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Crispy Baked Tostadas are one of my favorite weeknight dinner hacks. They’re ready in about 10 minutes, everyone builds their own, and you get all the crunch without the mess of frying. Taco night with a twist or a clean-out-the-fridge kind of meal, these 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!
More easy Mexican dinners: Mexican Sopes | Homemade Taquitos | Chicken Tacos
Before You Get Started
A few small things separate crisp, sturdy shells from ones that stay soft. Here’s what to know before you start.
- Bake until crisp. Ovens vary, so go by color rather than the clock. Watch for golden edges, and remember they firm up more as they cool.
- Use a wire rack. Set it over your sheet pan and the shells crisp evenly on both sides, with no flipping needed.
- Use corn, not flour. Corn tortillas crisp into the sturdy, snappable shell a tostada needs.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How To Make Baked Tostadas
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Here’s how to turn plain corn tortillas into crispy shells, then build them into dinner. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Brush the tortillas
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange as many corn tortillas as fit without overlapping, about 6 per pan.
Brush both sides lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt. A generous coat of nonstick cooking spray works too.
Step 2: Bake until golden
Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for about 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crisp and golden on both sides.
Some ovens run closer to 10 minutes, so go by color. A wire rack set over the pan lets you skip the flip entirely. The shells keep crisping as they cool, so it’s fine to pull them while they still have a little give.
Step 3: Build your tostadas
- Start with a layer of 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, 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! Letting everyone build their own is half the appeal, and it’s an easy win with picky eaters.
Baked Tostada Toppings
We love to load ours up. A classic combo is refried beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, and a spoonful of salsa, but here are our favorites to mix and match.
- Refried beans — I like my homemade version, but a can from the store works great. Doctor it up with a little taco seasoning or salsa if you like.
- Shredded cheese — Pepper Jack adds a little spice, while Monterey Jack or cheddar are kid-friendly picks. Queso fresco gives a more authentic flavor.
- Shredded lettuce — Shredded cabbage works too for extra crunch.
- Diced tomatoes
- Guacamole — Homemade is my pick, but store-bought or sliced avocado works in a pinch.
- Pico de gallo — So much flavor, and just 5 simple ingredients.
- Fresh corn kernels — Or try my corn salsa.
- Jalapeños — Fresh or canned, perfect for extra heat.
Serving Suggestions
Make these baked tostadas part of a bigger Mexican spread. They go great with my Authentic Mexican Rice, Slow Cooker Charro Beans, and a quick 3-Ingredient Rotel Dip to start.
Round things out with Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, and mix up a couple of Spicy Margaritas for the adults.
Find all my favorite taco night recipes in one collection — Taco Night Ideas
Storage Tips
How to Store Leftovers
When I bake the tortillas, I almost always make a few extra for later in the week. Break them into small pieces for salads or over a bowl of beans, or into larger pieces for chips and salsa or nachos.
Storing. Keep 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.
Re-crisping. If they soften over time, pop them back into a 350°F oven for a few minutes to bring back the crunch before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you bake tostadas instead of frying them?
Yes, and you barely lose anything for it. Baking gives you the same sturdy crunch as fried shells with a fraction of the oil and none of the splatter. A light brush of oil and a hot oven do all the work, and the shells hold up well under toppings.
Do corn or flour tortillas work better for baked tostadas?
Corn is the way to go. Corn tortillas crisp into a firm, snappable shell that holds heavy toppings without going limp. Flour tortillas brown but stay softer and more bendy, so they won’t give you that classic tostada crunch.
How do you get tostada shells crispy without frying?
Brush both sides lightly with oil, bake at 400°F, and pull them when the edges turn golden. A wire rack set over the baking sheet crisps both sides evenly with no flipping, and the shells firm up even more as they cool.
More Mexican Recipes
- Pozole Rojo with Chicken
- 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°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, bake in batches or use two sheets, rotating halfway through.
- Brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for about 8 minutes, flipping the tortillas halfway through. You can also use a wire rack over the pan and skip 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 container for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
- Bake to crisp. It’s ok if they’re slightly soft as long as they’re browned. They crisp up more as they cool.
- No-flip option. Use a wire rack over the baking sheet to skip flipping and get even crisping on both sides.
- Storage. Store leftover shells in a sealed airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Nutrition note. Estimates include only the tortillas, oil, and salt. Toppings will vary.
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!