Description
This Easy Mexican Tostada recipe features a crunchy tostada shell layered with seasoned ground beef, creamy refried beans, fresh lettuce, queso fresco, avocado, and your choice of salsa and crema. Perfect for a quick and flavorful Mexican-inspired meal, this dish can be assembled in under 30 minutes and serves 10 people.
Ingredients
Base
- 10 tostada shells
Refried Beans Mixture
- 1 can refried beans
- Mexican crema or sour cream, small scoop
Meat Mixture
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Toppings
- 1/2 head lettuce, finely chopped
- Queso fresco or any other cheese, to taste
- 1 large avocado, sliced or diced
- Salsa (pico de gallo or salsa verde), to taste
- Mexican crema or sour cream, for topping
Instructions
- Prepare the tostada shells: If you are not using store-bought tostada shells, bake or fry corn tortillas until they are crispy and golden. This forms the crunchy base for your tostadas.
- Cook the ground beef: Place the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, cooking until browned and no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add aromatics and seasonings: Stir in the diced onion along with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper. Cook for a few more minutes until the onions soften and the spices are fragrant.
- Heat the refried beans: Transfer the refried beans to a microwave-safe bowl or a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in a small scoop of Mexican crema or sour cream and heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally for a creamy consistency.
- Assemble the tostadas: Spread a thin, even layer of the warm refried beans over each tostada shell. Add a small spoonful of the seasoned ground beef mixture on top. Layer with finely chopped lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, sliced avocado, your choice of salsa, a dollop of Mexican crema or sour cream, and optionally some hot sauce for extra heat.
- Serve immediately: Enjoy the assembled tostadas fresh while the shells remain crispy.
Notes
- If you prefer to make your own tostada shells, bake corn tortillas at 400°F (200°C) for about 5-7 minutes on each side until crisp, or fry them in hot oil for 1-2 minutes until golden and crunchy.
- Adjust the spices according to your heat preference, adding more chili powder or hot sauce for extra spice.
- Queso fresco can be substituted with cotija cheese or shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
- Use fresh salsa such as pico de gallo or salsa verde to brighten the flavors.
- To save time, prepare the bean mixture and meat ahead of time and assemble when ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
