Black Bean Tostadas featuring crispy tortillas, seasoned black beans, and a mountain of tasty toppings. These tasty tostadas are vegetarian and gluten-free and so easy to customize!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword Black Bean Tostadas
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 8 minutesminutes
Total Time 28 minutesminutes
Servings 4tostadas
Calories 157kcal
Author Jenn Laughlin - Peas and Crayons
Ingredients
4thin corn tortillas(I use Mission's Extra Thin Yellow Tortillas)
2TBSPdiced onion(red, white, or chopped scallions)
1small jalapeño, thinly sliced
1-2TBSPsour creamand sriracha ranch for topping, to taste
tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chipsfor an optional extra crunch
Instructions
First choose your tostada cooking method below. You can also go the shortcut route and purchase crispy tostada shells from the grocery store, usually found in the tortilla aisle towards the top shelf.
If you're using premade you can get them even crispier by baking for a few minutes on the center rack of the oven.
OVEN BAKED TOSTADA SHELLS
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray or brush both sides of the tortillas with oil and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet spritzed with a teeny bit of oil.
Sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and bake for 10 minutes, flipping them over at the 5-minute mark to nicely crisp both sides.
CRISPY FRIED TOSTADA SHELLS
Heat a small 8-inch cast iron skillet to medium-high heat with approx 1/4 inch of of oil. I use avocado oil.
Once the oil is shimmering, use tongs to add your corn tortilla to the skillet. It should sizzle right away. Fry each side until lightly golden and crisp, approx. 30 seconds per side. Remove using tongs and allow to cool on a stack of folded paper towels, bloting gently as needed. Season with a little salt if desired.
READY TO GET YOUR TOSTADA ON?
Drain and rinse black beans. Add to a sauce pot with salsa (any variety you love - spicy or mild), minced garlic, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Cook on medium-high heat until beans are warmed through, stirring often. Mash beans with potato masher, immersion blender, or pop them in a blender/processor to puree into a bean dip consistency. You can make them as chunky or as smooth as you'd like!
Spread the warm beans on your crispy cooked tostada shells and top with lettuce, cheese, tomato, onion, jalapeno, and optional tortilla strips/crumbles.
Drizzle with sour cream and sriracha ranch (ranch dressing with some sriracha mixed in) or try it with jarred salsa, hot sauce, or any of your favorite sauces!
For a full list of toppping ideas check out the blog post and feel free to get creative with your tostadas. You can even set up a tostada bar for your family with bowls of toppings to let everyone customize their own.
Notes
Cook times will vary based on method chosen. Pre-made tostada shells will cook up the fastest, then fried, and then oven baked will take a wee bit longer. Regardless of method chosen they're a fast and tasty option for dinner and even make a great appetizer too!The recipe above is more of a guideline or a how-to -- feel free to customize these tasty tostadas however you like and make as many as you need. Enjoy!Nutrition Facts below are roughly estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!