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Switching things up with these fun Cool Ranch Chicken “Tostadadillas” with Honey Lime Crema. Homemade cool ranch tostada shells sandwiched with cheese, then oven-baked to create a “tostadadilla” – kind of a cross between crunchy tostadas and cheesy quesadillas. Top each tostadadilla with ground chicken seasoned with Mexican spices, shredded lettuce, and creamy honey lime crema. Just the right amount of melty cheese and CRUNCH with every bite. They’re easy to make and are so DELICIOUS.
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Well, aren’t these are fun…I just felt like our Monday could use a little fun, you know?
I’ve been planning on sharing these for a while. And when I say a while, I really mean just a couple of weeks, but for me, that is a while. I don’t plan out recipes very far in advance because I love to share things with you guys RIGHT AWAY. If I hold onto a recipe concept too long, there’s a good chance that by the time I go to make it, I’ll have convinced myself it’s a bad idea. So in general, if I’m excited about something, I make it while I’m still excited and share it almost immediately after photographing it.
I would have made them sooner, but the timing just worked out this way.
So here we are. Let me introduce you guys to a tostada-dilla. A cross between a crispy tostada and an extra cheesy quesadilla.
The idea.
Honestly, I don’t know when, how, or why I thought this up. It’s not some genius idea by any means, but man these sure are a delicious twist on tostadas.
I guess to me, a regular old tostada just seems a little boring, I would very much rather eat a crunchy, cheesy taco. I love when foods have lots of flavor, layers of texture, multiple sauces, and yeah…cheese too.
When my brother Creighton suggested I make beef tostadas, I quickly said no, those sound boring. But then I thought about how I might improve upon the classic tostada, and somewhere along the way, these tosatadillas were born. They’re all things, crunchy, crispy, cheesy, creamy, and spicy. And the added bonus? Even though the ingredients list looks long (it’s all just dry spices), these are easy to throw together.
The details.
Start with the meat, I used ground chicken, but beef would be equally great. I seasoned it up pretty simply by adding in lots of smoky poblano peppers and a touch of tomato paste for a nice twist on the usual.
I like to start with cooking the meat, and while that’s simmering away, I make the “cool ranch” tostada shells.
The “cool ranch” tostada shells.
These tostada shells are truly something special. I’m really into making homemade seasonings right now, so I created a homemade mix for the cool ranch Doritos seasoning and put it on my tostadas. It’s so simple. It’s really just a mix of those dry ranch spices and herbs, along with paprika, chili powder, and a little grated cheese.
Bake the tostada shells until crispy, then sprinkle over the seasoning mix. The tostadas alone are reason enough to make these. They’re crispy, crunchy, and so perfectly seasoned.
I read a little about what’s in cool ranch Doritos. And while this isn’t the exact same mix, it is very similar. And the tomato paste used with the chicken brings in that tomato powder that’s used on the classic cool ranch Dorito.
PS. I don’t know what’s up with my weird desire to want to remake store-bought favorites, but I’m having fun with it.
Ok, now we assemble.
Layer the cheese between the tostadas and then bake them in the oven until the cheese is nice and melty. Now you have a tostada-dilla. Yes, I made the word up, but it does kind of work…right?
Anyway, while the tostadadillas are baking, gather all your toppings. I like to do a little smashed avocado and honey-lime crema as my sauce.
As soon as the tostadadillas come out of the oven, layer them up while they’re still nice and melty. Avocado, saucy seasoned-up chicken, then a little shredded cabbage or lettuce, jalapeños, and a sprinkling of cilantro. Then drizzle over that crema sauce and finish with a squeeze of lime…
And now they’re stacked and ready for enjoying.
I really do think you’ll enjoy every last crispy-crunchy bite. The chicken is a little spicy, but the crema cools things down a bit. And that cool ranch seasoning blend just seals the deal.
When everything is combined all together you have the perfect stack of fun Mexican-style food. These are really pretty hard to beat. And my family? Well, they’ve all agreed that these might just be a new favorite…the cheesy tostadadilla that got everyone! They really are extra special.
Looking for other fun Mexican night recipes? Here are some favorites:
Breakfast Quesadilla with Soft Scrambled Eggs and Avocado Salsa
Crispy Chicken Tinga Taquitos with Salty Lime Avocado Crema
Cauliflower Al Pastor Quesadillas with Lime Smashed Avocado
Lastly, if you make this Cool Ranch Chicken Tostadadillas with Honey Lime Crema be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cool Ranch Chicken Tostadadillas with Honey Lime Crema
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken beef or turkey
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2-3 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- crema, avocado, cabbage, and cilantro. for serving, (see notes)
Tostada Shells
- 12 corn tortillas
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ground meat, onion, and poblano pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Add 1 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly around the chicken, about 10 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.3. Meanwhile, make the tostadas. Line the corn tortillas up on 2 baking sheets and rub lightly with olive oil. Transfer to the oven and bake 7 minutes, until crisp. In a small bowl, combine the parsley, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, chives, dill, and 1 teaspoon salt. While warm, sprinkle the "cool ranch" seasoning blend over each tostada. 4. To make the tostadillas. Evenly divide the Mexican cheese blend between half the tostadas, then place the remaining tostada shells directly on the cheese. Bake 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. 5. To assemble, plate each tostadilla and top evenly with mashed avocado and chicken. Top as desired with cabbage, jalapeños, and cilantro. Dollop over the crema. Break 'em up and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I’ve made this one 3 times already and each time they turned out slightly different but equally delicious.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! It is loaded with flavor and relatively easy to make. Can’t wait to make this for friends.
Hey Jacqueline,
Wonderful! That’s so great to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great Friday:) xTieghan
Like a few of the other reviews, my tostadas were very tough. They were crispy but also tough. Couldn’t fold them and were difficult to cut. Loved the flavoring on them and the chicken mixture was tasty. I have extra tortillas.. I may experiment to see where I went wrong.
Hey Kelly,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! So sorry to hear about your tortillas, I would try a different brand next time. I like Whole Foods 365 brand. Please let me know if this helps! xTieghan
Another family favorite! Tried this last night and it was a hit. Will definitely be making again soon.
Hey Nikki,
I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try!! xxTieghan
I didn’t get a chance to take a picture before the family devoured it. My son said it was a 100 out of 10. Definitely make it again.
Hey Joanne,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxTieghan
This was delish!!! Thanks!
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hi! I’m planning on making this tomorrow night for dinner. I scoured my grocery store today but they were all out of both fresh and dried dill! I couldn’t believe it. Do you have any suggestions for a substitution/will the recipe be okay if we can’t find dill in time? So excited to try this!
Hey Allie,
I would just add extra of the other herbs you are using, should be just fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
This was amazing. We did as is with ground turkey. I really loved how you suggested cooking the veggies with the meat instead of separately. Bravo!
Hey Katie,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
This is SO good. It took the exact amount of time listed and was very satisfying – all the spice! The only part I couldn’t nail was getting the tortilla to be crunchy instead of tough in the middle but will try again on the next go. Will definitely be making again.
Hey Briar,
Awesome! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
I made this last night for my brothers birthday and he LOVED it and so did I. I will never buy packaged taco seasoning mix again!! I had never tried smoked paprika but I think this put the recipe over the top. I used turkey and followed the recipe exactly. Next time I will make the pickled onions and add them as a garnish.
Thanks!!
Hey Julie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a fantastic week! xTieghan
Absolutely incredible. I didn’t even have half the things called for, I used chicken breasts and a packet of taco seasoning for the meat, didn’t get around to making the Crema (next time!!!), but I DID make the tortilla shell seasoning and holy smokes… that stuff tastes exactly like Doritos Cool Ranch!
I will make this every week as long as I live. ?
Hey Laura,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made these for my husband and I (I am not the cook in the house) and they came out so good! My husband was very Impressed with me. Flavors were great! Only thing I need to work on is the shells. It was a little hard to cut/bite into. Not sure if I needed to use more cheese or try flour tortillas and not corn next time.
Hey there,
Fantastic! I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
So. Freaking. Good! Will be a staple at my household from now on
Hey Rebecca,
Thanks so much! I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Absolutely fantastic!! This is going in to regular rotation at my house. I added thinly sliced radishes sprinkled with Tajin and a bit of lime juice as a topping, extra yum!!
Hey Helen,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Monday! xTieghan
I just made this for lunch — I thought it was delicious. I’ve been working the Noom program, so I used street tacos instead of regular corn tortillas. The chicken was delicious, the home made seasonings were spot on, and the avocado and lime crema were the perfect combination. Loved it.
Hey Jan,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Monday! xTieghan
Just made these. No words absolutely ridiculously delicious! Thanks again for all you recipes.
Hey Anita,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Happy Sunday! xTieghan