Beef Tostadas

Hearty beef dinner.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Maximum crunch in every bite.
• Build-your-own dinner with customization.
• 25-minute weeknight winner.
• Cheaper than Tex-Mex restaurants.
• Naturally gluten-free with corn tortillas.

Ingredient Notes

• Corn tortillas crisp up better than flour. Use yellow or white corn.
• Refried beans glue all the toppings to the tostada.
• Pre-shredded cheese is fine here since you want melt only, not stretch.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Black beans (drained) in place of refried.
• Shredded chicken or carnitas instead of beef.
• Pre-fried tostada shells from the store work in a pinch.

Equipment Needed

• Sheet pan
• Pastry brush
• Large skillet
• Wooden spoon

Prep Tips

• Prep all toppings in small bowls for a build-your-own bar.
• Crisp tortillas while beef cooks.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 1 ground beef, 8 small flour tortillas, 1 cup beans, 1 cup shredded cheese, 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce, 1 medium tomato, diced, 1 salsa, 1 tsp cumin. shred the cheese before you start cooking.

2. 2

   Crisp tortillas in oven.

3. 3

   Brown beef with cumin. Pull beef at 130°F for medium-rare or 140°F for medium; rest 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.

4. 4

   Layer beans, beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Baking tortillas is healthier and easier than frying; brush oil on both sides for even crisping.
• Build tostadas right before eating. Assembled tostadas turn soggy fast.
• Warm the refried beans first so they spread instead of tearing the tostada.

Common Mistakes

• Assembling too early — tostadas go soggy fast.
• Tortillas not crispy enough — they fold instead of crunch.
• Cold refried beans, which tear the tortilla.

Recipe Tags