How to Eat a Tostada | Easy Mexican Inspired Recipe

Creamy refried beans and seasoned meat spread on a crispy tostada shell and topped with all the taco trimmings. Perfect for lunch or dinner!

I made this the other day and my husband said to me, "We've been married for almost 6 years and you've never revealed to me that you can make authentic Mexican food?!"

I wouldn't exactly call these authentic Mexican tostadas. We never had queso fresco (authentic Mexican cheese) or pico de gallo (authentic fresh, uncooked salsa) with tostadas, or finished off the meal with a tres leches cake for dessert (popular authentic Latin American dessert). But, by all means, add those authentic ingredients to get the real experience if you can!

I honestly forgot about tostadas. Really not sure how (especially for 6 years!), because homemade tostadas were a regular in our meal rotation growing up. I always LOVED them. You can easily find all the ingredients at the grocery store and they are a really easy dinner option.

Like, it's such an easy meal that you'll do it once and never look at the step by step instructions again.

Anywho, it's a good thing they're back in my life!

Along with tostadas, I had also forgotten about refried beans (a major ingredient in tostadas), which we used to dip our nachos in. In my experience, tostadas are the best way to eat refried beans. They are so creamy and delicious and really add depth to the rest of the ingredients and toppings.

What is a Tostada?

A tostada is a fried or baked tortilla (corn or flour tortillas can be used) topped with refried beans, meat, vegetables and other toppings. Think of it this way... it's a taco + refried beans, but flat, so you can add all of your usual taco toppings.

Tostada FAQ

How to Pronounce "Tostada"

tuh-staw-duh

Are Tostadas Healthy?

If you do the work to make your own tortillas (it's not that much work, by the way) and source quality ingredients, tostadas can be a healthy meal!

If you use regular storebought beef, cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc, the nutrition level won't be great. You could also fry your tortillas in unhealthy ultra-processed vegetable oil such as canola or soybean oil. So in this scenario, not an amazing meal choice, but not the worst either!

On the other hand, if you whip up your own tortillas, fresh salsa and yogurt/sour cream and source grass-fed beef and raw cheese, this meal will be full of great nutrients. Using avocado oil is your best choice for tortilla frying, as it has a high smoking point but isn't refined like most other oils with high smoking points.

You can also bake your tortillas with a healthier oil such as olive oil if you don't have avocado oil. See my tips for that below.

Of course, you'll be adding fresh veggies like crisp lettuce, creamy avocado and juicy tomato, so you'll gain some nutrition points there!

Making your own refried beans is also a healthier option. I haven't tried that yet, have you? I'd love to know your best tips!!

Can I Use Homemade Tortillas?

Storebought or homemade corn or wheat tortillas may be used. I'll always recommend homemade for the nutritional value, especially if you make sourdough or sprouted wheat tortillas since they are more easily digested!

Can You Bake Tostada Shells?

You can fry or bake the tortillas to make your own crispy tostada shells. To bake, simply brush both sides of your tortillas with oil, lay in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes (flip them after 5 minutes) until crispy.

Can You Freeze Tostada Shells?

Leftover tostada shells can be frozen for up to 3 months if stored in an airtight container. Don't use a Ziploc bag, as the shells will likely get broken up in the freezer. Once thawed, they will probably have lost their crispiness, so you'll need to pop them in the oven @ 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of minutes. They should crisp right up!

Tips for Making Tostadas

• Hot oil - Make sure your oil is hot enough before cooking the tostada shells. The tortilla should sizzle immediately once it hits the oil. It's a good idea to test by dipping the edge of a tortilla in first and assessing how quickly it sizzles.
• Prep all toppings before cooking tostada shells. It's best when your tostada shells are still warm, so having everything else prepared and set on the table or serving area will ensure everything's still warm when you eat!
• Refried beans - Many people like to mix some plain yogurt or ranch dressing into their beans to make them creamier. It is delicious, but I don't do very well with dairy so I skip it.

Tostada Variations

• Type of beans - Use refried black beans instead of pinto beans
• Type of meat - Beef tostadas are my favorite, but you can create fish or chicken tostadas by swapping out the ground beef for fish, shredded rotisserie chicken or ground chicken. These options are also delicious!
• Appetizer - Make mini tostadas on tortilla chips as a pretty and filling appetizer dish!
• Tostada salad - Either fry your tortillas and break them into small pieces, use tortillas chips or broken up hard taco shells. Mix in all the tostada toppings to make tostada salad.

Tools You May Need

Cast iron skillet or non-stick frying pan

Tongs

Spatula

How to Make a Tostada

Ingredients:

• 8 small tortillas
• Avocado oil (for frying tortillas)
• 1 can refried pinto beans
• 1 lb ground beef (or other meat - see above)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Toppings ideas: lettuce, spinach, tomatos, avocados, salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, diced red onions, cilantro, lemon or lime juice

Instructions:

Prepare all cold ingredients before cooking. This could include washing and slicing lettuce, cutting tomatoes and avocados, dicing onions, shredding cheese, etc.

Empty refried beans into a small saucepan and add a little water to thin it out a bit. Heat over low heat as you cook the meat and tostada shells. Stir occasionally so they will heat evenly.

Heat your skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add ground meat, minced garlic and all seasonings to the pan. Stir every few minutes to incorporate seasonings and cook evenly. Once the meat is no longer pink, remove meat to a separate dish and cover to keep warm.

(Homemade tostada shells) Wipe debris out of the skillet and pour oil into the pan. It should completely cover the bottom of the pan and be about ½ inch deep.

Heat oil over medium heat and make sure you wait until the oil is hot. Using your tongs, gently slide a tortilla into the oil, gently pressing down to hold it under the oil. Wait only 30-45 seconds (the edges should be darkened), then flip over and let it cook for 30 more seconds. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with all tortillas.

How to Assemble a Tostada

Start by spreading a layer of refried beans on your crispy tostada shell. Then add a layer of the seasoned ground meat on top of the beans, followed by cheese (if using) and all of your favorite toppings, in no particular order. It's that simple!

How to Eat a Tostada

There are 2 ways you can approach your tostada.

1. Pick up that delicious tostada and eat it. The messier, but more fun way. Just make sure you hold it level and have a napkin close by!
2. Knife and fork. Can be tricky if your tostada shell is super crispy, but usually works well for me.

How to Use Leftover Tortillas

When we had these for dinner growing up, my mom would make the number of tostada shells we all wanted and then fry the extra tortillas and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar for dessert. It was a treat that we always enjoyed! Now that I've moved away from refined sugar, I mix cinnamon with a tablespoon of maple syrup and spread it on the warm tortilla with a pastry brush. It's just as good!

Did you try this recipe and love it? If so, I would appreciate a 5-star review and your comments below!

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