Beef Tostadas with Beans and Cheese (Printable)
Crispy corn tostadas layered with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, melted cheese, and vibrant fresh toppings.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 1 pound ground beef (80/20 lean)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Beans
11 - 1 can (15 ounces) refried beans
12 - 2 tablespoons water
→ Tostadas
13 - 8 corn tostada shells
→ Cheese
14 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
→ Toppings
15 - 1 cup shredded lettuce
16 - 1 cup diced tomatoes
17 - 1/2 cup sour cream
18 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
19 - 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
20 - 1 lime, cut into wedges
# How-To:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
02 - Add ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
03 - Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and keep warm.
04 - In a small saucepan, combine refried beans and water. Heat over low, stirring until smooth and warmed through.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange tostada shells on a baking sheet. Spread a layer of warm beans over each shell, then top with seasoned beef.
06 - Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the beef. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until cheese is melted and tostadas are heated through.
07 - Remove from oven and top each tostada with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeño slices, and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately while crisp.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The tostadas stay miraculously crispy even under all those toppings, giving you that satisfying crunch with every bite without soggy disappointment.
- You can customize each one differently for picky eaters without making separate meals, which saved countless dinnertime arguments at my table.
02 -
- Heating the tostada shells in the oven for 3 minutes before adding toppings ensures they wont shatter on the first bite, a painful lesson I learned when serving these to my boss at a cookout.
- Patting the diced tomatoes with paper towels removes excess moisture that would otherwise make your perfectly crispy tostadas turn disappointingly soft within minutes.
03 -
- Store leftover tostada shells in an airtight container with a paper towel to absorb moisture, keeping them crisp for up to three days even in humid weather.
- Adding a pinch of cinnamon to the beef seasoning creates a subtle warmth that people wont identify but will make them wonder why your tostadas taste better than any theyve had before.