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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 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.
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
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
title: “Easy Tostada Recipe” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-03” author: “Norine Bader”
They are perfect for weeknight dinners – Tostada Tuesday, anyone? – game nights and casual entertaining. You’ll love the combination of crunchy tortillas with creamy, fresh, and tender toppings. It’s a Mexican and Guatemalan dish similar to tacos, but unlike tacos, it is crisp, flat, and open-faced, not U-shaped. Tostadas are made with a base of corn tortillas that are either toasted or deep-fried until crunchy and golden. They are perfect for toppings such as veggies, meat, seafood, salsa, and cheese. Here, we’ll show you how to make a delicious vegetarian tostada spread that you can customize to your liking. We use a base of refried beans and toppings such as pico de gallo, sour cream, roasted sweet potatoes, guacamole or sliced avocado, salsa verde or hot sauce, smokey sauteéd corn, lettuce, and cabbage.
1. Gather your ingredients
CORN TOSTADA SHELLS: You can purchase tostada shells at the store (recommended), or you can make them yourself by deep-frying or baking corn tortillas. We tried making them ourselves, but they will never be as crunchy as the ones you find at the store. SALSAS: We use homemade refried beans, pico de gallo, salsa verde, or hot sauce. VEGETABLES: Corn on the cob or frozen corn, sweet potatoes, avocado or guacamole, thinly sliced iceberg lettuce, and red cabbage. CHEESE: Queso fresco and sour cream. Substitute crumbled feta cheese and unsweetened yogurt. SEASONING: Sea salt, black pepper, taco seasoning, and olive oil.
2. Prepare the vegetables
SWEET POTATOES: Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into small bite-size pieces. Transfer the dice to a baking tray and season with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and taco seasoning. Toss well, arrange in a single layer, and bake for about 30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and slightly charred. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. SAUTÉED CORN: Slice the corn kernels off the corn on the cob. Heat the olive oil on a skillet, add the corn kernels, and season with salt and taco seasoning. Sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes or until the corn softens and gets slightly charred. Move the corn around the pan often to prevent it from burning. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Assemble the tostadas
Prepare a spread with the tostadas and the toppings on the table so everyone can build their tostada. We recommend starting with a layer of refried beans. This helps the other toppings stay glued to the shell. SWEET POTATO TOSTADA: Refried beans, sliced avocado, pico de gallo, roasted sweet potato, sour cream, salsa verde, and sliced red cabbage. SAUTÉED CORN TOSTADA: Refried beans, sliced avocado, pico de gallo, sautéed corn, crumbled queso fresco or crumbled feta, hot sauce, and sliced lettuce. Refried beans: substitute white bean dip, lentil hummus, and avocado spread. Pico de Gallo: substitute store-bought Mexican salsa. Salsa Verde: substitute tabasco hot sauce or sriracha. Iceberg lettuce: substitute thinly sliced Romaine lettuce. Red cabbage: substitute green cabbage. Corn: Substitute red bell pepper and chop it into small dice. Sweet potatoes: substitute cauliflower, cut it into small florets, and roast it the same way. Sour cream: substitute unsweetened yogurt. Queso fresco: substitute crumbled feta cheese. Vegan: to make the recipe vegan, you can substitute the sour cream for vegan sour cream and the queso fresco with non-dairy feta or vegan cheese. Avoid storing assembled tostadas: the corn tortillas get soggy shortly after they are topped.
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