Easy Rotisserie Chicken Tostadas with Quick Pickled Onions

Recently, on my Instagram stories I whipped up these Easy Rotisserie Chicken Tostadas topped with quick pickled red onions. I noticed how many of you cooked the recipe yourselves after I shared the dish so I thought it deserved its own space here on the blog! 

A store-bought rotisserie chicken can go along way (or just a homemade simple roasted chicken). There are literally about 10,000 things (or more) things that you can do with the leftover meat. Here is a good example of how you can take simple, shredded rotisserie chicken and make a show-stopping weeknight meal.

Also, pickled things are my love language. I love the tangy, vinegary touch on top of savory things to add acidity and brightness to a dish. You can really put them on top of anything to elevate any dish and the best part is, they last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge (although I do prefer them within a week of making them). I also used my beloved “marinated onion bowl” that one of my favorite bloggers, @nocrumbsleft, sells on her page. Nothing beats her marinated onions, but since it seemed fitting I thought I’d use them for these quick pickled onions, too!

Also, if you’ve never had a tostada before let me tell you about why tostadas are so great. It’s essentially a giant chip and chips are… well, the best invention since sliced bread. I love that you can tower them high with taco-like ingredients and essentially eat a salad on top of a giant chip. It’s amazing. You can use your hands, but you’ll need a fork, too! 😉

If you enjoyed these Easy Rotisserie Chicken Tostadas and want another tostada recipe to try, check out my Chipotle-Lime Salmon Tostadas!

5 from 3 votes

Chicken Tostadas with Quick Pickled Onions

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 3 people

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Ingredients 

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For the Quick Pickled Onions:

• ▢ 1 small red onion, sliced thin
• ▢ 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp peppercorns
• ▢ 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

For the Chicken:

• ▢ 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or any cooked, shredded chicken
• ▢ 2 tbsp ghee
• ▢ 1/2 tsp paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp chili powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 4 oz chopped green chilis from a can
• ▢ 1/3 cup chicken broth, low sodium
• ▢ kosher salt, to taste
• ▢ black pepper, to taste

For the Tostadas:

• ▢ 8 tsp olive oil
• ▢ 6 grain free tortillas (I prefer Siete casava flour tortillas) *see notes for other cooking methods
• ▢ 1 cup store-bought or homemade guacamole
• ▢ 2 cups romaine lettuce, thinly sliced or 1 small head
• ▢ 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• ▢ 1 lime, sliced into wedges

Instructions 

For the Quick Pickled Onions:

• Place sliced onions a large bowl and cover in hot water for 5 minutes (this takes out the bite in the onions).
• Meanwhile, in a jar or bowl large enough for all the onions, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, peppercorns and coriander seeds, until all the salt has dissolved. 
• When the onions are done soaking, drain off the water. Add the onions to the bowl with the brine (the vinegar mixture). Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. (These can keep in the fridge for at least two weeks but I prefer to use mine within a week.)

For the Chicken:

• Heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt ghee. 
• When ghee is melted, add the spices. Gently toast, stirring ocassionally until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and coo, stirring, until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the shredded chicken and toss to combine. 
• Add the chopped green chilis and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a simmer and let cook until broth is absorbed into the chicken. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste if desired.

For the Tostadas:

• Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp of oil per tortilla. Add tortilla to skillet and cook, flipping every 2 minutes, until tortilla is crisp all over,  5 to 6 minutes total. Place each crispy tortilla on a wire rack and set aside as continue until all tostadas are crisp.
• To assemble-- Spread guacamole on the bottom of each tostada. Top with romaine,  shredded chicken, cilantro, and the quick pickled onions. Serve with a wedge of lime. Enjoy!

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Alex Snodgrass

Servings: 3 people

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