WW Recipe of the Day: Slow Cooker Chicken & Pinto Bean Tostadas
I've got a slow cooker recipe to share with you today: easy Chicken & Pinto Bean Tostadas.
I know most people consider slow cookers to be for fall and winter dishes. But I LOVE my slow cooker in the summertime too. It keeps the kitchen a whole lot cooler which is important when it's 100F+ degrees outside!
This recipe is one of those super simple "dump and heat" recipes that is perfect when you are just too busy, tired or uninspired to be bothered with anything more complicated. I like to think of it as slow cooker cooking 101.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Tostadas Recipe Notes
A couple Sundays back, I tossed the ingredients for this simple satisfying dish into the slow cooker.
When Rod saw what we were having he said that he had been thinking about Mexican food lately.
It turned out to be a good choice, able to satisfy our craving for Mexican flavors without the heaviness associated with the typical Mexican restaurant meal.
We ended up eating it several times during the week. I love those cook once, eat multiple times meals, don't you?
Sunday, we had tostadas.
I then used the leftovers to make burrito bowls (with the addition of rice) and then a couple days later as a topping for baked potatoes.
You could also stuff the chicken and pinto bean mixture inside a tortilla with cheese for a quick burrito or fold it over in a tortilla and crisp it up in a skillet for a quesadilla.
Or freeze the leftovers for future meals. Easy, healthy, delicious!
Having yummy healthy food ready and waiting in the fridge is such a blessing on busy weeknights. I can't tell you how many times it's saved me from grabbing takeout or heading out to dinner, pricey alternative in terms of both dollars and calories.
To keep things easy, I used taco seasoning mix. Substitute your favorite blend of herbs and spices if you prefer.
And if you don't live where tostada shells are easy to find, use crispy taco shells instead. Just break them in half so they lay flat.
How Many Calories and WW Points in these Tostadas?
According to my calculations, each tostada has 290 calories and:
5 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
7 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
The chicken and bean mixture without tostada fixins' would have about 170 calories, *4 WW PointsPlus, *2 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
A serving is definitely on the smallish side, so if you have a big appetite you may want to bulk it up with extra vegetables. Enjoy!
If you like this recipe for slow cooker chicken and pinto bean tostadas, be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers friendly Mexican recipes including: Skinny Black Bean Nachos with Cheese, Easy 2-Ingredient Crock Pot Salsa Chicken, WW Stacked Chicken Enchiladas, Taco Soup and Chicken Fajitas
Are You Ready To Slow Cook Yourself Slim?
If you've made this Chicken Tostadas with Pinto Beans, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Skinny Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Tostadas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package (about 20 ounces) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup chunky-style salsa
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (I used low sodium)
- 1 can (15 -16 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 tostada shells, heated if desired
- 4 cups shredded lettuce
- 2 cups chopped tomato
- ½ cup light sour cream
- ½ cup refrigerated guacamole
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 3-½- to 4-Quart.
- Spray a 3-½ - to 4-quart slow cooker (affiliate link) with cooking spray. Add chicken.
- In a small bowl (affiliate link), mix together the salsa, water and taco seasoning until it's well blended and then pour over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW until chicken is tender enough to shred, about 6 to 8 hours.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker and place it on a cutting board (affiliate link). Using 2 forks, pull the meat into shreds.
- Return the shredded chicken to the juices in the slow cooker. Stir in the beans. Increase heat setting to HIGH. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes longer, or until thoroughly heated.
- Evenly spoon chicken mixture over each tostada shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 tablespoon guacamole.
Recipe Notes
Source: This easy healthy weight watchers recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker The 300 Calorie Cookbook (affiliate link) 300 tasty meals for eating healthy everyday (Betty Crocker Cooking)
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
Kitchen Notes: I used my Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 4-Quart Slow Cooker, 4-Quart (affiliate link). It was the perfect size for this recipe.
More Yummy Weight Watchers Recipes for When You're Craving Mexican:
- Enchilada Chicken Roll-Ups (SkinnyTaste)
- Taco Flatbreads (EmilyBites)
- Crock-Pot Nacho Chicken Stew (SkinnyKitchen)
- Slow Cooker Beef Tacos (SkinnyTaste)
- Chicken Enchilada Bubble Up (DrizzleMeSkinny)
Search For More WW Friendly Mexican Recipes
This video demonstrates how to make healthy slow cooker chipotle chicken tostadas:
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Beverly
Hi Martha, what would the Freestyle points be for the chi chicken, pinto bean slow cooker tostadis? Rhank yiu, they sound yummy.
Bev
Martha McKinnon
Hi Beverly, I've updated the recipe with Freestyle SmartPoints - 5!