Beef and Bean Tostadas are a great way to use switch up your taco night. I mean really, they are just flat tacos right? I started making tostadas when I was looking to fry my own taco shells. I found frying a tostada shell is a lot easier since it's flat. This recipe is great for a crowd because you can warm them all up at the same time on a sheet pan. They would be great as Super Bowl party food! You could set up all the garnishes so people can customize to their taste.
How do you fry tostada shells?
Tostada shells are simply fried corn tortillas. Frying your own shells makes all the difference if you have the time. They stay crispier than the store bought tostada shells. Just use a cast iron skillet and some vegetable oil (stay away from using olive oil for frying because it will burn). Also, if you have kids I like to use the back burners for frying just as an extra precaution. I also recommend getting a candy thermometer while frying to make sure your oil is the perfect temperature. I like to keep my oil between 320-350 degrees.
Once you oil have come to temp carefully place a corn tortilla into it with tongs. The tortilla will bubbly up so I like to press it down with my tongs. Fry it on one side for about 1-2 minutes, then flip it for another 1-2 minutes until it's golden. Place it on a baking rack to dry and sprinkle on some salt.
Sometimes when I'm feeling fancy I'll add some lime zest to the salt. If you don't have time to fry your own shells, store bought work perfectly.
How do you make beef and bean tostadas?
Now for the tostadas! Start by browning some ground beef and adding my favorite taco seasoning to it. In a little, pot mash up a can of black beans. Spread out your tostada shells on a parchment lined baking sheet. Smear a spoonful of beans on the each shell and sprinkle some beef and shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Bake the tostadas at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted. Top with your garnish of choice! We love sour cream, hot sauce and some shredded iceberg. But you could add some pickled red onion, cilantro, avocado and lime juice if you want!
If you like this recipe you can rate it and leave a comment below. If you take a picture tag me on Instagram @hungrywaitress! Here's the recipe:
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Beef and Bean Tostadas for a Crowd
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Beef and Bean Tostadas are a great way to use switch up your taco night. This recipe is great for a crowd because you can warm them all up at the same time on a sheet pan.
Ingredients
Tostada Shells | sub store bought tostada shells
- 8 - 10 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Tostadas
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion power
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 can refried beans
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Garnishes
- Sour Cream
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Hot Sauce
- Salsa
Instructions
Tostada Shells
- Heat vegetable oil in a heavy bottom skillet (cast iron or dutch oven) to 320-350 degrees.
- Carefully drop one corn tortilla into the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes. Flip and fry the other side until golden brown.
- Place the hot tortilla on a wire rack to dry and sprinkle on some salt.
- Repeat with the rest of the tortillas making sure to only do one at a time to prevent sticking.
Tostadas
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Arrange the tostada shells on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Cook the ground beef in a medium skillet, breaking it apart with a spoon, for 10 - 12 minutes until it's brown all the way through. Mix the chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, black pepper and cayenne pepper into the beef and poor in 1/4 cup of water to loosen it up. Let simmer until ready to use.
- Smear a spoonful of refried beans onto each tostada shells and top with a spoonful of beef and handful of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Serve immediately with your garnish of choice!
Notes
You can fry the shells ahead of time and store them at room temperature for a few days or use store bought shells!
It's worth it to fry your own shells because they stay crispy when loaded up with all the toppings. Store bought tend to get a little soft after baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sheet Pan
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: tostadas, beef tostadas, party food, dinner recipe
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