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Air Fryer Chicken Tinga Tostadas

Shredded chicken simmered in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce with caramelized onions, piled onto crispy air-fried tostadas with creamy refried beans, cotija cheese, and Mexican crema. Weeknight dinner that tastes like Sunday.

Easy Air Fry
Home › Ninja Dual Oven Recipes: Air Fryer Mastery › Chicken & Poultry › Air Fryer Chicken Tinga Tostadas
📋 Prep: 15 min 🔥 Cook: 25 min ⏱️ Total: 40 min 🍽️ Serves: 4 (8 tostadas) 📊 Easy
Cooking Parameters
15 MIN25 MIN375°F5 MINAIR FRYPREPCOOKTEMPREST
✓
What You'll Need
Dish & pan requirements for your Ninja Double Stack XL
✅ Guaranteed Fit — Max dish size per rack: 12"W × 11.5"D × 4"H. All our recipes use dishes that actually fit your Ninja Double Stack XL DCT401.
💡 Standard Ninja baking pan works for the chicken and for the stovetop simmer step if your pan is cooktop-safe.
high-protein nut-free egg-free
🥘 Ingredients
Chicken Tinga
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breast)
  • 1/2 white onion (sliced thin)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Tinga Sauce
  • 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (14.5 oz, undrained)
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo (minced, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Tostada Assembly
  • 8 corn tostada shells (store-bought or see tip for homemade)
  • 1 can refried beans (16 oz, warmed)
  • 1/2 cup cotija cheese (crumbled)
  • 1/2 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream thinned with lime juice)
  • 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 avocado (sliced)
  • salsa roja (for serving)
  • fresh cilantro (chopped)
  • lime wedges
📝 Instructions
  1. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place in Ninja baking pan. Air Fry at 375°F for 10 minutes (internal temp 165°F). Remove, let cool slightly, then shred with two forks. Lower Oven 💡 Thighs are juicier and more forgiving for shredding. If using breast, check at 8 minutes to avoid overcooking.
  2. While chicken cooks: in a blender or food processor, combine fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and salt. Blend until smooth. Shared 💡 2 chipotles = medium heat. Use 1 for mild, 3 for spicy. You can always add more — you can't take it out!
  3. Set Ninja to Sauté/Stovetop at Medium (or 350°F in a skillet-safe pan). Add olive oil. Sauté sliced onion for 4-5 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds. Lower Oven 💡 If your pan doesn't work on stovetop, do this step on the actual stovetop and transfer back for the simmer.
  4. Pour blended tomato-chipotle sauce into the pan with onions. Stir in shredded chicken. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. Lower Oven 💡 You want the sauce thick, not soupy — it should cling to the chicken, not drip everywhere.
  5. While tinga simmers: spread each tostada shell with warm refried beans (this creates a moisture barrier so the shell stays crispy). Shared 💡 Warm the shells in the Ninja at 350°F Air Fry for 2 minutes if they've been sitting.
  6. Top each bean-topped tostada with chicken tinga, shredded lettuce, crumbled cotija, avocado slices, a drizzle of crema, and salsa roja. Garnish with cilantro and a lime wedge. Shared 💡 Build tostadas RIGHT before eating — if they sit, they get soggy. Set up a tostada bar and let everyone build their own.
💡 Ninja Tips

• Make your own tostada shells: Air Fry corn tortillas at 400°F for 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt for extra crunch.
• Tinga sauce freezes beautifully — make a double batch and freeze half for a future dinner.
• Use the leftover tinga in quesadillas, burrito bowls, or scrambled eggs the next morning.

Scaling: Easily doubled: cook chicken in two batches, then combine everything in a large skillet on the stovetop to simmer the sauce (saves time).

Servings: 1
Scale:
📊 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories490 cal
Protein29 g
Carbohydrates42 g
Total Fat24 g
Dietary Fiber9 g
Sugars6 g
Sodium850 mg
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