These Mexican chicken salad tostadas are the perfect food choice if you need to make a large batch! With yummy vegetables, chicken, and even potato, this chicken salad recipe is fun to serve and a total hit with hot sauce on the side! More please!
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Mexican chicken salad tostadas are a fun lunch option for a gathering, picnic, or even a barbecue! Think easy and delicious…
With a large Mexican chicken salad bowl, this tasty dish can serve a crowd and is so easy for everyone to spoon over their tostada shell with hot sauce!
I’ll also share below some time saving tips to making this Mexican chicken salad recipe and how to get the best flavor all in one bowl!
This post will go over everything you need to know to create these Mexican chicken salad tostadas.
Recipe difficulty: Beginner level recipe…if you can mix things in a bowl, you’re good!
Mexican chicken salad is a popular food item when planning on serving a group based on the large batch it produces! This recipe is super easy to make with a ton of flavor! With my time saving tips below, you’ll be able to pump this chicken salad out in no time at all. (Hint: Canned goods will be your friend!)
Sam’s Pro Tips for this Mexican Chicken Salad Tostadas
Cooking the Chicken
- What is the easiest way to cook and shred my chicken? I love using the INSTANT POT to cook my chicken in just 8 MINUTES! Follow your directions for your INSTANT POT, but this is literally the easiest way to cook then shred your chicken. Make sure to include your onion and garlic for added flavor!
- What if I don’t have an instant pot? Can I cook the chicken stovetop? Yes! Similar to my Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe with Green Salsa and Filipino Sweet Macaroni Salad to Try Right Now, the chicken will boil in water with the onion and garlic for 30 minutes. Make sure to have this step going while you prep the other ingredients so that you’re efficient with your time!
Save that Broth!
- Don’t forget! Don’t throw away the broth the chicken cooked in! This is a special bonus tip! I always save the broth the chicken is cooked in, as the water and garlic give the best flavor. No need to buy chicken broth that is usually high in sodium. You can save this broth and use it to flavor your rice or soup!
How to Save Time
- Use the Del Monte canned vegetables to save time! The ultimate time save! Get the small cans of the Del Monte Peas & Carrots Blend and Whole Kernel Corn. Using these canned goods will save you so much time as now you just drain and toss! Another PLUS to using the Del Monte Peas & Carrots Blend is the carrots will already have been softened so you don’t need to do a flash cook of the carrots. Don’t you hate when you get a hard piece of carrot when you’re expecting soft and creamy?!
Mixing the Mexican Chicken Salad
- Make sure to mix the ingredients together in an extra-large bowl and mix the dry ingredients first! When I’m telling you this will give you a LARGE batch, I’m not joking! Make sure to mix the dry ingredients first before adding the wet ingredients, as it will be a LOT EASIER mixing it this way first. Use a large bowl so that you have extra room to mix. Thinking ahead, make room to put this bowl in the refrigerator after so that you don’t need to transfer to a different container!
Key Ingredients – Mexican Chicken Salad Tostadas
Below are some key ingredients for this recipe:
Chicken
- Shredded chicken: Adding the shredded chicken to this Mexican style chicken salad gives it a hearty, rounded taste. Make sure to read the Tips section above on how I get the chicken super flavorful and cooked quickly.
Vegetables and Peppers
- Celery: One diced celery stalk is used just to give a little crunch. Definitely adds a crisp freshness to the salad!
- Peas and Carrots: Use the Del Monte Peas & Carrots Blend to simply drain and toss into the bowl!
- Corn: 1 small can of corn is added to this Mexican chicken and corn salad! The yellow kernels totally make this chicken salad pop!
- Potatoes: Surprised? Only 1 potato is added for some hearty flavor. The diced potato will cook separately.
- Habaneros: You can dice one habanero, or for something milder, pickled jalapenos will work too! Similar to my Filipino Beef Giniling to Warm the Soul | Meat Stew, I like to use the Trader Joe’s Hot Crispy Habanero Peppers in Olive Oil so that I don’t have to worry about mincing the habanero. Bonus quick tip here!
- Onion and garlic: By boiling the onion and garlic with the chicken, a ton of flavor will be added to the shredded chicken and will be super tasteful in these Mexican chicken salad tostadas.
Condiments
- Mayonnaise: You can use either the real mayonnaise or light mayo, but real mayonnaise is preferred. Creamy and delicious!
- Sour cream: You’ll need about a ½ cup of sour cream to add to the creaminess. This really lifts the mayonnaise and gives a different flavor!
- Mustard: You can use any type of mustard you have, as I usually just use yellow mustard. This will give a tanginess to the mixture using only an 1/8 cup.
More Variations to this Mexican Chicken Salad Tostadas
There are a few ways you can variate these Mexican chicken salad tostadas. Here’s how:
- Use your favorite toppings! This Mexican chicken salad recipe is great on its own, but we love topping these tostadas with hot sauce, sliced avocado, or even chopped cabbage. Or honestly our favorite way is just a drizzle of hot sauce!
- What can I pair with this dish? While tostada shells are the FIRST and OBVIOUS choice, you can turn this into a Mexican chicken salad sandwich! Works great on white bread or a favorite bread of your choosing! No main dish is complete without some Party Favorite Sriracha Deviled Eggs with Shredded Parmesan or 5-Step Easy Garlic Baked French Fries Recipe to have on the side! Delish!
- Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe with Green Salsa
- Stovetop Honey Soy Chicken Wings with Ginger
- Party Favorite Sriracha Deviled Eggs with Shredded Parmesan
- 5-Step Easy Garlic Baked French Fries Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you eat chicken salad cold?
Yes, the chicken was previously cooked before tossed with all the ingredients and is safe to eat cold.
How long does Mexican chicken salad last in the fridge?
This Mexican chicken salad can last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Should I let the chicken cool first before adding mayo?
Before adding the mayonnaise and sour cream to this Mexican chicken salad, have the chicken cool first.
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