Chicken Chipotle Tostada

George Hirsch February 7, 2025

Much like an open-faced sandwich or pizza, tostadas usually have a base of corn, sometimes flour tortillas that are toasted, usually by frying in oil, but can also be toasted on a grill or griddle, resulting in easier preparation and a much healthier version without sacrificing taste. What makes for great-tasting tostadas is the toppings with a variety of flavorful condiments such as beans, cheese, crema fresca (somewhat like crème fraîche), sour cream, chopped cabbage, or lettuce, sweet onions, jalapeños, guacamole, and salsa.

CHICKEN CHIPOTLE TOSTADA
From George Hirsch Living it UP!
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

Makes 4
4 6-inch Flour tortillas or very fresh corn tortillas
2 Tablespoons olive oil for tortillas
2 Chicken breasts, marinated, grilled, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup monetary jack cheese, shredded

Optional toppings: Pureed pinto beans, chopped sweet onions, finely shredded cabbage or lettuce, sliced jalapeños, guacamole, tomatillo sauce, salsa, crema fresca or crème fraîche, or sour cream.

For The Chicken Marinade:
Juice of two limes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 oz Tequila
2 Tablespoons cilantro
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Pour over chicken, cover, and refrigerate for two hours.

Preheat the grill or griddle to medium-high.

Grill chicken 4-5 minutes each side or until done. Do not overcook. After grilling and cooling chicken breasts, slice them into small pieces.

For the Chipotle Sauce:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons barbeque sauce
1 Tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix all ingredients in a small pot, simmer for 3 minutes, and cool.

To Assemble Tostadas:

Lay tortillas flat and brush with olive oil, top with pureed pinto beans, sliced grilled chicken, cheese, chipotle sauce, and cilantro.

Place the Tostada on the grill or griddle on medium/ low heat, or bake it in a preheated 375-degree F oven.

Bake for 2-3 minutes, remove when cheese melts and tortillas are light brown.

Serve with fresh cilantro, wedges of fresh limes, and your favorite toppings such as chopped sweet onions, finely shredded cabbage or lettuce, jalapeños, guacamole, tomatillo sauce, salsa, crema fresca, or sour cream.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Cinco de Mayo Barbecue Burrito

George Hirsch May 4, 2023

This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide, honoring Mexican heritage and marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than in Mexico. And many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music keep the experience to preserve & educate the public about its historical significance and culture.

A quick fix burrito made even better with yesterday’s leftover grilled chicken. And what a great way to kick off grilling season! Although my grilled chicken burrito recipe is not traditional for Cinco de Mayo - you will still get rave reviews. I have.

Chicken Barbecue Burrito

Barbecue Burrito

Makes 6 serving

chefgeorgehirsch.com | From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch cookbook

2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup Barbecue Chicken Burrito Rub

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Twelve 10-inch flour tortillas

Season chicken with rub (see below) and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the grill to high.

Brush chicken with olive oil, place on the grill, and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Move the chicken to a cooler side of the grill and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to cool for five minutes. Shred the meat, combine it with barbecue sauce in a small saucepan, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on the grill or side burner.

To serve, place 3-4 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture in the center of each flour tortilla. Fold each side toward the center and roll up from the bottom. Place the burritos on a medium-hot grill and heat on both sides for 1 to 2 minutes.

Chicken Burrito Rub

Makes 1/3 cup

1 Tablespoon each of sweet paprika, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, ground cumin, lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly covered jar.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Orange Cranberry Buttermilk Muffins

George Hirsch November 7, 2022

Here are a few fun facts about our native berry, the cranberry.

Dennis, Massachusetts was the site of the first recorded cranberry cultivation in 1816.
American recipes containing cranberries date from the early 18th Century.
Americans consume some 400 million pounds of cranberries each year. About 80 million pounds -- or 20 percent -- are gobbled up during Thanksgiving week.
Did you know that there are 440 cranberries in one pound? 4,400 cranberries in one gallon of juice? 440,000 cranberries in a 100-pound barrel?

Orange Cranberry Buttermilk Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

For the Topping:

1/3 cup lite brown sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons nuts, walnuts, or pecans, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

1 Tablespoon sweet butter

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts. Blend butter in with a fork until the mixture is crumb-like.

For the muffin mix:

4 Tablespoons sweet butter, melted

2 cups all-purpose flour; or 1 cup all purpose & 1 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon flour for coating plumped cranberries, plus greasing muffin cups

2/3 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

**2/3 cup dried cranberries, plumped

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon grated orange zest

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

*2/3 cup buttermilk

*1/4 teaspoon white vinegar, for making regular whole milk into buttermilk.

Add white vinegar to milk to make the buttermilk. Allow sitting 5 minutes to sour.

Grease a regular size 12-cup muffin pan with butter and dust with flour, tap out excess flour; or use muffin cups liners.

Place baking rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Note: If using a dark-colored muffin pan, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Dark colored pans absorb more heat while baking in the oven and become hotter and carry heat faster than light-colored pans.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest.

Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined, about 10-12 strokes, to moisten the flour mixture. The mixture will still have some lumps. Do not over mix or the muffins will become tough when baked.

Toss plumped cranberries in a fine strainer with about one Tablespoon of flour to lightly coat. Using a rubber spatula, fold in a 1/2 cup of the cranberries. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, place batter into muffin cups filling each cup to three-quarters full. Add remaining cranberries on top of muffins and divide crumb topping over muffins.

Bake about 15-20 minutes, until muffins are golden brown. Check muffins half-way through and rotate muffin pan if the oven temperature is uneven. Test doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin; or when touched lightly—the muffin should have a slight resistance to finger pressure.

Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from pan.

**To plump dried cranberries, add 2 tablespoons of orange juice from recipe and heat in a microwave for 30 seconds; drain orange juice back into pre-measured 1/3 cup orange juice.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

BBQ, Grilling + Bourbon Sauce

George Hirsch May 2, 2022

With grilling season here, a good way to top off your favorite grilled meats is with my Bourbon Sauce. I dedicate this recipe to my friends in Kentucky; the inspiration for this recipe. I've used this as a great finishing sauce for most proteins; including beef, pork, and chicken. Tip: use only the best bourbon!

*VISIT ALL SUMMER LONG FOR* ***KNOW YOUR FIRE FRIDAYS***

Be very careful saying BBQ when you should be saying grilling - especially in BBQ country.

BBQ: It's a science of cooking protein by indirect heat, with dedication. I emphasize the word dedication because there is NO speedy way to BBQ. Two words, low and slow. I spent many years teaching the art of heat and fire and in this case Q. There really is so much to learn and each Q occasion is always a unique experience with many factors; like air temperature, humidity, moisture, wind, etc. One of the best ways to Know Your Fire is to experience it firsthand. It's one of those things you intrinsically feel and only come to understand when you are in the fire pit - so to speak. I tip my hat to all pitmasters.

Grilling: This is the way most people will cook with their backyard grill; grilling proteins such as burgers, steak, chicken, seafood, as well as veggies. This is the use of direct heat cooking at a higher temperature for shorter cooking times over the fire. Again, practice makes perfect, so there's no time like the present to learn or expand your current grilling skills.

Bourbon Sauce

Makes 5 cups

chefgeorgehirsch.com | Grilling with Chef George Hirsch cookbook

1 cup Dijon Mustard

1 cup steak sauce

1 cup bourbon

1 cup honey and 1 cup ketchup

1 Tablespoon orange zests

Juice of one lemon and one orange

In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients; simmer gently for 4-5 minutes. Serve with ribs, steak, or grilled meats. Tip: Q Bourbon goes very well with Pork Sliders pictured right.

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Hampton+Baking+Co.+classic+all+natural+cookies.jpg

Benedictine Sandwich

George Hirsch April 30, 2019

If it seems like a busy week for celebrating, then you are spot-on. This is what's on the celebrations calendar; there's Cinco de Mayo approaching, and this weekend is the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby. The “fastest two minutes in racing or for most sports,” here’s how to celebrate like a triple crown winner!

To keep your entertaining true to form, here's a traditional Derby Day classic, invented by Jennie Benedict in the 19th century, The Benedictine Sandwich. This sandwich is to Churchill Downs as the Pimento Sandwich is to the Masters; and is one that John Montagu (The 4th Earl of Sandwich) would still be proud to eat.

To Make a Benedictine Sandwich:

In a food processor - mix 1 package softened cream cheese with 2 Tablespoons finely chopped watercress, 1/4 of a finely chopped Vidalia onion, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil mayo, a shot of hot sauce, and a pinch of sea salt. Pulse all ingredients until just blended smooth. Fold in 1 large peeled, seeded and finely chopped English cucumber. Spread cuke filling on thinly sliced white sandwich bread. Trim crusts, if desired.

Equally as good enjoyed with Deviled Eggs

Wash down with a cool Mint Julep!

BTW: Each year, almost 120,000 Early Times Mint Juleps are served over the two-day period of Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs Racetrack.

Wash down with a cool Mint Julep!

My Mint Julep Recipe

It's easy to make with only four ingredients; Bourbon Whiskey, mint, crushed ice and sugar. Simply muddle/pestle the sugar and mint; to release the oils in the mint, Add ice to top off highball glass, top with Bourbon. Traditionally served in silver cup with a straw. Hat, optional.