Mexican Tostadas Recipe
By Cassandra Clifford
Another Mexican dish my mother and I make every Christmas Eve and certainly many other days of the year is tostadas. They’re so simple, anyone can make them. They only take ten minutes and after you’ve had a homemade tostada, you’ll never want a store-bought tostada again.
As a child, I would eat tostadas covered in only Mexican sour cream (crema mexicana) and queso fresco, but I’m happy to say that my food horizons have expanded since then and I now eat my tostadas with the works: beans, cream, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and salsa. You can also put avocado, guacamole, chicken--if it sounds good, go for it (and if it’s not so good, you’ve only ruined one tostada).
Tostadas are probably not for the person looking to make a very healthy lunch or dinner, but you can’t argue with how fast and easy they are to make. You can make a bunch on Sunday and continue eating them for the rest of the week, as tostadas or crushed up into your favorite soup.
The best part about tostadas is you can dress them up however you’d like and they can be a fun do-it-yourself for when you have friends over or if your children like getting involved in making their own food.
Ingredients
Vegetable or canola oil
Corn tortillas
Black beans
Crema mexicana or sour cream
Queso fresco
Sliced plum tomatoes
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Sliced or diced red onion
Avocado or guacamole (optional)
Directions
Fill a pot with enough vegetable or canola oil to deep fry your tortillas (the amount of oil depends on the pot). Heat the oil until it is hot enough to fry your tortillas, 350°F-375°F (175°C-190°C). (You can also use a deep fryer.)
Once your oil is hot, place your tortillas in the oil, making sure not to crowd your pot or deep fryer. No part of the tortilla should be on top of another tortilla.
After about two minutes, when the bottom side of the tortilla is golden brown, use a wire skimmer or a pair of (metal) tongs to flip your tortilla.
Cook for another two minutes, until both sides are golden brown.
Remove the tostada and place in a metal colander, upright, to drain off the excess oil.
Top the tostadas with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
