How To Make A Mexican Tostada with Refried Beans, Cheese and Chorizo

How to make a tostada with chorizo, refried beans and toppings.

How To Make A Mexican Tostada with Refried Beans, Cheese and Chorizo

Learn how to make a tostada "great" by using the right textures and ingredients. And learning how to make a tostada shell will turn that tostada experience into a fiesta.

Course Mexican

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 646kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

6 tostada shells
1 pound chorizo Bulk, cooked.
8 ounces cheddar cheese grated
15 ounces refried beans canned, or about 1 ½ cups homemade refried heans
2 avocados smashed
1 cup salsa
½ cup Mexican queso cheese

Instructions

To make homemade tostada shells in oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of tortillas with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and a dusting of chile powder. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 3 minutes, flip, add more salt and chile powder and bake for additional 3-5 minutes. Or until the shells are crispy. Once tortillas are done baking, begin to assemble tostadas. Oven baked tostada shells are best served right out of the oven, so while tortillas are baking make sure all toppings are ready to go.
How to make tostada shells stovetop: Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in an 8 inch skillet over high heat until it bubbles vigorously when the edge of the corn tortilla touches it's surface.Fry 1 tortilla at a time, turning once using tongs. Fry until it's crispy, puffed in places and deeply golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the tostada to to a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Repeat wit the remaining tortillas.A cup of oil will make about 8 tostada shells.
In a fry pan, cook the chorizo until nice and crispy and cooked through.
For The Beans: Place beans in a microwave safe dish. Gently heat. Set aside and keep warm.
Grate the cheese and set aside.
Build that Tostada: Spread each tortilla with 2 - 3 tablespoons of refried beans. Top each tostada with about ¼ cup of grated cheese. Carefully add the cooked chorizo to the top of the cheese.
Bake the tostadas in the 400 degree oven until the cheese is nice and melted. All oven vary, but this should take less than 5 minutes.
Toppings: Smashed avocado or guacamole. Rings of fresh jalapeno pepper, or pickled jalapeno slices. A dollop of sour cream, or crumbled cotija cheese.

Notes

Use store bought tostada shells if you don't want to make your own.

Pro Tip: Purchase good quality cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese in bags includes additives to keep it from clumping, which will also compromise the melting factor. Grating cheese from a block of cheese will result in a creamier and more consistent melting experience.

Variations

Soft and Creamy: Replace refried beans with black beans or pinto beans that have been drained and warmed.
Protein: Cooked and seasoned ground chicken, ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning. A stewed saucy meat is a good candidate for staying on that shell while eating. Try a Beef Machaca tostada. Want to keep it vegetarian? Omit the meat and just enjoy a bean, cheese, avocado tostada.
Cheese: Use any cheese that will melt well. Monterey Jack, Muenster and Pepper Jack will work well here.
Add some acid: I've gotten in the habit of serving any Mexican recipe with a wedge of lime. A quick squeeze will send it over the top with brightness. Another option is a dollop of your favorite salsa. Or Pico de Gallo is also a great choice.
Topping: If you want, add a dollop of guacamole in place of the smashed avocado. A spoon full of sour cream, or Mexican Crema is also a good choice.
What To Avoid: Tostadas are always a bit messy, but you don't want it's entire contents to fall off. Avoid chopped avocado, big chunks of meat, or large pieces of lettuce. If you want to add lettuce or cabbage, make sure it's very finely chopped.

Nutrition