Crispy, fresh and packed full of flavor! These Ground Beef Tostadas are so simple to make and are a great way to use up any left over ingredients you might have. Make your evening meal more interesting and give these a go!
About this recipe:
Tostada simply means 'toasted' in Spanish and all tostada recipes require crispy corn tortillas that can either be fried or baked. It's basically one giant tortilla chip! When it comes to the toppings, that's really up to you! This recipe shows you how to make a quick chipotle chili beef and pairs it with a deliciously fresh Salsa de Aguacate (Avocado Salsa) and refried black beans. These tostadas are so versatile and I give you plenty of different variations and combinations of toppings below! Give these Beef Tostadas a go!
Ingredients
- For the ground beef:
- Ground beef
- Chipotle chillies in adobo sauce (blended)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Oregano
- Salt and pepper
- For the tostadas:
- Corn tortillas
- Neutral oil
- Refried black beans
- Queso Fresco (or any mild crumbly cheese)
- Salsa de aguacate (Avocado salsa)
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by step photographs:
- Step 1: In a pan, on a medium heat, add a splash of oil and fry your onions until translucent.
- Step 2: Next, add your ground beef and break it up using a spoon. Fry until browned.
- Step 3: When your beef has browned, add your minced garlic and fry for 1 minute.
- Step 4: Then, add your blended chipotle chillies in adobo sauce and your spices. Give it a good mix and cook for 5 minutes.
- Step 5: Meanwhile, add a splash of oil to a pan and fry your tortillas on a medium-high heat. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side until they have browned slightly and crisped.
- Step 6: Next, add a healthy dollop of your refried black beans to your fried tortillas.
- Step 7: Then, add a generous spoonful of your chipotle ground beef.
- Step 8: Top with Queso Fresco cheese, salsa de aguacate and coriander. Dig in!
What about the Salsa de Aguacate?
Salsa de Aguacate is a fresh and zesty avocado salsa that can be whipped up in no time! Here's the quick recipe below or find the full recipe here.
Ingredients:
- 1 Avocado
- ½ Jalapeño
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 handful coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup(60ml) water
- Step 1: Add avocado, coriander, jalapeño, lime juice, garlic, salt and water to a food processor or blender.
- Step 2: Blend until smooth.
What about the chipotle chillies?
Chipotle chillies in adobo sauce can usually be found at any good Mexican Grocer. However, if you do not have a Mexican Grocer near to you, they can easily be purchased online. This recipe calls for 2 chipotle chillies and 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce so one 200g can is all you need. I bought my chipotle chillies in adobo sauce from Amazon. Alternatively, Chipotle paste can very easily be sourced in most countries. Use 4 tablespoons of chipotle paste in your beef tostadas to substitute the chillies and adobo sauce.
How spicy is the chipotle beef?
Like all the spicy recipes you'll find on this site, it's completely up to you how spicy you want your chipotle beef to be! If you make it as instructed below then you will have a medium level of spice, but there are lots of ways to adjust this. To make it less spicy, deseed and devein the chipotle pepper. It's a messy job but well worth it if you're wanting a milder beef!
Substitutions
- Oregano - If you can source Mexican oregano you will end up with a more authentically flavored Chipotle beef. Mexican oregano has slighlty bigger, more jagged leaves and provides a citrusy flavor that normal oregano doesn't provide.
- Tortillas - I used corn tortillas for this recipe as they crisp up perfectly, just like a corn tortilla chip. However, if you're finding it hard to source them then you can use flour tortillas. I find that they don't crisp up very well when frying them so I recommend brushing them with oil and baking them at 400F/200C for 5-6 minutes. Make homemade flour tortillas here.
- Cheese - If you can source it, Queso Fresco cheese is an authentic cheese to use. Any mild, crumbly cheese will do however. From making plenty of Mexican recipes using ingredients that can be sourced in the UK, I've found that Wensleydale cheese works great. It crumbles beautifully and can be sprinkled on top of tacos without it melting.
Variations
I've paired these beef tostadas with a fresh Salsa de Aguacate , however there are plenty of toppings you could use. Here are a few ideas:
- Pico de Gallo - Looking for another fresh salsa? Why not try this Pico de Gallo recipe.
- Guacamole - Looking for a different topping that still uses up your avocado? Try this homemade Guacamole recipe!
Equipment
All you will need to blend your chipotle chillies and adobo sauce is either a food processor or a blender. If you are wanting to make your chipotle sauce the truly traditional way then you can use a pestle and mortar.
Storage
Refrigeration - store the cooked ground beef and the toppings separately. Allow the ground beef to cool completely, transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, heat through in a pan with a splash of water.
Freezing - Allow your beef to cool completely, transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost in the fridge and heat through in a pan with a splash of water.
Top Tip
Fry your tortillas in a generous amount of oil. You want to shallow fry them to get them as crispy as possible. A true tostada shouldn't fold like a taco!
FAQ
The best beef to use would be a lean ground beef as it has enough fat to add flavor without being too greasy.
The key here is to add a layer of refried black beans to the tostadas before adding your ground beef and toppings. It creates the perfect barrier to keep your shells crispy.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Beef Tostadas:
Recipe
Beef Tostada
Crispy, fresh and packed full of flavor! These Ground Beef Tostadas are so simple to make and are a great way to use up any left over ingredients you might have.
Ingredients
- For the beef:
- 17oz (500g) lean ground beef
- 3 chipotle chillies and 3 tablespoons adobo sauce blended
- 1 white onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- For the tostadas:
- 6 small corn tortillas
- 50ml neutral oil
- 1 cup (250g) refried black beans
- ⅓ cup (50g) crumbled Queso Fresco cheese
- ½ cup (120ml) Salsa de Aguacate (see notes)
- Handful fresh coriander
Instructions
- In a pan, on a medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and fry your onions until translucent.
- Next, add your ground beef and break it up using a spoon. Fry for 8-10 minutes until browned.
- When your beef has browned, add your minced garlic and fry for 1 minute.
- Then, add your blended chipotle chillies in adobo sauce and your spices. Give it a good mix and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add a splash of water if it's looking very dry.
- Meanwhile, add a splash of oil to a pan and fry your tortillas on a medium-high heat. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side until they have browned slightly and crisped.
- Next, add a healthy dollop of your refried black beans to your fried tortillas. Then, add a generous spoonful of your chipotle ground beef.
- Top with Queso Fresco cheese, salsa de aguacate and coriander. Dig in!
Notes
This recipe gives you a simplified version of Salsa de Aguacate above.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 836Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 36gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 843mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 21gSugar: 9gProtein: 33g