Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas

These Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas come together in 30 minutes and are the best way to use up all that summer corn and zucchini. They go perfectly with a cold glass of white wine, too.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why this recipe works
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🫑 Summer vegetable tostadas (vegetarian version)
• 🌽 Recipe tips
• 🥗 What to serve with tostadas
• ⏲️ How to store
• 🎉 Recipe variations
• 🌮 More recipes with tortillas
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

These Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas are the kind of dinner I make on repeat all summer long.

They come together in 30 minutes, they use up whatever corn and zucchini is piling up on the counter from the farmer's market or farmstand, and they taste like they took way more effort than they did.

The chicken is mixed with cumin, salt, and pepper before it's sauted with red onion, corn, and zucchini. Salsa verde and fresh cilantro are added in at the end, everything gets piled onto tortillas with a handful of cheddar, and the whole thing finishes under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Top with avocado (non-negotiable, in my opinion) and dinner is done!

I first made a version of these back in 2011, adapted from a now-lost recipe from Cooking Light and they've earned a permanent spot in our summer rotation ever since.

❤️ Why this recipe works

It's quick and easy: these tostadas take 30 minutes from fridge to table and most of that is broiler time. Perfect for a lazy summer evening!

Perfect use for summer produce: we love corn and zucchini, but sometimes they can get to be... a lot and it can be hard to find ways to use them before they go bad. This dinner stars the two veggies, but really, any summer vegetable will work.

Baked (and broiled) instead of fried: since the broiler crisps the tortillas and melts the cheese, you don't need to fry anything and you still get crispy tostadas. Baking makes this dish easier to make and to clean up.

It's easy to customize: if corn and zucchini aren't your faves, you can substitute with so many other veggies (see the variations section below). You can also leave out the chicken for a vegetarian tostada or add the protein of your choice.

🗒 Ingredients

You don't need too many ingredients to make this delicious summer dinner! Be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions, but here's a glance at what you need:

• Ground cumin
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• Chicken breast tenders: I use tenders because they're already the right size for quick chopping into bite-sized pieces, but regular chicken breasts work, too. Boneless, skinless thighs are a great swap if you want more flavor.
• Red onion: chopped
• Fresh corn kernels: fresh is always best in this recipe, but you can substitute with frozen if you can't get fresh (be sure to thaw and pat it dry). I wouldn't use canned here as the texture won't be right.
• Zucchini: chopped. You could also use yellow summer squash.
• Salsa verde: or the salsa of your choice
• Fresh cilantro: you can use parsley if you're not a cilantro fan.
• Flour tortillas: I go with flour because they crisp up well under the broiler and hold the toppings without cracking. If you prefer corn, use store-bought tostada shells or lightly fry corn tortillas first.
• Cooking spray
• Shredded cheddar cheese: shred it yourself if you can as pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that keep it from melting as smoothly. Monterey Jack, a Mexican blend, or pepper jack are all great swaps.
• Avocado: for topping

🫑 Summer vegetable tostadas (vegetarian version)

These tostadas make an excellent vegetarian dinner with one simple swap: replace the chicken with a cup of black beans (drained and rinsed) or pinto beans. You'll get the same hearty, protein-packed bite without the meat.

A few other ways to build out a vegetarian version:

• Double down on the vegetables. Skip the beans and add another cup of zucchini or a cup of diced bell pepper. A handful of cherry tomatoes stirred in at the end is also delicious.
• Add roasted poblanos or jalapeños for a smoky, spicier version.
• Use cotija or crumbled queso fresco instead of cheddar for a more traditional Mexican flavor.
• Finish with a squeeze of lime. It brightens everything up.

Even if you don't add meat, the cooking method will stay exactly the same. Saute your vegetables (and beans, if using) with the cumin, salt, and pepper, stir in the salsa verde and cilantro, and build your tostadas as directed.

🌽 Recipe tips

• Preheat the broiler while you're assembling the tostadas. It needs to get fully heated, so when the tortillas go in they'll crisp up instead of drying out.

• Before assembling tostadas, drain any excess liquid from the pan. If the chicken and vegetable mixture looks watery, cook it down an extra minute, otherwise you could get soggy tostadas.

• Don't overload the tortillas with filling. About ¾ cup of filling per tostada is best Too much filling and the tortilla won't be able to support it. Of course, too little filling isn't good either!

• Once they're in the oven, keep a close eye on the broiler as every oven is different. I put the tortillas in for 1 minute and then add filling and cheese and pop back in for another 2 minutes for the perfect crispiness.

For a 30-minute meal, these are crazy delicious! They're packed with so much food stuff and lots of flavor, too.

This is the kind of meal I could eat every single week during the summer and be so ridiculously happy about it.

🥗 What to serve with tostadas

Tostadas are pretty much a complete meal on their own, but if you want to round things out, here are some favorites:

• A simple green salad with lime vinaigrette
• Mexican-style street corn
• Quinoa and black bean corn salad
• Black beans or refried beans
• Cilantro lime rice
• A pitcher of margaritas or a cold white wine like sauvignon blanc

⏲️ How to store

To store leftovers, keep the chicken and vegetable filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend storing the filling separate from the tortillas as they'll get very soggy if stored together.

For best results, warm the filling in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, just until heated through. Toast fresh tortillas under the broiler and assemble right before eating. You can also re-heat the filling in the microwave.

🎉 Recipe variations

In addition to making these vegetarian tostadas, there are lots of ingredient swaps and additions you can make depending on what you like and what you have on hand.

Here are some ideas:

• Add shrimp instead of chicken
• Use ground beef or ground turkey instead of chicken
• Skip the cooking of the chicken and use rotisserie chicken instead
• Add diced jalapeño or use spicy salsa to give these a kick
• Add vegetables like summer squash, spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes or tomatillos, mushrooms, roasted sweet potatoes, poblano peppers, etc. Some adjustments may need to be made due to moisture in veggies.
• Add beans of your choice, like black beans or pinto beans.
• Use your favorite cheese, including Monterey Jack, pepper jack, cotija, or crumbled queso fresco.
• You can use corn tortillas instead of flour, but it's harder to broil them, so I recommend either using store-bought tostadas or pan-frying the tortillas in a little bit of oil before broiling.

🌮 More recipes with tortillas

You can make more than just simple tacos with tortillas! Here are some of my tortilla-based recipes:

I also highly recommend this Mexican corn bisque with shrimp as a delicious summer dinner.

Since it will take you about 30 minutes to get this on the table, you can stay at the beach or pool longer instead of working away in the hot kitchen. And still serve your family a delicious dinner of chicken and summer vegetable tostadas.

Orrrr you could just keep all four of them to yourself. I'm not even going to tell you what I did.

What's your favorite Mexican-style summer meal?

📖 Recipe