Fast, fun and festive – Chicken Tostadas with Avocado Ranch.
Mexican food is always a hit at our house, and this recipe is one more reason why. Crispy tostada shells are spread with spicy refried beans (or mild if you’re a gringo.) Then they’re topped with shredded rotisserie chicken (my favorite easy peasy option) and shredded cheese. After a quick pop under the broiler, they’re ready for the toppings and the Avocado Ranch dressing.
Chicken Tostadas with Avocado Ranch
Avocado Ranch
There are a few things I love about these Chicken Tostadas with Avocado Ranch. First and foremost – the AVOCADO RANCH! Seriously yummy dressing. The combination of sour cream and avocado creates a rich creamy base. Tart lime juice, ranch dressing mix (I used Hidden Valley Ranch brand), and fresh cilantro provide a combination of delicious flavors. This dressing is also great with chips and veggies.
If you’re not a cilantro fan I won’t hold it against you. You probably have other good qualities. Simply swap out the cilantro for fresh parsley or basil.
Toppings
The recipe calls for shredded red cabbage and pico de gallo. But you can also add some chopped avocado since the dressing only calls for 1/3 cup. Here a few other ideas:
- Chopped fresh tomatoes and pickled jalapenos vs pico de gallo (which I used because I forgot to buy pico de gallo.)
- Shredded iceberg vs. cabbage
- slice radishes
- sliced olives
- chopped cilantro
- sliced green onions or chives
Keeping It Real
I thought it would be fun to show how the kitchen looks whenever I cook and stage food for a photo shoot. Essentially like a bomb went off. In the spirit of being authentic, here are the fun things that went sideways (which is par for the course for me.)
The refried bean can wouldn’t open all the way so I had to dig the beans out with a knife. I bought a bag of salad and picked the red cabbage out because I didn’t have use for a whole head of cabbage. I already confessed to forgetting the pico de gallo, so I had to improvise. But even after all that, they still tasted great! That’s a ringing endorsement, don’t you think?
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Chicken Tostadas with Avocado Ranch
Ingredients
Avocado Ranch
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1/3 c. avocado peeled, pitted, and cubed
- 1/4 c. water
- 1/4 c. cilantro leaves packed
- 4 tsp ranch dressing mix
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
Chicken Tostadas
- 8 crunchy corn tostadas
- 1 c. spicy refried beans
- 1 ½ c. rotisserie chicken shredded
- 1 c. shredded mild Cheddar cheese
- 1 c. shredded red cabbage
- 1 c. pico de gallo
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat broiler on HIGH. Prepare Avocado-Lime Ranch.
Avocado Ranch
- Combine light sour cream, avocado, water, cilantro leaves, ranch dressing, and lime juice in a food processor or blender until smooth; set aside.
Chicken Tostadas
- Spread tostadas with refried beans. Top with chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Broil 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with cabbage and pico de gallo. Drizzle with Avocado Ranch and serve with lime wedges.
Looking at a bunch of your recipes tonight. Loved the sound of that dressing and your kitchen picture and description.
I thought it would be fun to share the real story of how things are not always smooth sailing in the kitchen (as we all know!)