Beef Tostadas with Refried Beans (Printable Version)

Crispy corn tostadas topped with savory beef, creamy beans, fresh veggies, and cheese for a quick savory meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins & Spices

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→ Beans

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→ Tostada Base

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→ Vegetables & Toppings

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→ Cheese & Sauces

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# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned for 5–7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
02 - Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to the beef. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - In a small saucepan, warm the refried beans over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and heated through.
04 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Place tostada shells on a baking sheet and heat for 3–5 minutes until crisp and warm.
05 - Spread a generous spoonful of refried beans onto each tostada shell. Top with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, jalapeño (if using), and shredded cheese.
06 - Drizzle with sour cream and salsa or hot sauce. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

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  • The contrast between hot spiced beef and cool fresh toppings hits every craving in one bite
  • You can customize these infinitely based on whats in your fridge or what your family loves
  • They come together faster than delivery and taste infinitely better
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  • Cold refried beans will crack your tostada shells always warm them first for easy spreading
  • Assemble these right before serving or the shells will start to soften from the beans and toppings
  • Have all your toppings prepped and ready before you start assembling tostadas are best eaten immediately
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  • Mash your refried beans with a splash of water or broth if they are too thick to spread easily
  • Season your beef generously under-seasoned meat is the biggest mistake people make with this recipe

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