How To Make Fried Tostadas

Crispy fried tostadas, warm from the hot oil and lightly golden put the store bought versions to shame. They make the perfect base for so many toppings from shredded chicken to beans and cheese and are so simple to make. Vegan and gluten-free!

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Last week we explored the wonderful world of baked tostadas so it only seems right that this week we talk about their crispy fried cousins.

Baked tostadas are über crunchy, toasted, and sturdy. Fried tostada shells, on the other hand, are crisp, and if cooked properly, shatteringly so.

Baked or fried, both types have their advantages.

Baked tostadas are best eaten with very juicy toppings like aguachile and ceviche, while light, crisp fried tostadas give air and delicacy to sturdier toppings like refried beans.

There are a couple tricks to getting a fried corn tortilla to reach ethereal light heights. Keep reading for my tips on how to get it right every time plus my favorite toppings.

Pretty soon you’ll never be buying store bought tostadas ever again!

what you need to make fried tostadas

Frying a homemade tostada requires so few items you probably could put down your phone and do it right this minute. Here’s what you need:

• Corn tortillas. Don’t try this with flour tortillas, it won’t work.
• Neutral-flavored oil. Vegetable oil, avocado oil, or sunflower oil are all good options. Don’t use anything that is strongly flavored like olive oil.

• Kosher salt
• Heavy-bottomed frying pan. A cast iron skillet is perfect if you have one.
• A good pair of kitchen tongs
• Paper towel-lined baking sheet. A large plate or platter would also work, just something to let the tostadas cool a minute before serving.

how to fry a tostada

So now we’ll break it down into a few easy steps.

If you are nervous about frying things, don’t worry. This isn’t a vat of oil type of situation. We are going to shallow fry these tostadas, meaning, just a small amount of oil that won’t ignite into flames or hurt you. I promise.

First: Heat 1 cup of oil over high heat in a medium to large frying pan (I use a 10-inch cast iron skillet).

Next: Add one tortilla at a time and let cook 2 minutes per side.

Last: Remove to the paper towel lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

faqs for getting it right

Seems easy enough, right? And it is! Even so, there are a few places where you need to pay special attention to ensure maximum crispness.

how will I know when the oil is hot enough?

If your oil is not hot enough when you put in the tortilla it will come out soggy and chewy, not crisp.

To make sure the oil is at the right temperature, give it 4-5 minutes to heat up before you add the tortilla. The most exact way to know is to use an instant read deep fry thermometer. The oil should be between 350°F-375°F degrees.

Don’t have a thermometer? Stick an edge of a tortilla into the oil. It should immediately be covered in bubbles. If that doesn’t happen, give it another minute or two and try again.

give it time

Let the tortilla fry on one side until it is lightly golden before turning and cooking the other side, this should take about 2 minutes.

If the tortilla is cooking too quickly, turn the heat down a bit. If it is taking longer than 2 minutes to get brown, turn the heat up.

gently press

Tortillas have a tendency to puff and curl in the hot oil. Use kitchen tongs to gently press down on the tortilla as it is frying to pop any bubbles and keep them as flat as possible.

the best toppings for fried tostadas

Before we go in to toppings, let’s be clear: there should always be a plethora of garnishes.

Shredded cheese and lettuce, sour cream, Pico de Gallo, thinly sliced radishes and jalapeños, are all good. I like to set out a tray of garnishes whenever I serve tostadas so everyone can top them exactly like they like.

Now for toppings. Like I said fried tostadas are perfect for sturdier toppings. Here are some of my favorites:

• Homemade Mexican Chorizo
• Carne Deshebrada {Shredded Beef}
• Sofrito Black Beans
• Frijoles Borrachos {Crock Pot Borracho Beans}
• Cochinita Pibil
• Carne Adobada
• Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

tonight will be tostada night, right?

Convinced to try your hand at homemade fried tostadas? I certainly hope so! Show me your tostada by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, make sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!

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