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These open-face tostadas are topped with all of your favorite Mexican ingredients and on the table in 20 minutes!
Gotta Love Fried Tortillas!
A tostada is a crunchy fried tortilla that is topped with any Mexican topping or ingredient you like. Almost like an open-faced taco!
We’ve made tostadas my entire life, and they’re a family favorite for dinner and one we have at ever Cinco de Mayo and Mexican fiesta because they’re simple, delicious and loved by all.
Why we love them
- Prep ahead for gatherings. The ability to prepare the toppings and shells in advance allows for stress-free entertaining.
- Individual assembly. Lay out all the toppings, fry some tortillas, and everyone can assemble their tostadas – easy!
- Make it your own. I love making tostadas because there are no wrong ingredients to put on top. Sometimes we do beef or chicken tostadas with rice and other toppings.
- No waste. Making tostadas is a great way to use up stale corn tortillas.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
Creamy Refried Beans
- 1 (30-ounce) can of refried beans- I use a can of traditional-style refried beans, but you can also try other flavors like spicy jalapeno or zesty salsa
- ¼ cup Crisco shortening – helps thicken and flavor the can of refried beans
- ⅔ cup milk – use whole milk for creamier beans
- 1½ cups shredded Mexican blend – or flavor the beans with Colby Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, cotija cheese
Tostadas
- ½-1 cup vegetable oil – or canola oil, avocado oil, or olive oil labeled for frying
- 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas – or skip the frying time and buy a package of ready-to-eat store-bought tostada shells.
- salt – adds extra flavor to the tostada shell and the overall dish
- toppings (optional) – shredded cooked chicken, beef, or pork; shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, hot sauce, Homemade Salsa, Avocado Cream Sauce, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Sweet Salsa Verde, Corn Salsa.
How to Make Tostadas
- BEANS. Combine 1 (30-ounce) can beans, ¼ cup shortening, and ⅔ cup milk in a pot over medium heat.
- Stir vigorously with a wire whisk until silky smooth. Add 1½ cups cheese and let melt. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- TORTILLAS. Heat ½ inch oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas one at a time for 30–60 seconds on each side, until golden.
- Place them in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil and sprinkle with salt.
- SERVE. When ready to serve, top each tortilla with beans, then add any desired toppings.
Oven BAked Tortillas
Brush both sides of the tortilla with vegetable oil, or spray generously with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt.
Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 5 minutes until tortillas are toasted and crisp, then flip over and bake for another 2-3 minutes
Complete the Meal
- SIDE DISHES: Spanish Rice, Esquites, Nachos Recipe
- DESSERTS: Chocolate Tres Leches Cake, Churro Recipe, Cheesecake Chimichanga
- More easy Mexican MAIN DISHES: Chicken Quesadillas, Chicken Tacos, Flautas
More collections: Mexican Side Dishes, Mexican Chicken Recipes, Mexican Dinner Ideas
Tostada
An crunchy open-face tostada is topped with all of your favorite Mexican ingredients and on the table in 20 minutes!
Equipment
Ingredients
Creamy Refried Beans
- 1 (30-ounce) can refried beans
- ¼ cup Crisco shortening
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1½ cups shredded Mexican blend or Colby Jack cheese
Tostadas
- ½-1 cup vegetable oil
- 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- salt to taste
Toppings
- shredded cooked chicken, beef or pork; shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes
Instructions
Creamy Refried Beans
- Combine 1 (30-ounce) can beans, ¼ cup shortening, and ⅔ cup milk in a pot over medium heat. Stir vigorously with a wire whisk until silky smooth. Add 1½ cups cheese and let melt. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Tostadas
- Heat ½ inch oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas one at a time for 30–60 seconds on each side, until golden. Place them in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil and sprinkle with salt.
- When ready to serve, top each tortilla with beans, then add any desired toppings.
Video
Notes
Make ahead of time. We like to make our tostada shells fresh, but you can make them up to 24 hours in advance. Store them in a resealable plastic bag to keep them crunchy until serving.
- Prepare the beans ahead of time as directed in Step 1 and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
- Warm them up right before serving on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding additional milk, if needed, to make them smooth again.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tostada, Calories: 226kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 212mg, Potassium: 86mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 372IU, Calcium: 261mg, Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
What are Some Good Tostada Variations?
- Meat. Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken, Sweet Pork Barbacoa, leftover Carne Asada, shredded rotisserie chicken, seasoned ground beef, or ground turkey.
- Cheese. shredded cheddar cheese or cotija cheese
- Sauce. Green Enchilada Sauce, Homemade Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Black Bean and Corn Salsa, or sour cream
- Lime. spritz with fresh lime juice to add a bright flavor
- Spice. Sprinkle on some chili powder, paprika, or red pepper flakes. You can also mix a bit of hot sauce into the beans.
- Veggies. chopped tomatoes, queso fresco, cilantro, green onions, peppers, olives, avocados, or lettuce
How to store tostadas?
- Untopped tostada shells can be kept in a bag or container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
- Topped tostadas: The beans can stay on, but remove as much of the lettuce and other toppings as you can. Store in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat and then add toppings.
Can I make Ahead of time?
- This tostada recipe is best when prepared right before serving. However, you can fry the shells, mix up the beans, and prepare any toppings 1-2 days before and keep them in separate air-tight containers. Heat the beans before assembling the tostadas.
skip frying tortillas and taco shells just buy fresh uncooked tortillas heat dry skillet and cook till crisp
That would work too!
I just love you’re work babbeeee! It’s so amazing I just want to be like you and make my munchkins happy and full of your delicious masterpiece. My cutie would also destroy these after a long day of hard work.
This is really flavorful! Super loved the seasonings in it! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing tostadas recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Another favOrite recipe! My family loves these. I think they come together pretty quickly. I also love the salad on top. What a great combination of flavors.