Refried Bean Tostadas are an easy, meatless meal! Corn tortillas are fried until crisp, then topped with beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, etc.
Looking for a simple yet delicious meal that is perfect to serve any time of the year? We LOVE making homemade refried bean tostadas! I’ve been making this simple meatless dish for over 50 years, and think they are a wonderfully tasty meal!
It’s easy to prepare the toppings ahead of time (and refrigerate), then when you’re ready to make them, it’s as easy as frying the tortillas and heating refried beans on the stovetop! Here’s how to make refried bean tostadas.
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Prepare The Refried Beans And Tostada Toppings First
Combine a can of refried beans (regular or low-fat) with 2 Tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. I always add a little water to very slightly “thin” the refried beans to make them easier to spread on a cooked tortilla later.
NOTE: I use canned refried beans to make this a very convenient, quick recipe, but if you’re interested in making homemade refried beans, be sure to check out my recipe for Easy Crock Pot Refried Beans!
Stir and cook the refried beans (and water) on low heat until heated through. Keep the beans warm while you prepare the other ingredients.
I find it helpful to get all the tostada toppings ready BEFORE beginning this recipe. Place the toppings in small bowls or containers and place them out on the counter. *If getting toppings ready early in the day, cover and refrigerate the bowls of toppings until ready to use.
Fry The Tortillas Until Crispy
Pour oil about ½” deep in a medium sized skillet. Heat the oil on Medium temperature until very hot, but not smoking. A drop of water should sizzle when added to the hot oil, indicating the oil is ready.
Carefully place one corn tortilla into the hot oil. The oil should instantly sizzle around the edges. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then carefully turn it to the other side using tongs (remember that the oil is very HOT).
Continue to cook the tortilla until it is very crisp on both sides. Use the tongs to press the tortilla down in the center if it puffs up, because you want the middle of the tortilla very crisp to hold the weight of the toppings. If necessary, turn the tortilla back over to ensure the first side is crisp.
When the tortilla is crisp all the way through on both sides, transfer it from the hot oil to several layers of paper towels using tongs. As you lift each tortilla out of the oil, let excess oil drip back into the skillet.
The paper towels will help absorb any excess oil. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining tortillas, until all are cooked, crispy, and well-drained.
“Build” The Tostadas
Now it’s time to “build” the refried bean tostadas. Place 2 big Tablespoons of hot refried beans onto each tortilla (there will be some beans leftover). Use the back of a spoon to GENTLY spread the beans over the surface of the tortilla without cracking it.
Add shredded lettuce on top of the beans, then add grated cheddar cheese (or Colby Jack), dividing these ingredients evenly between the tostadas.
Top each tostada with diced fresh tomatoes. Add garnishes of your choosing to top off the tostadas before serving. We love to add taco sauce (or salsa), chopped cilantro, and a small dollop of sour cream to ours… yum!
The best part of putting out the bowls of toppings is everyone can build their own tostada the way they like it!
The recipe, as written, will yield enough for 4 tostadas, but can EASILY be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled to meet your needs. Some people may eat one tostada, and others may want to enjoy two, so plan accordingly!
TIP: *Remember that you will have some leftover refried beans, so adjust the amount of other ingredients to fit your needs, especially if you want more refried bean tostadas!
Serve And Enjoy The Refried Bean Tostadas
Serve and enjoy these delicious refried bean tostadas. they should be crisp enough to hold all those toppings safe and secure in your hands. Lift that beautiful tostada up using both hands, and take a big, crispy, delicious bite!
I really hope you have the chance to make some yummy refried bean tostadas! I think they’re a perfect meal for busy days because you can easily prepare the toppings ahead of time (cover and refrigerate), then all you need to do at dinner time is fry the tortillas and heat the beans!
Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you… and have a wonderful day!
Looking For More MEXICAN-INSPIRED Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of Mexican-inspired recipes to check out, including:
- Grilled Fish Tacos with Baja Sauce
- Shredded Pork Smothered Burritos
- Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Spanish Rice
- Easy Cheesy Enchiladas
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Refried Bean Tostadas are an easy, meatless meal! Corn tortillas are fried until crisp, then topped with beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, etc.
- 4 medium corn tortillas
- vegetable oil, for frying ½" deep in small skillet
- 8 ounces canned refried beans = approx. ½ of a 16 oz. can
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese or Colby Jack
- 1 medium red tomato diced
Prep and place tostada toppings (lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, etc.) in small bowls; place them on the counter. *If getting toppings ready early in the day, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Combine refried beans and water in a small saucepan. Stir and cook on low heat until heated through. Keep beans warm while you prepare tortillas.
Pour oil ½" deep in a medium skillet. Heat on Medium until very hot, but not smoking. A drop of water should sizzle when added. Carefully place a tortilla in the hot oil. The oil should instantly sizzle around the edges. Cook for 30 seconds, then turn tortilla to the other side using tongs. Continue to cook until tortilla is very crisp on both sides. Use tongs to press the tortilla down (in the center) in the oil, so the middle of the tortilla is very crisp to hold the weight of the toppings. Turn tortilla over again (if necessary) to ensure crispness on all sides.
Transfer tortilla to several layers of paper towels, which will absorb excess oil as it drains. Repeat with remaining tortillas, until all are cooked, and well-drained.
Spoon 2 big Tablespoons of hot refried beans on each tortilla (there'll be beans leftover). Gently use the back of a spoon to spread beans over the tortilla without cracking it.
Add shredded lettuce on top of the beans, then grated cheese and diced tomatoes, dividing evenly between tostadas. Garnish with taco sauce, salsa, sour cream, cilantro and/or olives, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
NOTE: Optional toppings such as taco sauce, sour cream, cilantro, and/or olives were not considered in the caloric calculation.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!