Grain Free Chicken Tostadas {Paleo + Whole30}
We love Mexican food around here. It is hard for us to pick a favorite cuisine, but Mexican is absolutely near the top of the list. With such flavorful, simple, and wildly customizable food it is no wonder we enjoy this cuisine often at home. Not only that, but tacos are on constant rotation. We simply swap out the protein and toppings to mix things up. Or we sub in Paleo Nachos when we are craving a crunch. But there was still something missing from our Mexican food game. Something that I really loved growing up but was absent from the Paleo world. Enter Grain Free Chicken Tostadas.
Planning a fiesta for Cinco de Mayo? These tostadas would go great with our Ginger Thyme Margaritas or Blood Orange Palomas. And don't forget all our other Mexican recipes!
I realized as we were developing this recipe that there lacks a common knowledge and/or love of the tostada. Which is why we have made it our mission to spread the word. Because friends, tostadas are the best!
Think of them as an open faced crunchy taco. You take your favorite taco shell, fry it gently in some high-quality oil, let it cool, and add your favorite toppings.
See, now who wants a tostada? My hand is raised, by the way.
Let’s talk ingredients. Not surprisingly, the tostada base is an essential piece of the puzzle. Thank goodness for amazing companies that have created options for us grain-free Mexican fans. Because without them, this recipe wouldn’t be possible.
Here we used our favorite Siete grain-free soft tortillas. These can be purchased at Whole Foods Market, Prime Now, or directly from their website (linked above). We used the almond flour version in this recipe, and have also used the Cashew flour version. Although we haven’t tested out the others, any variety should work.
If you do include grains in your diet, you can always use a corn tortilla instead. But we absolutely encourage you to try these tortillas either way. They fry up beautifully and are great for low-carb diets.
After you create your tostada base, then comes the toppings. Thankfully these tortillas are very sturdy, and can handle a massive amount of goods. They also have a large surface area so you can really pile stuff on top. Which makes them easily to pull off as a full meal.
We love shredded chicken for protein, but ground beef, shredded pork, or even grilled seafood would all work wonderfully. Yet another reason why we love Mexican cuisine, it is all about versatility. This recipe can, and will, become the framework for dozens of variations.
Lastly, some fresh crunchy veggies to finish things off. As I mentioned last week, we created our Jicama Avocado Salsa specifically for this meal. It gives you fresh crispness, creamy avocado, a hit of acid, and a bit of spice. It really rounds out the dish.
For those who enjoy nightshades, feel free to add tomatoes or bell peppers as well. These would add some nice flavor, texture, and color.
Most importantly though, learn to love and embrace the tostada. It satisfies with a crunch like nachos, but is still sandwich-esque like a taco. Yet another best of both worlds scenario.
And when we are talking about a part nacho part taco mash-up, this is cause for celebration. Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, celebrate with some awesome company, killer eats, and of course some festive cocktails. That my friends, is how we plan to celebrate.
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Grain Free Chicken Tostadas {Paleo + Whole30}
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken
- 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds pasture-raised chicken thighs or breasts frozen or fresh, OR meat pulled from one rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup apple cider or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon paleo taco seasoning
- OR
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried onion
- 1 teaspoon sea sat
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Toppings
- 1 recipe Jicama Avocado Salsa
- Several leaves romaine or butter lettuce shredded
- Handful fresh cilantro
- Hot sauce optional
Tostadas
- 3-6 tablespoons coconut or avocado oil
- 6 Siete almond flour or cashew flour tortillas OR homemade tortillas of your choice
Instructions
Shredded Chicken
- Add chicken to an instant pot and pour cider or broth on top. Add seasoning to chicken, then attach lid. Set pot to “manual” high pressure, 25 minutes if cooking from frozen and 15 if cooking fresh. Let pot de-pressurize on its own while you prepare other ingredients. Once pressure has released, remove meat and shred using two forks.
- If using a rotisserie chicken, shred and set meat aside.
Toppings
- While chicken is cooking, prepare your salsa and let it marinate in the fridge once complete.
- Wash and prep lettuce and cilantro then set aside.
Toastads
- Heat a large high sided skillet on medium-high heat (cast iron works best for this). Add 3 tablespoons oil and let it melt. Swirl your pan to distribute oil. Once hot and near smoking, add one tortilla.
- Fry tortilla, only about a minute, until it bubbles up and begins pulling away from the pan. Once browned and crisp, flip using a large spatula. Fry the second side for another minute or so, until browned and crisp. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding more oil as needed. Let cool completely before using.
- To assemble, add a cooled fried tortilla to a plate. Drain chicken a bit so it its mostly dry, and add to top of tortilla. Dress with a small pile of shredded lettuce, a couple tablespoons of salsa, and a small handful of cilantro leaves. Season with hot sauce if desired and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Other varieties of Siete and regular tortillas should work in this recipe, but note they have not been tested.
- Feel free to adjust the toppings to taste. If you enjoy nightshades as part of your diet, tomatoes and bell peppers would be a great addition.
- If you don't have or aren't a fan of chicken, shredded or ground beef or pork will work great as well.
