Chef Toni-Ann Cazares Returns with Tinga Chicken Tostadas

Chef Toni-Ann Cazares returned to the kitchen this week with a new Mexican-inspired meal. The recipe focuses on crunchy textures and warm flavors. It combines smoky chicken with charred corn.

Cazares, who previously hosted at Nachos Tacos Patio, developed the dish for the Dinner DeeAs series. The main component is Tinga chicken served on crispy corn tostada shells. The chicken is shredded and coated in a chipotle-tomato sauce.

To prepare the chicken, three boneless, skinless breasts are simmered in water with onion, garlic, salt, bouillon, and bay leaves for 20 to 25 minutes. The meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before being removed. The cook lets the chicken cool slightly, then shreds it using two forks.

The sauce is made by boiling three Roma tomatoes in the chicken cooking liquid until they soften. These are blended with the reserved boiled onion, garlic, half a cup of chicken broth, and two to three chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. The mixture is blended on high speed for 45 seconds until it forms a smooth red sauce.

The blended sauce is added to a pan with sautéed onion. The shredded chicken is tossed in the sauce and simmered for three to five minutes. The dish is assembled by placing a generous scoop of sauced chicken on each tostada shell. Shredded lettuce, Mexican crema, and crumbled queso fresco are added on top.

The meal includes a side of quick charred Mexican street corn. One can of whole kernel sweet corn is drained and seared in a skillet for two to five minutes until the kernels brown. The warm corn is transferred to a bowl and stirred with two tablespoons of mayonnaise.

The corn is then folded with a quarter cup of grated parmesan cheese until the cheese melts and distributes evenly. A teaspoon of Tajín seasoning is dusted over the top. The side is served immediately alongside the tostadas.