Tue, 19 May 2026
Harissa Lime Chicken Tostadas with pico de gallo, smoky refried beans, avocado, sweet pickled shallots and feta
These are the kind of tostadas you make once and find yourself craving for weeks. Crispy golden shells piled with smoky, punchy harissa-lime chicken — the cornflour coating gives them an irresistible lacquered crust — layered over silky refried beans, bright pico de gallo and cool, crumbled feta. The pickled shallots are worth every minute. Start them first, then let everything else fall into place around them.
serves 6
Sweet pickled shallots
• 3 banana shallots, thinly sliced into rings
• 60ml red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
Harissa lime chicken
• 650g chicken fillets, cut into 2cm strips
• 30ml fresh lime juice (approximately 1 lime)
• 1 tablespoon harissa lime seasoning
• ½ teaspoon Mediterranean seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons cornflour
• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil, for frying
Smoky refried beans
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 x 400g tins mixed beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ teaspoon smoky cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 100ml water
• flaky sea salt, to taste
Pico de gallo
• 500g Irish cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 30g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Tostadas
• 6 small (15cm) corn tortillas
• 500ml vegetable oil, for shallow frying
• West of Dingle whiskey smoked sea salt, to finish
To build
• 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
• 150g feta, crumbled
• small handful fresh coriander leaves
• lime wedges, to serve
Method
Begin with the pickled shallots. Place the sliced shallots in a small bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, sugar and salt and toss to combine. Set aside for at least 30 minutes — they will soften and turn a beautiful deep pink as they sit. These can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge.
Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken strips, lime juice, harissa lime seasoning, Mediterranean seasoning and salt in a bowl and toss well to coat. Cover and set aside for 20–30 minutes while you prepare the remaining components. When ready to cook, scatter over the cornflour and toss again until the chicken is evenly and lightly coated.
Make the pico de gallo. Combine the cherry tomatoes, diced shallot, red wine vinegar, lime juice and coriander in a bowl. Season with the flaky salt and stir gently to bring it all together. Taste and adjust the lime or salt as needed. Set aside at room temperature.
Make the refried beans. Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the cajun seasoning, garlic granules and cumin and fry for 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Add the drained beans and toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes until the beans are heated through and beginning to catch slightly at the edges. Transfer to a blender, add the water and blitz to a smooth, thick purée. Season generously with flaky salt. Keep warm.
Fry the tostadas. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat — the oil should be about 1cm deep. Working in batches of two or three, fry the 6 tortillas for 60–90 seconds per side until deeply golden and rigid. Lift out onto a tray lined with kitchen paper and immediately scatter with a small pinch of the smoked sea salt. They will crisp further as they cool.
Cook the chicken. In the same pan used for the beans (wiped clean), heat 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Cook the chicken in a single layer, without crowding, for 3–4 minutes per side until golden, crisp and cooked through. Work in two batches if needed, keeping the first batch warm in a low oven. The cornflour will form a beautiful, lightly crisped crust.
Build the tostadas. Place a crispy tostada on each plate. Spread generously with the warm refried beans, then layer over a few slices of avocado. Sit the crispy chicken on top, spoon over the pico de gallo, and scatter with crumbled feta. Finish with the sweet pickled shallots, a few coriander leaves and a wedge of lime alongside.
