Warmed crispy store-bought tostadas and canned refried beans make this beef tostada recipe quick to pull together for any weeknight. The only real effort—aside from chopping up a fresh pico de gallo for topping each tostada—is preparing the spiced ground beef, which gets its savory flavor from a medley of spice cabinet staples and a few tablespoons of tomato paste. When finished with an array of favorite toppings such as avocado or guacamole, diced onion, crumbled Cotija cheese or queso fresco, and hot sauce, it makes a fully-loaded meal.
Tostada means “toasted” in Spanish and refers to both the toasted flat tortilla base as well as the Mexican dish in which heaps of toppings, including refried beans and an assortment of proteins, adorn said tostadas. They’re easy and crowd-pleasing, great for a meal or an anytime snack. If you like these, you’ll also love our Chicken Tinga Tostadas topped with shredded chicken. And if you really want to go the extra mile, you can bake or fry your own corn tortillas for homemade tostada shells.
What you’ll need
Large Skillet
$90 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$9 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$33 $31 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$17 $16 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 250°. Toss 1 large tomato, finely chopped, ½ small white onion, finely chopped, 1 jalapeño, finely chopped, and ½ cup finely chopped cilantro in a medium bowl to combine. Add juice of ½ lime and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and toss again to coat. Set pico de gallo aside.
Step 2
Heat 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 lb. ground beef, 1½ tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. ground coriander, ½ tsp. smoked paprika, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and cook, stirring often and breaking meat up with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, until meat is browned and nearly cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Step 3
Add 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and 2 Tbsp. tomato paste to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until combined, about 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. water and cook, stirring occasionally, until incorporated, about 1 minute.
Step 4
Meanwhile, heat two 16-oz. cans refried beans in a medium saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 4 minutes.
Step 5
Arrange 8 tostadas in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until just heated through, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven and top each tostada with a layer of refried beans, a scoop of beef mixture, and a spoonful of reserved pico de gallo. Divide 1 avocado, thinly sliced, and ¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese over.
