I cook ground beef as a topping in this recipe, but tostadas are a great opportunity to use up leftover meat or swap it for another ground protein! So, if you have pieces of rotisserie chicken in the fridge, shred it up and scoop it onto your tostadas, or defrost that package of ground turkey before it gets freezer burned. For more delicious Mexican recipes, try my homemade mexican rice recipe, huevos rancheros recipe, or chilaquiles.
What you need to make this recipe
Oil — to fry the tortillas, you need a neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point like vegetable oil or canola oil. Tortillas — you can make your own tostada shells by frying corn tortillas, as I do in this recipe, or buy ready-made crunchy tostada shells at the grocery store. Refried beans — you’ll just heat up a can of refried beans to spread on the homemade tostada shells. Canned refried beans are really tasty and save so much time! You can use refried black beans or pinto beans. Onion — a yellow onion works well to add flavor when cooking the meat. Meat — I opted for ground beef, but you could also use ground turkey or ground chicken. Or, use leftover shredded beef or slow cooker carnitas! Seasonings — there’s an abundance of flavor in this Mexican tostada recipe, which includes chili powder, salt, ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper. Toppings — get creative with your favorite toppings! Here are some of my favorites: queso fresco, chopped avocado, shredded iceberg lettuce, a dollop of sour cream, salsa or pico de gallo, chopped fresh cilantro, diced tomato, and sliced jalapeño.
How to make tostadas
- Start by frying the corn tortillas in a large skillet. If you decide to use store-bought shells, skip this step and move on to the next one! Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Fry the tortillas, two at a time, turning occasionally until crisp with slightly browned edges. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. Leave the oil in the skillet and set aside.
- Warm the refried beans in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, cover and set aside.
- In the same skillet, heat the leftover oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 6 minutes, until softened.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet along with all the seasonings. Break up the ground beef into smaller crumbles while it cooks. Once browned and cooked through, which takes about 8 minutes, remove the ground beef from heat.
- Now, the fun part: assembling the ground beef tostadas! Start by spreading about 2 tablespoons of warm refried beans onto each crispy tortilla.
- Spoon seasoned ground beef on top of the beans, and then have fun adding your favorite taco toppings!
Pro tips for making this recipe
Only fry as many tortillas as you need for one meal. This recipe yields 12 crispy tostadas, but feel free to reduce the amount of tortillas you fry depending on how many people you’re serving. That way, your shells will be fresh and crispy. You can use store-bought tostada shells instead of frying tortillas. Warm them in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes to re-crisp. Spread refried beans onto fried tortillas first. The beans will help the other toppings “stick” to the tortilla better, making the meal less messy. Don’t pile the toppings too high. Be generous with the toppings, but don’t pile them too high as they’ll topple right off when you start eating. Eat tostadas like you would a slice of pizza. If you’ve ever wondered how to eat tostadas, you’ll be happy to know that there’s nothing complicated about it! Just hold it like a slice of pizza and enjoy. Some toppings will inevitably fall off, so I keep a fork nearby to scoop them back onto the tortilla.
Frequently asked questions
If you’ve tried this tostada recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
