Mexican cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Tostadas de Tinga

Crispy tortillas layered with braised chipotle chicken, bean paste, crema, lettuce and queso fresco.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 500 g chicken breast
• 2 chipotle chilis in adobo
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 white onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 8 tostadas (or crispy fried corn tortillas)
• 300 g black beans (canned)
• 150 g crema (or sour cream)
• 100 g queso fresco (or feta)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Gently poach the chicken breast in 1 l lightly salted water with half an onion and one garlic clove for 15 min, remove and shred into fibers with two forks; reserve the poaching liquid.
2. Blend the tomatoes with the chipotles, the remaining garlic clove and 100 ml of the poaching liquid into a smooth sauce.
3. Slice the remaining onion into thin half-rings and fry in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat for 6 min until golden.
4. Add the sauce and the crumbled oregano and simmer uncovered for 8–10 min, then stir in the shredded chicken and let it soak for another 5 min until the tinga is moist but no longer runny; season with salt and pepper.
5. Fry the drained beans in the remaining olive oil for 5 min and mash with a potato masher into a spreadable paste.
6. Spread the tostadas first with the bean paste, then layer on tinga, crema and crumbled queso fresco, and serve immediately while still crisp.