A delicious, healthy tostada recipe (for two!) with baked tostada shells, flaky seasoned white fish, avocado, and crunchy toppings.
Baked tostada shells are my new favorite thing, and they’re so easy to make! I take the same baked tostada shell recipe from my Black Bean and Avocado Tostada recipe, but load them with flaky white fish, sliced avocado, crunchy toppings (like red cabbage and green onion), then drizzle it all with this cool and creamy Cilantro Sour Cream sauce.
I love making small batch recipes for two people, so I created this fish tostada recipe to make four baked tostadas. The entire recipe comes together in 20 minutes, and it’s the perfect meal to enjoy on a sunny evening outside!
What is a Tostada?
A tostada is like an open-face sandwich, but with a crispy corn tortilla as the base rather than bread. Tostada translates to “toasted”, and refers to the toasted (or baked, in this case) tortilla that serves as the base of the recipe. The crunchy tostada shell is then topped with whatever toppings you prefer! Some people refer to it as a “flat taco”, which I guess makes sense, too. 🙂
Tips for Making Tostadas
When building a tostada, a creamy layer over the crunchy tostada shell helps the other ingredients stick to the tostada. In this recipe, I use a layer of thinly sliced avocado. You could also mash the avocado with lime juice, garlic powder, and salt, and create a spreadable avocado base if you prefer (the exact measurements for the smashed avocado recipe is listed towards the bottom of the instructions in this post AND in the recipe card!). If you’re looking for an alternative, these creamy black beans serve as a phenomenal creamy layer on tostadas!
Ingredients for Fish 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
Note on Tostada Shells: You can use store bought tostada shells instead of baking your own! Tostada shells are located near the tortillas in the grocery store. They typically come in a stack of crunchy corn tortillas.
For the Fish
- 10 oz. White Fish (such as cod, mahi mahi, or tilapia)
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil (or olive oil)
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
- pinch of Salt
For the Toppings
- 1 medium Avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded Red Cabbage
- 1 cup shredded Leafy Greens (such as green leaf lettuce or romaine)
- 1/3 cup chopped Green Onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro
- Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce
Note on the Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce: I definitely recommend using a sauce for these fish tostadas. The full recipe for the sauce is listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post! Or you can click the link and get it, too. If you don’t feel like making your own, this Jalapeno Ranch is really good!
How to Make these Tostadas
First, make the Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Next, bake the tostada shells. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the avocado oil and lime juice in a small bowl, then lightly paint onto both sides of each corn tortilla. Sprinkle both sides of the tortillas with a little pinch of chili powder, and bake for about 16-18 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crunchy. Season with salt immediately after baking. Check out this black bean tostada recipe for pictures and a full step-by-step guide on baking tostada shells!
While the tortillas are baking, cook the fish. Stir all of the seasonings together, then sprinkle all over the fish. Heat avocado oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook the fish for about 3-4 minutes per side until flaky and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cool for 2 minutes. Flake the fish apart when it’s cool enough to handle.
Finally, build the tostadas! Spread a layer of thinly sliced avocado over each tostada shell. (Alternatively, spread mashed avocado over the shells. See recipe below* if you prefer this method.) Divide the flaked fish over the tostadas, then top with toppings and drizzle on the sauce. If you prefer the toppings to stick together, toss the shredded cabbage, greens, green onion, and cilantro with the sauce first, then divide over the tostadas!
Serve immediately with a skinny fresh lime margarita OR a skinny blackberry margarita. 🙂
*For Mashed Avocado: Spoon the avocado flesh into a bowl. Sprinkle in 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, a pinch of salt, and the juice from half of a lime. Mash the avocado until creamy. Divide over the tostada shells.
If you love summertime seafood recipes, check out these, too!
- Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos for Two (new & delicious!)
- Simple Fish Tacos with Crunchy Red Cabbage Slaw (an easy go-to fish taco recipe!)
- Spicy Baja Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw (super popular!)
- Basic Bitch Fish Tacos (an oldie but a goodie! goody? whatever.) 🙂
If you make these white fish tostadas and love them, a comment and recipe rating below would be awesome! If you have any questions about ingredients or directions, feel free to email me so I can help. Tag me on Instagram if you post a picture, too!
xx Sara
White Fish and Avocado Tostadas
Ingredients
For the Baked Tostada Shells:
- 4 Corn Tortillas
- 2 tsp. Avocado Oil
- 1 tsp. Lime Juice
- 1 tsp. Chili Powder
- Kosher or Sea Salt to taste
For the Flaky White Fish:
- 10 oz. White Fish such as cod, mahi mahi, or tilapia
- 2 tsp. Avocado Oil
- 1/2 tsp. Paprika
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Cumin
- 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
- pinch Kosher or Sea Salt to taste
For the Toppings:
- 1 medium Avocado thinly sliced
- 1 cup thinly sliced Red Cabbage
- 1 cup thinly sliced Leafy Greens such as green leaf lettuce or romaine
- 1/3 cup chopped Green Onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro
- Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce recipe in notes!
Instructions
For the Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce:
- Whisk all Cilantro Sour Cream sauce ingredients in a bowl to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Baked Tostada Shells:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine avocado oil and lime juice in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush (or the back of a spoon) to paint both sides of each tortilla with the oil/lime juice mixture.
- Sprinkle both sides of each tortilla with a pinch of chili powder. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip tortillas over, and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. Sprinkle with a small pinch of salt as soon as they're done baking.
For the Flaky White Fish:
- Stir all seasonings together in a small bowl. Divide the seasonings over all sides of the fish filets. Set aside.
- Heat avocado oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook fish for 3-4 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate or bowl and rest for 2 minutes. Flake the fish apart after it rests.
To Build the Tostadas:
- Remove the tough skin and seed from the avocado. Thinly slice the avocado flesh, and divide it over each tortilla. (Alternatively, mash the avocado* and spread it over each tortilla.)
- Divide the flaked fish over the tortillas, followed by the toppings. Drizzle with cilantro sour cream sauce** and serve immediately!
Notes
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp. onion powder
- 1/8 tsp. cumin
- 1/8 tsp. ancho chili powder (or regular chili powder)
- 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
- 1 tsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp. milk
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
- pinch of salt
Tried this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
White fish is really popular where I live and I was excited to try this recipe! I loved the spice blend for the fish. This was delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Ashley!!