Tostadas

These open-face tostadas are topped with all of your favorite Mexican ingredients! These tasty tostadas are a frequent meal in this house.

Tostadas have become one of our go-to Mexican recipes. Topped with Canned Refried Beans, cheese, and toppings, we love to serve it with our Homemade Salsa and a side of Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe.

What is a Tostada?

A tostada is a crunchy fried tortilla that is topped with any Mexican topping or ingredient you like. Almost like an open-faced taco!

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. But this recipe just calls for refried beans and it is sooooo YUMMY. The Canned Refried Beans on top of the crunchy fried corn tortilla are to die for!

This is the BEST meal idea to serve a crowd. Grab all your favorite tostada toppings and get cooking! Lay out all the toppings, fry some tortillas, and everyone can assemble their own tostadas.

It will be the hit of any party or dinner get-together!

How to Make Tostadas

Get ready for one of the easiest Mexican dishes you’ll ever make! This tostada recipe is a family favorite.

BEANS. Combine beans, shortening, and milk in a pot over medium heat. Stir vigorously with a wire whisk until silky smooth. Add cheese and let melt, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Tortillas. You’ll need about 12 corn tortillas for this recipe, but you can easily adjust it for how many people you’re serving. 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.

ENJOY! When ready to serve, top each tortilla with beans, then add any desired toppings.

Recipe Tips + Storing Info

Oven baked tortillas. You can bake your tostada shells instead of frying them. Just 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.

Tortillas. Skip the frying time and buy a package of ready-to-go tostada shells. Simply top the crispy tortilla and eat. 

Making tostadas is a great way to use up stale corn tortillas.

STORE. We like to make fresh tostada tortillas, but you can make these up to 48 hours in advance. Just store them in a Ziploc bag to keep them crunchy until serving.

Make tostadas ahead of time. Prepare all of your toppings and keep them in separate air-tight containers in the fridge. I suggest frying up the tortillas right before serving them. They are definitely best when freshly fried and warm!

Serving Suggestions

Wondering what else you could serve on tostadas?

Try any of these suggestions:

• Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken, Sweet Pork Barbacoa, or shredded or ground beef (or use a leftover Pot Roast Recipe)
• shredded cheese or cotija cheese
• Green Enchilada Sauce, Homemade Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Black Bean and Corn Salsa, or sour cream
• spritz with lime juice to add a bright flavor
• chopped tomatoes, queso fresco, cilantro, green onions, peppers, olives, avocados, or lettuce

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! It’s one of our favorite easy weeknight meals.

Recipe FAQ

For More Favorite Mexican Dishes, Try:

• Loaded Nachos
• Steak Fajitas
• Baked Chicken Chimichangas
• Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
• Cheese Quesadilla
• Bean Burritos