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crisp corn tostadas layered with refried beans, browned ground beef, shredded cabbage, small spoonfuls of lime sour cream and crumbled queso fresco
Melissa Hart

Ground Beef Tostadas

Refried beans act like glue between the crisp shell and the beef, which makes a tostada less chaotic to eat. I use cabbage instead of a deep pile of lettuce because a small handful stays crunchy against warm meat. The lime sour cream goes on in small spoonfuls; drowning a tostada is just another way to turn the shell into a soft tortilla.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 corn tostada shells
  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 can refried pinto beans 16 oz
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Brown the beef in a skillet over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, crumbling it and cooking it to 160°F.
  2. Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and tomato sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce clings to the meat.
  3. Heat the beans and water in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Warm the tostada shells in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Mix the sour cream and lime juice. Spread each warm shell with beans, then add beef, cabbage, a little lime cream and queso fresco.
  5. Serve immediately, two tostadas per person, while the bases still snap when bitten.