Tostadas
Tostadas de frijol
Crisp fried corn tortillas spread with refried beans and piled with shredded lettuce, crema, crumbled queso fresco, salsa and avocado.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Tostadas de frijol.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
A tostada is a corn tortilla fried or baked flat until crisp all the way through, then used as a plate. This is the plain, everyday one: a layer of warm refried beans to glue everything down, a handful of shredded lettuce, crema, crumbled queso fresco, salsa and a few slices of avocado. Bought tostadas are good and most Mexicans use them. Making your own from stale tortillas is cheap and takes ten minutes. The bean layer should be thick enough to hold the lettuce on and thin enough that the first bite does not crack the whole thing. It will crack anyway.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Corn tortilla, stale, or 8 bought tostadas8
- Neutral oil, for frying, or 2 tbsp for baking200 ml
- Salt1 pinch
- Refried beans, fried in oil for vegetarians400 g
- Lettuce, iceberg or romaine, finely shredded150 g
- Sour cream, Mexican crema, or sour cream thinned with a little milk89 ml
- Queso fresco, crumbled120 g
- Green salsa, or salsa roja, or bottled hot sauce100 ml
- Avocado, sliced (optional)1
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
To make the shells, heat the oil to 180°C in a frying pan just wider than the tortillas and fry the tortillas one at a time for about a minute a side, pressing with a spatula to keep them flat, until golden and rigid. Drain on a rack and salt. Or brush them lightly with oil and bake at 200°C for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once.
12 min180°C
Step 2
Warm the beans in a small pan with a splash of water, stirring, until soft enough to spread.
5 min
Step 3
Shred the lettuce, crumble the cheese and slice the avocado. Thin the crema with a spoon of milk if it is too thick to drizzle.
5 min
Step 4
Spread each tostada with 2 to 3 tbsp of beans right to the edge. Top with lettuce, drizzle with crema, then add the cheese, avocado and salsa. Serve straight away, before the lettuce wilts and the shell softens.
5 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 339 kcal
- Protein
- 7.8 g
- Carbs
- 30.5 g
- Fat
- 21.9 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.7 g
- Fibre
- 7.9 g
- Sugar
- 1.8 g
- Sodium
- 85 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Refried pinto beans → Refried black beans
The usual choice in the south and south-east of Mexico.
Queso fresco → Feta
Saltier. Use about half as much.
Tips
- Quick refried beans: fry a little chopped onion in oil or lard, add cooked beans with some of their broth and mash in the pan until thick.
- Keep the lettuce dry. Wet lettuce slides off and softens the shell.
History & culture
Tostadas are what goes on the table when people are coming and there is not much time. They are sold stacked in bags at every corner shop and eaten at home for a light supper. At markets and street stalls they come topped with everything from pickled pig's trotters to seafood on the coast, and Coyoacán market in Mexico City is known for them.
Drying or frying old tortillas until crisp is a way not to waste them, and it is as old as the tortilla itself. The tostada is the flat version and totopos are the broken chips; both come from the same thrift. Bagged tostadas spread through the 20th century along with industrial tortilla making.
Traditional — Refried beans in Mexico are usually fried in lard. For a vegetarian tostada use beans fried in oil, and check tins, which often contain lard. Bought tostadas are normal in Mexican homes.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Tostadas take?
25 min all in — 10 min prep, 15 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 8 tostadas. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Very easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Saucepan, Oven, Chef's knife.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 pinch.
What can I use instead?
Refried pinto beans → Refried black beans. The usual choice in the south and south-east of Mexico. Queso fresco → Feta. Saltier. Use about half as much.
Any tips from this recipe?
Quick refried beans: fry a little chopped onion in oil or lard, add cooked beans with some of their broth and mash in the pan until thick. Keep the lettuce dry. Wet lettuce slides off and softens the shell.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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