Chipotle Chicken Tostadas

Preheat the oven to 200 F.

Heat the oil in an 8″ or 9” fry pan, on medium heat, until the oil shimmers. Place a tortilla in the oil, and press with tongs to submerge. Fry for about 4 minutes, flipping every minute, until the tortilla is a nice golden brown on each side. You may see bubbles starting to form while the tortilla fries. Just press them lightly with the tongs. Place the fried tortilla on a paper towel to drain excess oil, then place in the oven, directly on the rack to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Prepare the chicken (recipes below).

When you are about ready to assemble the tostadas, heat the refried beans in a saucepan, on medium-low. Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

For the tostada assembly:
Spread refried beans over tostada shells. Top with queso fresco, pulled chicken (see below), cabbage, tomato and avocado. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, vinegar and hot sauce. And I highly recommend squirting a nice wedge of lime on each.

For the grilled or baked chicken option:
Using a fork, mix butter, all chopped herbs and chipotle chiles in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Rinse the chicken pieces in water and pat dry with paper towels (the herbed butter mixture will NOT stick well if the chicken is damp).

Taking each piece of chicken, slide your fingers under the skin to loosen, folding it back but being careful to keep it connected; pat the uncovered meat dry.

Spread the seasoned butter on each piece, coating evenly. Put the skin back in place. Coat the skin lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or bake according to the below instructions.

*Chipotle peppers in adobo can usually be found canned in the international food aisle of most supermarkets

Grilling instructions:
Preheat the grill on medium-low for 5 minutes. Place the chicken pieces, skin side up, on the grill, and cook on medium-low, for about 30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes or so. The chicken is ready when the meat registers at 165°F using a meat thermometer.

Let chicken cool then remove the bones and skin and shred the meat with two forks. Tent with tinfoil while completing the rest of the prep.

Baking instructions:
Preheat the oven at 400°F. Coat the bottom of a baking sheet or roasting pan with olive oil.

Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side up on the pan so the pieces aren’t crowded. Cook for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and cook for 10-30 minutes more until the internal temperature of the breast is 165°F.

Remove pan from oven and let the chicken cool, remove the bones and skin, then shred the meat with two forks. Tent with tinfoil while completing the rest of the tostada prep.

For a quick weeknight option:
Buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Remove meat from the bones. Shred the chicken meat, using two forks. Place the meat in a bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients. Set aside while completing the prep for the tostadas.

**This is an adaptation of Bon Appetit’s 04/2010 recipe for Chipotle Chicken Tostadas.