green onions for toppings for those who wanted to add them.
I love hearing all the toppings variations people use. Yours sound great!
Do you think I could use flour tortillas?
I am not sure if they will crisp up the same, but you could make it almost like a taco.
So simple and so delicious! I made cilantro lime coleslaw to put on top and we devoured it. It was a very quiet dinner as everyone was stuffing their faces, lol. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
That slaw sounds delicious, and perfect to go with these tostadas!
How many ww green points is this?? I was delicious!!
I’m sorry, I don’t know the WW points system.
If you use sugar free bbq sauce it would be very low points because of the minimal ingredients.
Oh great!
This is my second recipe I have tried and I was super excited. I do think though there is a salt issue – mainly because of bbq sauce but because cheese is also added. So for further chefs of this item keep it in mind. This one was extremely salty.
Since the recipe does not call for any added salt, the salt content is going to be 100% dependent on the salt you use in cooking your chicken, or in your choice of barbecue sauce and cheese. Feel free to cut back on the cheese or don’t add any seasoning when cooking the chicken so it balances out.
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Tasty!!!
These were so easy and delicious! I used cilantro instead of green onion, Monterey jack cheese and served with salad! I love short ingredient lists for recipes! Yummy!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the tostadas, Crissy! Thank you for your comment and for rating the recipe.
An easy and great mid week recipe! We added beans and rice as sides and a great meal!
Thank you, Janesa! Your sides sound like perfect choices to make this a complete, healthy Mexican meal. 🙂
What is a good option as a side to go with it!
Hi MacKenzie,
Possible sides to serve with the BBQ chicken tostadas might be a healthy garden salad and some Spanish rice.
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Why so much sodium?
Hi Sara,
The sodium count varies depending on the ingredients you use. The nutritional database that I use to calculate the info just uses a generic BBQ sauce. Some of them can be very high in sodium. If you’re watching your sodium, you may want to look for a low-sodium brand, or make it yourself so you can control the salt. 🙂
My son is obsessed with bbq chicken pizza so this is an awesome gluten free alternative. Thanks!
I hope he enjoys it, Sara!
These turned out great! BBQ chicken tostadas are perfect for game day!
I’m so glad you liked the recipe, Krissy. Thanks for rating the recipe, too!
This dish looks amazing. I wish I could eat that right now!
I need a gluten free diet for my autoimmune disease, and since I’m also very ill due to pregnancy, I need simple and quick meals. I usually only cook for my 7year old and husband. I made my own bbq sauce, used tostada shells, and “Mexican Blend” cheese. While the bbq sauce was cooking on the stove I was shredding chicken and prepping the baking sheet. Easy peasy!
I am so sorry and hope you feel better soon! I remember those days when I wanted to cook for my family but it was exhausting and made me ill. Glad you were bale to find an easy meal you enjoyed!
This recipe is perfect for my crockpot shredded chicken I try to keep on hand! I’ve seen this post on Pinterest so many times but skipped by it thinking it’d be too much work. I’m not a fan of having to make individual things like these (or enchiladas, or appetizers that you work so hard on and people swallow them in one bite) BUT I recently made chicken enchiladas so I figure this will be much easier! I can’t wait to try it! I have cheddar cheese on hand, but mozzarella sounds even better! Also I loved your part about food bloggers being hypocrites. I’m a new food bloggers, but I already know that’s accurate!
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This was REALLY good! My 7 year old son chose this as our dinner tonight and when he tried it, he said ‘yup, I made the right choice’. What’s great, is that we pretty much always have the ingredients on-hand (in the fridge, freezer, cabinet, etc). We made it with taco shells and put lettuce on top, and perfecto! Simple, easy, quick dinner that everyone loved.
Isn’t it wonderful when we can not only get our kids to eat, but when they enjoy the meal, too?! Thanks for your comment, Pamela!
Looks so yummy! Were having this tonight, but instead of BBQ, we’re going to do buffalo chicken!
These were delicious! Everyone loved them! Thanks for sharing!!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the chicken tostadas, Tobi!
I have a feeling these would be a hit at my house. Yum!
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 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!
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!
Super delicious and easy to make after a long day 🙂
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.
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 LOVE to substitute cilantro for the green onions. Seriously divine!
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 put a black bean rice and corn mixture in mine and it was great!!
That sounds delicious, Kari! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
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 looks great! Thanks for sharing with the Delicious Dishes Recipe party!
mmm yum!
They are sooo good!
These tostadas look so yummy! Thanks for linkin’ up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
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
I like quick and delicious dinners like this- perfect for a busy weeknight!
Yum! these are definitely going into dinner rotation! Thanks for sharing.
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
The pictures of this tostada make it look super yummy!
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!
Do you know how many weight watchers points the bbq tostadas would be?
Hi Stephanie,
I know that your question is directed at Mary, but I thought I would let you know that the Weight Watchers points system was changed recently. I’m not on the program, so I can’t tell you how many points are in the tostadas, but I think the points are going to vary depending on what Weight Watchers program you’re on.