This is such a versatile, vegetarian tostada recipe for nearly any meal. Breakfast? Toss a fried egg on top. Lunch or dinner? Don’t change a thing. These black bean tostadas are not only easy to make, but they’re really tasty, too.
I like to bake corn tortillas to make my own tostada shells, but to save even more time, feel free to buy packaged tostada shells from the store. This recipe makes four total tostadas (two servings) and is ready in less than 30 minutes. You can double or triple all of the ingredients to make more tostadas if you need!
Ingredients for Black Bean Avocado Tostadas:
For the Baked Tostada Shells:
- 4 Corn Tortillas
- 2 tsp. Avocado Oil
- 1 tsp. Lime Juice
- 1 tsp. Chili Powder
- Kosher or Sea Salt
For the Creamy Black Beans:
- 1 tbsp. Avocado Oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped White Onion
- 15 oz. canned Black Beans, thoroughly drained (standard can)
- ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp. Cumin
- ¼ tsp. Chili Powder
- ⅓ cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth
For the Toppings:
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ cup finely chopped Red Onion
- Handful of Cilantro, finely chopped (about 1 tbsp.)
- 2 tsp. Lime Juice
- Kosher or Sea Salt
- 1 medium Avocado (sliced or mashed – see ingredient notes for mashed)*
- Queso Fresco (or Feta)
The homemade crispy tostadas are honestly one of the stars of this entire recipe. They’re so easy to make and SUPER crunchy! I bake four tostada shells at a time for this recipe, but feel free to make as many as you need.
If you make more than one batch of tostadas, just be sure to use a separate baking sheet so the corn tortillas don’t overlap while baking. The shells all need to be exposed to the hot air in the oven to ensure that they will crisp up while baking.
You can make the baked tostada shells 2-3 days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to eat them!
Ingredient Notes for these Black Bean Tostadas:
- Corn tortillas are the only way to go. Flour tortillas won’t work for this recipe, unfortunately.
- I love to use Avocado Oil if I’m baking tortillas / chicken / etc. in the oven because I find that it guarantees crispy results. You could also use Vegetable, Grapeseed, or Canola oils, (all neutral, higher smoke point oils), but I would avoid Olive Oil.
- Drain the Black Beans as much as possible. The starchy liquids that sit in the can with the black beans are packed with sodium, so I like to omit as much of that as possible. Feel free to rinse the black beans well before using, too.
- Omit the Cilantro if you aren’t a fan.
- *For Mashed Avocado, scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl, and sprinkle in a pinch of salt and garlic powder. Squeeze in some fresh lime (a wedge or two) and mash everything together. Ideally, do this right before serving so the avocado doesn’t brown.
How to Make Healthy Black Bean Tostadas for Two:
For the Fresh Tomato Topping:
- In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a healthy pinch of salt. Stir to combine and set aside. (I do this first so the flavors have some time to blend together while I bake the tostada shells and make the creamy black beans).
For the Baked Tostada Shells:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Mix avocado oil and lime juice together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the tortillas onto the parchment paper – leaving plenty of space between each one.
- Brush both sides of the tortillas with the oil and lime mixture. Sprinkle both sides of each tortilla with a pinch of chili powder, dividing it equally between the tortillas.
- Bake the tortillas at 350 F for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for another 7-9 minutes until crispy. Sprinkle each tortilla with a pinch of salt as soon as they come out of the oven. Set aside.
For the Creamy Black Beans:
- Heat avocado oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the onions are very soft and translucent.
- Stir in garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, black beans, and broth. Cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes until beans are softened. Mash the beans in the pot (a potato masher, muddler, or wooden spoon with some effort will work for this!). If the beans seem too runny, let them cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently with the lid off to release some of the steam. Remove the pot from the heat and allow them to briefly cool and thicken.
- Build the tostadas! Spread ⅓ cup of the mashed black beans onto each tostada shell. Top with the fresh tomato topping, sliced or mashed avocado, crumbled Cotija cheese (or feta), and cilantro leaves.
I definitely recommend making the beans while the tostada shells bake. This helps everything finish around the same time, which s always a win.
We absolutely love this recipe for a quick dinner or lunch. If you plan on taking these tostadas with you for lunch at work, be sure to pack everything separately and build the tostadas once you’re there. Otherwise, it could be a soggy mess by the time you’re ready to eat!
If you love these tostadas, you should try my Chicken Tostada Stacks, too! And if you’re into beans, check out my Creamy Refried Beans, Spicy Smashed Black Beans, or Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos. This small batch Creamy White Bean & Kale Soup is also really, really good!
I hope you love this recipe! If you make it and want to show it off, I would love it if you tagged me on Instagram so I can see your black bean tostadas! And if you want to rate it and leave a comment below, I would appreciate it SO much. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions, too!
Creamy Black Bean Avocado Tostadas
Ingredients
For the Baked Tostada Shells:
- 4 Corn Tortillas
- 2 tsp. Avocado Oil or Vegetable
- 1 tsp. Lime Juice
- 1 tsp. Chili Powder
- Kosher or Sea Salt
For the Creamy Black Beans:
- 1 tbsp. Avocado Oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped White Onion
- 1 15.5 oz. can Black Beans thoroughly drained
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Cumin
- 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
- 1/3 cup low-sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth
For the Toppings:
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes quartered
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Red Onion
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped Cilantro plus more to taste
- 2 tsp. Lime Juice
- Kosher or Sea Salt to taste
- 1 medium Avocado* sliced or mashed – see notes for mashed
- crumbled Queso Fresco or Cotija, or Feta
Instructions
For the Toppings:
- In a medium bowl, add the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a healthy pinch of salt. Stir to combine, and set aside.
For the Baked Tostada Shells:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Mix avocado oil and lime juice together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the tortillas in a single layer on the baking sheet without overlapping them.
- Brush both sides of each tortilla with the oil/lime juice mixture, then sprinkle both sides of each tortilla with a pinch of chili powder, dividing it equally between them.
- Bake the tortillas at 350 F for 10 minutes, flip them over, and bake for another 7-9 minutes until very crispy. Sprinkle each tortilla with a pinch of salt as soon as they come out of the oven. Set aside.
For the Creamy Black Beans:
- Heat avocado oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5-7 minutes until onions are very soft and translucent.
- Stir in garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, black beans, and broth. Cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes until the beans are softened. Mash the beans in the pot** until creamy.*** Allow to cool slightly until thickened.
For the Creamy Black Bean Avocado Tostadas:
- Spread 1/3 cup of creamy black beans onto each tostada shell. Top with either sliced or mashed avocado*, fresh tomato topping, crumbled cheese, and additional cilantro (if desired). Or use your favorite toppings!
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
These are SO GOOD! The shells are really flavorful and get super crispy. My husband thought I bought them at the store! These tostadas will definitely be on repeat in our house.
Thank you so much, Katy! I’m so glad you loved them!!
These are easy to make and we love the baked tostada shells so much! Definitely making more of those next time so we can use them for other tostadas. The black beans are really flavorful and the fresh veggies on top really make it healthy but taste really good. Goig to make again soon! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed them, Lauren! I totally love the baked tostada shells, too. There’s so much you can do with them! Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for trying these out!