Chicken Tostadas & Creamy Poblano Sauce

My cheesy chicken tostadas with creamy poblano sauce is a fiesta in your mouth! This may be my new favorite southwestern style dinner or appetizer recipe! And the poblano sauce is so good you’ll want to eat it with a spoon! Add this recipe to your next Mexican fiesta party as an appetizer or a main dish. 

These chicken tostadas are so tasty with the creamy pepper sauce drizzled on top. The result is this delicious, crunchy, cheesy, tostada that makes a fantastic entree or a hearty appetizer. Whether it’s Cinco de Mayo or not, any day is a great day for Mexican flavors.

Since we love southwester flavors I wanted to create an original recipe using easy ingredients. And the results were better than expected! This dish is made with a combination of fresh ingredients and a few convenient tricks. 

I made the chicken filling in the slow cooker, and prepared the poblano sauce and tortillas a couple of hours ahead. All that’s left to do when it’s time to serve is assemble and heat. It’s a great make-ahead, interactive dish for entertaining or for weeknight meals.

Serve these chicken tostadas for entertaining at home

• This recipe is full of flavor making it a great dish for entertaining. Make a batch for a Southwestern dinner party and serve two as an entree or plate one for an appetizer. 
• Accompany these with a yummy Mexican layer dip. Serve an extra bowl of the creamy poblano sauce to dip chips into.
• Host a Mexican fiesta happy hour and serve these on the side.
• Wash these down with a refreshing and light mezcal margarita or white grapefruit margarita.
• Finally, for dessert serve up a coconut flan that your guests will remember.

With these party ideas you’ll be ready for cinco de mayo and beyond!

Cheesy Chicken Tostadas with Creamy Poblano Sauce

Yield: 10 tostadas

These southwester chicken tostadas are amazing! Make them for dinner or for a plated appetizer. The creamy poblano sauce is so good you'll want to eat it on everything! Serving size: 2 tostadas for an entree, or 1 tostada as an appetizer

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Ingredients

chicken filling

• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 cups jarred salsa

sauce

• 2 poblano peppers
• 1/2 Tablespoon buttermilk ranch dressing mix
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno {or to taste}

tostadas

• corn tortillas
• vegetable oil
• 4-cheese Mexican blend
• avocado
• fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. In a slow cooker, add chicken thighs, onion, and cover with salsa. If your salsa is very thick you may want to add 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours; turn down heat to low and continue for another 2 hours.
2. When cooked through, shred chicken using 2 forks. Using a slotted spoon or small strainer, remove chicken mixture from excess liquid and into a bowl until ready to use.
3. Meanwhile, roast poblano peppers in a 425 degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl; cover and let them steam for 15 minutes. Remove cover and let cool to touch. Remove and discard skin.
4. In a blender or food processor, combine ranch seasoning, mayonnaise, buttermilk, roasted poblanos, and jalapeno, until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5. For tortillas, pour a shallow layer of oil into a small skillet – just enough to cover the bottom. Heat oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, place a tortilla in pan and cook until crisp, turning halfway through. It should take a total of 1 minute to 20 seconds, depending how hot your oil is. Remove crisp tortilla and let drain on a paper towel.

TO BUILD YOUR TOSTADAS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place a layer of chicken mixture onto crisp tortilla, and cover with shredded cheese {about 1/2 ounce each}. Cook on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is nice and melted.
3. Remove tostadas and top with sliced avocado, creamy poblano sauce, and finely chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Notes

If the poblano sauce is too thick to drizzle with a spoon, so place it into a small squeeze bottle to make it easier to apply….or you can just add small dabs of it with a spoon.