Homemade Tostadas are so satisfying and easy to make. They’re loaded with refried beans and beef and topped with classic Mexican Tostada toppings—don’t forget the squeeze of lime! Every bite is so fresh, crisp, and satisfying—I can almost hear the crunch…
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What is a Tostada?
A Tostada (pronounced tuh-staa-duh) is a flat and crunchy tortilla, loaded up with the best taco toppings. The word Tostada means “toasted”. It refers to the crispy tortilla that has been either toasted or deep-fried. The crispy tortilla is then piled with your favorite toppings.
Tostadas are a popular dish in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. The name is used for any dish that uses the toasted tortilla as the base. In Mexico, they are often served with any protein, or eaten as snacks or sides such as Mexican Street Corn. They are also great paired with dishes such as pozole or soup (they are so yummy with Chicken Tortilla Soup).
My husband and I love these so much, I even have a fun twist in my debut Cookbook for Shrimp Avocado Tostadas (see pg 80). It’s a delicious blend of classic Tostadas with Ceviche – so delicious!).
How to Make Tostada Shells
You can buy crunchy “tostadas” but making your own tostadas is quick and easy. The shells can be made by either baking or frying. We prefer to bake the tortillas as a healthier option that still gets crispy and you can make more at once. It’s a super simple process:
- Oil the Tortillas – Spray Tortillas with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil.
- Bake the Tortillas – Lay the tortillas flat on a baking sheet and bake at 425˚F for 4 minutes per side. Bake until they turn crispy and golden.
How to Make Fried Tostadas:
If you prefer to fry your tostadas, add 1/4″ of vegetable oil to a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (about 350˚F), add 1 corn tortilla at a time and fry for about 30-45 seconds per side or until golden. Drain on paper towels and cool on a rack. They harden as they cool.
How to Make Tostadas
Follow these easy steps to make and assemble your tostadas:
- Bake Tostada Shells – See the easy instructions above to make the shells.
- Make the Taco Meat – Cook the ground beef in a skillet, breaking it up with a spatula. Season the beef with garlic powder, taco seasoning and salt, to taste. Add the diced onion and continue cooking until the onion is soft and translucent, and beef is fully cooked.
- Heat Refried Beans – Add your refried beans to a skillet and stir over medium heat just until warmed through, or you can warm it up in the microwave.
- Prepare the Toppings – Prep and chop the rest of your desired tostada toppings.
- Serve – Spread the top with warmed refried beans, add ground beef and remaining toppings before serving.
Pro Tip:
Applying a layer of refried beans first will allow the other toppings to stick to the tostada. If you want to replace the refried beans, you can try Hummus, Sour Cream, or our Spicy Guacamole instead!
Traditional Tostada Toppings
There are so many tostada topping options! You can use both hot and cold ingredients. Our recipe includes some of our favorites, but you can use whatever you’d like or what you already have on hand. You can’t go wrong with:
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Avocados or Guacamole
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Cheese – cotija or queso fresco
- Pico de Gallo, Fresh Homemade Salsa, or Roasted Salsa
- Lime wedges to squeeze over the top
- Sour Cream
Frequently Asked Questions
A tostada is made out of a corn tortilla that has been baked or fried to get golden, crispy, and crunchy. It’s similar to a tortilla chip, except that a tostada is the whole tortilla vs cut into triangles for chips.
A tostada is flat and served on a crispy tortilla shell, while tacos are folded using soft corn or flour tortillas like our Hard Taco Shells. The toppings used are similar for both tacos and tostadas. A tostada is like an open-faced crispy taco.
You simply bite into a tostada the way you would with a pizza. They can get a little messy so serve these over plates. Keep a fork nearby to scoop up any of the toppings that fall off.
To make these vegetarian tostadas, you can skip the ground beef. You can also use Carne Asada. If you prefer seafood, try making the juicy shrimp from these Shrimp Fajitas or the tilapia from these Fish Tacos. They’re also great with strips of Cilantro Lime Chicken.
Make-Ahead
Once the tostadas are assembled, they are best enjoyed fresh, but you can prep the components ahead:
- Pre-make the tostada shells, cool completely to room temperature, and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a week. Check on the shells after a few days to make sure they haven’t softened.
- Pre-cook the ground beef – allow to cool completely then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Prep the toppings: You can pre-chop the veggies a day ahead or earlier in the day, set them into individual serving containers, cover them, and refrigerate them until ready to serve.
Homemade Tostadas are so easy to make. You can also prep the ingredients ahead if you are serving them for a party and let guests build their own.
More Mexican Recipes
If you love Mexican foods, these are some of our all-time favorites and top-rated recipes. P.S. Don’t forget the Tres Leches Cake or Flan for dessert.
- Pork Carnitas
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp
- Taco Salad
- Chicken Fajitas
- Taco Soup
- Mexican Tacos
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Easy Tostada Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 corn tortillas , or prepared tostadas
- 16 oz lean ground beef
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 10 oz refried beans
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, or queso fresco, crumbled
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup pico de gallo, or salsa
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Bake or Fry* your Tostadas. To Bake: preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray the corn tortillas on both sides with oil. Lay them flat on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 4 minutes then flip them over and bake for another 4-5 minutes or until the tortillas are crispy and golden.
- Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat and break it apart with your spatula. Season with garlic powder, salt and taco seasoning. Add the diced onion and cook until the onion is translucent and the beef is fully cooked and browned.
- Heat the refried beans in a skillet over medium-low heat or in a microwave until steaming hot.
- To assemble, top each tostada with refried beans, ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and pico de gallo or salsa. Sprinkle some cheese and cilantro on top. Serve right away.
Natasha these are very good and tasty Tostada. My first time making them and we loved them. I added a few different things since I didn’t have some ingredients and they were still great. Love your recipes and your action.
Hi Cynthia! That’s great to hear. I’m glad you loved the recipe.
Hi can I use smashed avacado on the bottom instead of refried beans?
Hi Bonita, I have not tested that to advise but feel free to do an experiment!
Every time I try to use corn tortillas, they get hard rather than crispy. Am I doing something wrong? or is that the way they are supposed to be?
Hi Beck, Are you adding oil? That definitely helps to ensure they don’t dry out. Also, make sure to bake long enough, until crispy and golden
The Tostadas were a hit this Memorial weekend. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Rose. I’m so glad to hear that it was a hit!
Omg, I love tostadas! Don’t forget the sour cream on top! Yummy 😋
Yes, that is so delicious!
Great recipe! I’ve been making tostadas for years…it has never once occurred to me to put the tortillas into the oven. Duh! So easy not to deal with the frying & oil splatters and cleanup.
Hi Sue, glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious tostada recipe! Baking the shells in the oven worked perfectly! First time I tried the queso fresco! Yum! I quickly made my own refried beans. Open a can of pinto beans, drain, do not rinse and reserve the fluid. Heat a skillet with a little olive oil, add the pinto beans, smash with a fork. Add the reserved fluid as needed to achieve the consistency you desire. Season with a little garlic salt…Voila!
Thank you for the wonderful review, Janice! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Have You Made Your Tostada With Ground Chicken? Just Came Across Your Website Hoping To Make This And Your Other Recipes This Year And In 2023.
Hi Tiffany! Welcome to my website. We love this with beef but chicken would work great too. I hope you find many recipes you’ll enjoy on my site. 🙂
I cannot eat beans, only chickpeas would that work or what can I use instead of beans.
How about hummus?
Hi Carole, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how goes.
vai ficar bem diferente se usar grão de bico – mas como humus combina com quibe assado vai ficar gostoso sim – ou faça sem feijões ou grão de bico – também não posso comer feijões e mesmo com grão de bico tenho de moderar
Hi, can you use tortillas for wraps? I don’t have corn. Making for dinner tonight & looks delish!
Hi Sue, I think that would work. I have not tested these in the oven but you can also just fry the flour tortillas on the stovetop in a pan if you’d like. They will fluff up like a balloon, deflate and leave a crispy layer. They won’t get as crisp as a tostada but will still be delicious.
I wouldn’t think that would work too good, but you can use the same ingredients and have roll ups. Love them !!
Best ever ! Best ever COOK too ! Thank you, Natasha !
I am so happy to hear that you loved the tostada recipe! thank you for the wonderful review.
Love this recipe! So tasty and filling~
Love all of your recipes!
Keep up the great job!
xo
Isn’t it the best! I’m so happy you loved it!
Hi Natasha! My sister and I made this recipe today, for Cinco De Mayo. It was so so good 😋We torn it up! It tasted like a big nacho chip, but in a tostada form 🙌Thanks for the recipe Natasha!
Hello Zoie, you are very welcome. Thank you for your awesome reviews, we appreciate it!
So excited to try! For the refried beans, did you make your own or store bought?
Hi Mariana, we used store-bought for this recipe.
We are taco lovers, so this recipe was spot on! Made for a perfect Sunday night dinner. I overlooked the part about putting the onion in with the meat mixture, so just added it to the toppings and was just fine. Thanks Natasha!
I’m so glad you gave this recipe a try, Connie! Isn’t it so good?! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I have leftover pork chile verde from 2 nights ago (also your recipe- my all time favorite!). Would that be ok to use as one of the toppings? Shred the pork. Please advise. Thank you!
That sounds like a great idea. I love repurposing leftovers that way.
Use shredded chicken instead of beef. Also drizzle with sour cream.
So many possibilities
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Natasha, thank you for all of the amazing recipes you share. I love your videos, always make me laugh.
Cheers and hugs
Liz
Aww, that’s the best! I’m all smiles especially after reading comments like this.
Yummy! My family is going to love this recipe for dinner tonight! They look so delicious and very tasty! Excited to make these!
I can’t wait for you to try these Beth!
Everyone in the family loved these! I forgot to buy the cotija cheese, so we used pepper jack. Still amazing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Kara! That’s so great!
My family loves that these have beans & meat on them. They are crunchy, tasty, & a family favorite!
That’s just awesome, Natalie!