Mexican Tostadas Recipe
Mexican tostadas are a fun and easy meal to serve on a busy evening! Add tons of tasty toppings to maximize the flavor and make the most delicious meal.
Mexican Tostadas Recipe
Sometimes life just gets really busy and I need an easy recipe that I can turn to. That's why I love having a few simple meals in my back pocket that I know I can count on in a pinch.
One of those meals for us is tostadas. There was a time where I had never had a tostada. It's not really your usual Mexican food option, I guess. Nachos, burritos, tacos are definitely more common. But tostadas are a great way to have a nice change from the usual.
If you're not familiar, it's basically a flat crispy corn tortilla with the toppings all on top of it. You bake the crispy tortilla shell for a few minutes, basically until everything is heated, and you're all set. The concept is actually really similar to these beef taco lettuce wraps!
So the next time you're in a pinch for an easy weeknight meal try these quick ground beef tostadas. You'll be glad you got food on the table quickly without sacrificing delicious flavor.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
This easy Mexican tostada recipe always turn out so tasty! We love this simple and fun meal:
- You can customize your own tostadas with your favorite toppings very easily. They are so quick to make and we can each have them just the way we like them. If you're looking for new dinner ideas that will appease everyone's different flavor pallet, this one is it!
- Mexican tostadas are loaded with protein to keep you full and energized. A family favorite that will fill everyone's bellies!
- This is a really affordable meal since you can make so many servings. I'm all for incredible food on a budget.
Make it fancy with a Ranch Water or Orange Margarita on the side!
Ingredients
Here are all of the simple ingredients that you need to make the best Mexican tostadas. You can get everything you need at your local grocery store:
- ground beef
- homemade taco seasoning
- water
- crispy corn tostadas
- refried beans
- shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
- diced tomatoes
- diced red onions
- diced avocado
- salsa
Substitutions and Variations
You can use ground turkey in place of ground beef if you prefer. Ground chicken would also work!
If you do not like refried beans, you can use mashed avocado as the base on this tostada. It does need some kind of "glue" to hold all of the toppings on the tostada shell, so don't skip a sticky layer! Melted cheese would also work.
Feel free to use store bought taco seasoning in place of the homemade seasoning if you prefer.
You can either use canned refried beans or make own refried beans. You can also make homemade tostada shells or use store-bought tostadas. Either will work!
There are tons of plenty of toppings you can use on these tostadas, you don't have to stick to diced tomatoes, avocado and red onions. Here's a few different topping ideas:
- sliced jalapenos
- shredded lettuce
- queso fresco
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro
- black beans
- pinto beans
- hot sauce
- lime juice
- pico de gallo
How to Make Mexican Tostadas
These easy Mexican tostadas are so tasty! Here's how to make them:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) degrees and brown the ground beef in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Drain the beef well so that there is no excess grease remaining. This is really important to do so that you tostadas are not soggy.
Add the beef back to the same pan with ½ cup of water with taco seasoning. Stir to coat the ground beef in the seasoning.
Place the pre-made tostada shells on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about 3-4 minutes until shiny.
Heat refried beans in the microwave for 30 seconds or on the stovetop until warm. Spread a thin layer of refried beans on top of each crunchy tostada shell.
Then spoon ground beef over the top. Layer shredded cheese, on top of the beef and then add diced tomatoes, red onions and avocados.
Bake for 10 more minutes until the cheese is melted. Add any extra toppings, some salsa, and serve!
How to Store Leftover Mexican Tostadas
It is best to store the shells and toppings separately. However, you can store a built tostada for 1-2 days if need be. Just transfer to an airtight container and reheat in the oven when you're ready to eat it! If you've stored ingredients separately, build the perfect tostada and heat until all toppings are warm.
What to Serve with Mexican Tostadas
These yummy tostadas can be served with so many different side dishes. Traditional Mexican rice and Mexican cauliflower rice would both be delicious. But it even goes great with super healthy sides like steamed broccoli and roasted root vegetables.
Guacamole and chips is a great side too! Or, a big ol' thing of queso. This dairy free Mexican street corn is also delicious. You can also simply make a batch of brown brown rice and a corn and tomato salad as the sides for Mexican tostadas.
Tips for Success
Check out these few tips and tricks so that you can make the perfect tostada every time:
- Make sure that you preheat the crunchy tostada shells before adding the toppings. It helps keep the shell from becoming soggy!
- It's really important that your homemade taco meat is not too wet. Drain all of the grease off and don't add too much water when you mix in the taco seasoning.
- When browning the meat, make sure you break it up into small chunks and no large chunks are left. This will sit on the tostada shell more easily.
FAQ
A tostada is made with a flat, crunchy shell while a taco is made in folded crunchy shell. The toppings are pretty much the same thought and can be adapted and changed however you want!
Break off pieces of the crispy tostada shells and eat it kind of like nachos. Some people prefer to use a fork and knife, so you can do that if you prefer!
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
Easy Ground Beef Tostadas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon low sodium or homemade taco seasoning
- ½ cup water
- 6 crispy corn tortillas tostadas
- 1 12 ounce can refried beans
- ½ cup shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup diced red onions
- ½ cup diced avocado
- salsa optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Brown ground beef. Drain any excess grease and return meat to pan. (This step is KEY so that your tostadas aren't soggy).
- Then add ½ cup of water and taco seasoning. Stir to coat ground beef.
- Preheat the tostada shells dry for 3-4 minutes before adding the toppings.
- Heat refried beans in microwave for about 30 seconds to make them easier to work with.
- Spread a thin layer of refried beans on top of each tostada shell. You want most of the shell to be covered, but don't want a layer too thick that will make the tostada soggy.
- Spoon seasoned ground beef onto refried beans.
- Add a layer of cheese on top of beef.
- Add diced tomatoes, red onions and avocado on top of tostadas.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Top with additional avocado or salsa, optional.
I have never had a tostada but now I want to make them all! It looks so good!
They're SO good! And you can make them super healthy or super indulgent, too 😉