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Crispy Baked Tostadas are one of my favorite weeknight dinner hacks, because they are ready in just 10 minutes and everyone can customize their own. Whether it’s taco night with a twist or a “use up the fridge” kind of meal, these tostadas have saved dinner more times than I can count.
Baked tostadas are proof that quick meals don’t have to be boring. Crispy, satisfying, and endlessly adaptable – you’ll want to keep corn tortillas stocked in your pantry all the time!
For more Mexican-inspired recipes, try my Mini Bean and Cheese Quesadillas or Turkey Taco Stuffed Peppers next.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Ready in 10 minutes – Faster than takeout and much healthier too!
- Super customizable – Everyone builds their own with the toppings they love.
- Crispy without the grease – Since these tostadas are baked, you get all the crunch without the mess of frying.
- Perfect for picky eaters – Lay out toppings taco-bar style and let the kids build their own.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How To Make Baked Tostadas
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Brush Corn Tortillas with Oil – Start with corn tortillas, spread out on foil-lined sheet pans. Brush lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt. You could also spray them generously with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake – Bake the tortillas in a preheated 400°F oven for approximately 4 minutes per side, or until they are crispy and golden on each side. Remember that they will continue to brown and crisp as they cool.
How To Assemble Baked Tostadas
- Start with refried beans – This will help your toppings stick and provide a good base (and a little extra fiber too!)
- Pick your protein – This step is optional, but if you want to jazz it up, you can add my ground beef taco filling, crockpot chicken taco filling, salsa verde chicken, or slow cooker carnitas. Other options are ground turkey, steak, rotisserie chicken, or keep it vegetarian for a lighter meal.
- Add your toppings – This is the fun part! Load them up with cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa, jalapenos, sour cream, olives, onions, and more! See below for some of our favorite toppings.
Baked Tostada Toppings
We love to load up our tostadas! Here are some of our favorite toppings.
- Refried Beans – I like to use my homemade refried beans recipe, but you can easily grab a can at the grocery store. Use whichever kind you like best. You can always doctor it up with a little taco seasoning or salsa.
- Shredded Cheese – Pepper Jack gives a bit of spice, while Monterey Jack or cheddar are more kid-friendly picks. Try Queso Fresco for more authentic Mexican flavor.
- Shredded Lettuce – You can also use shredded cabbage for extra crunch.
- Diced Tomatoes
- Guacamole – Homemade guac is my pick, but you can also use store-bought or sliced avocado.
- Pico de Gallo – This has the best flavor! It is so simple to make and has just 5 ingredients.
- Fresh Corn Kernels – Or try my Corn Salsa.
- Jalapenos – Fresh or canned, perfect for extra spice.
Serving Suggestions
Make these Baked Tostadas part of a full Mexican spread. Serve alongside my Authentic Mexican Rice, Slow Cooker Charro Beans, 3-Ingredient Rotel Dip, and Mexican Shrimp Cocktail. Mix up a couple of Spicy Margaritas for the adults.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
When I bake the tortillas, I almost always bake up a few extra so I can use them later in the week. Break them up into small pieces and add them to salads or on top of a bowl of refried beans. Or break them into larger pieces for chips and salsa or nachos.
Store leftover shells in a sealed airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I usually just toss them into a Ziploc bag and leave them on the counter. They don’t often make it through the night, though (because we end up snacking on them!).
Recipe Tips
- Use a wire rack on top of the baking sheet to skip flipping and get evenly crispy results.
- It’s ok if they’re slightly soft as long as they’re browned. They will crisp up as they cool.
- Watch the oven closely – they can go from golden to too-dark quickly.
- Make extra and store for up to 6-7 days for easy lunches.
- Use leftover taco meat, rotisserie chicken, or beans for super quick toppings.
- Let the kids assemble their own. It’s dinner and a fun activity all in one.
More Mexican Recipes
- Pozole Rojo with Chicken
- Chicken Tacos Recipe
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Chicken Poblano Soup
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Cheese Enchiladas
10 Minute Oven Baked Tostadas
Ingredients
- 6 Corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon Canola oil or any neutral oil, or cooking spray
- pinch Salt
- Your favorite tostada toppings: refried beans, chicken, beef, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Arrange as many tortillas as will fit on the baking sheet without overlapping. (I can get 6 on mine – if you need more than that, bake in batches or bake two sheets at a time, rotating halfway through).
- Brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for about 8 minutes, flipping the tortillas over about halfway through. You could also use a wire rack and omit the flipping.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper towel lined tray to cool.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings, or cool completely and store in a tightly sealed contained for 3-4 days.
Notes
- It’s ok if they’re slightly soft as long as they’re browned. They will crisp up even more as they cool.
- Nutritional calculations are estimates, and include only the tortillas, oil and salt. Toppings will vary.
- Store leftover shells in a sealed airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I usually just toss them into a Ziploc bag and leave them on the counter. They don’t often make it through the night (because we eat them!).
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Hi. You said: “Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper towel lined tray to cool.*” What does the asterisk mean?
Looks like just a typo It’s been fixed.
Great recipe! These are way better than store bought. I used a cookie cooling rack to cook the tortillas, no flipping needed! Cooked them for 10 minutes and they were perfect!
Nice! Awesome feedback Lindsay, thanks for stopping by.
I’m always looking for a way to change up our weekly dinners and these were perfect. They’re in the rotation for sure! We like them crispy so I did them for about 10 minutes total. Perfect!
Nice! Awesome feedback CurlyMomto2, thanks for stopping by.
A quick and easy meal. So many different items you can use
Thank you! I have always fried my tortillas. It takes up so much time and oil to make enough for my family. I remember trying to bake them in the past using a different recipe but it was a soggy awful mess. This way yielded perfectly crispy shells. My family loved them and I will make my shells this way from now on. Saves me so much time!
Note: I had to bake mine for 10mins.
Awesome feedback Angela! Thanks for stopping by.
I will probably never buy pre-made tostada shells ever again! I had to do them for about 10 minutes total but they were great and held up so much better than the pre-made.
Nice! Love the feedback Melissa! Thanks for stopping by.
I love this website because it has easy to make food that I can enjoy any time thankyou Kristen
Im making these for sure. Thanks
Thanks for stopping by Margaret
me too they are awsome
These were a quick and easy alternative to tacos, sometimes we like to change it up a bit and these were perfect.
Awesome feedback Leeann! Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for the recipe! It was super easy and a nice change from tacos.
You are so welcome ColorOnMaterial! Thanks for dropping by.
Kristin, this is genius! We had some leftover crockpot chicken tinga and this worked perfectly ?? thank you!
Great idea looking forward to doing this
Thank you Martha!