Make yourself a tasty midweek meal

Homemade Mexican tostadas are a winner in our midweek meal repertoire.

And enchiladas feature quite often.

But sometimes you need to mix things up a bit to keep midweek interesting.

So, I decided I’d do this with a Mexican tostada.

What is a tostada?

 It’s a Mexican dish originating from the state of Oaxaca.

The word “tostada” means toasted but they’re usually fried to make them crunchy.

A tostada is flat and made on a crispy (corn tortilla shell).

If you love open-faced sandwiches, then the tostada is the mouthwatering, Mexican version.

What’s the difference between tostada, taco, tortilla?

But the truth is, tacos and tostadas are very similar. 

Tacos are little corn tortillas that can be either hard or soft-shelled.

And filled with a variety of items, from fish and shrimp to pork and beef.

Tacos are usually folded, unlike flat tostadas.

Lastly, a tortilla is soft corn or flour flatbread.

Homemade Mexican tostada

If you can’t find ready-made tostada’s, don’t fret.

Tostadas basically came about by using up stale tortilla’s.

So, here’s a simple way to make your own tostadas using tortillas.

This recipe will make 6 tostadas in under 12 mins.

  • Try and use any old tortillas as they will brown better to get that tostada feel.
  • Use vegetable oil.

Ingredients

  • 6 corn tortillas
  • 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
  • 1/4 tbsp of salt

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C/355º F.
  2. Lightly brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil.
  3. Place 6 corn tortillas onto the baking sheet, without overlaps.
  4. Sprinkle ¼ tsp of salt over the tortillas.
  5. Put in the oven and bake for approx. 10mins or until they are moderately browned and the ends start to bend.
  6. Then load them up with all your goodies!
Homemade Mexican tostadas

What to put on your homemade Mexican tostadas

Anything you like!

But most are layered with refried bean or guacamole thick enough to hold the other toppings.

Then depending on the region, tostadas might be topped with chicken, pork, beef or seafood.

Plus, the last layer can have a combo of lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, salsa, cheese, and sour cream. 

You can never make a bad homemade Mexican tostada!

How do you eat a tostada?

You just have to get your hands dirty (saves on dishes 😉

It’s like a pizza or an open sandwich.

So, it can get a little messy.

But don’t let that put you off, that’s half the enjoyment.

Homemade Mexican tostadas

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword mexican, midweek meal, tacos, tostadas
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 10 tostadas
Cost £

Ingredients

  • 10 tostada shells (or just use corn tortillas, if making your own tostada shell – see blog on How)
  • 380 g refried beans (1 x tin)
  • 500 g minced beef (or you can use chicken, pork)
  • 1/4 onion, diced

Spice mix

  • 1 tbsp chilli powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Toppings

  • 1/2 iceberg lettuce cut finely
  • 200 g feta cheese (or cheddar), grated/crumbled
  • 200 g sour cream, creme fraiche or plain yoghurt

Simple salsa

  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • seasoning
  • 1 – 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  • If using store-bought tostadas, wrap in some foil and sprinkle some water over them, pop in the oven on 180C for a few minutes to warm and soften.
    If making your own from tortillas, see blog for 'How to'
  • Next, in a frying pan, add a little oil on medium heat and cook the minced beef until brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
  • Add the onion and spice mix and cook another couple of minutes.
  • In a small pan, heat the refried beans and stir in a small scoop of sour cream.
  • Make your quick salsa mix, cut your lettuce up.
    Then, assemble the tostadas:
    – Spread a thin layer of refried beans over the tostada shell.
    – Top with a small spoonful of ground beef, then lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream.
    Serve.

References:

https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-a-tostada/

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/tostada/#recipe