Easy Weeknight Beef Tostada Recipe (2024)

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I have a thing with tostadas. Some may call it an obsession, but I’d rather go with enthusiast, ok? I’m not exactly sure what makes them so appealing to me, but I think it has something to do with the toppings. Because with tostadas, you have the room to add as many toppings as you want! With tacos, you simply run out of space – but not with ground beef tostadas! Pile those toppings up! This easy beef tostada recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes, perfect for a quick – and satisfying – weeknight dinner. Try my summer veggie tostadas, turkey taco tostadas, or black bean tostadas next time.

So can we make Tostada Tuesday a thing? I love all kinds of tostadas, so why a ground beef tostada recipe? Because ground meat cooks up so fast, it just makes a lot of sense to use it for quick weeknight dinners. I created this recipe for my meal plan members and it’s just the kind of weeknight dinners we make on a regular basis – fast, balanced, full-of-flavor, and family-friendly!

Have fun with this mexican tostadas recipe. Switch up the toppings, add MORE toppings (and then let me know what you add so I can add them next time!), or pair it with a NA margarita. Alls good on Tostada Tuesday! 😉

How to Make Beef Tostadas

It’s SO easy to make these tostadas with ground beef. The tostada ingredients are pretty straight forward and so is the cooking process!

First, we’ll brown our ground beef with taco meat – it takes just 10 minutes!

Then it’s time to prep the rest of the tostada ingredients and toppings: heat the refried beans; slice the romaine and radish; mix up the lime crema; and dice the avocado.

Then everyone can build their own at the table. These are messy! Eat with plenty of napkins and a fork if you must.

Toppings for Ground Beef Tostadas

I think tostada ingredients are alllllllll about the toppings! With rich ground beef and hearty beans, I went bright and light for the toppings on these ground beef tostadas. Feel free to make it your own and go wild with fresh toppings!

• Shredded romaine – adds a cool and crisp crunch.
• Sliced radish – give your tostada a little zing and major crunch with peppery radishes.
• Avocado – obviously avocados are going to be included in this mexican tostadas recipe!
• Lime crema – lime crema adds the perfect amount of acidity and creaminess.

Beef Tostada Recipe – for Kids

In order to serve these tostadas in a kid-friendly way, I would deconstruct them a bit. Older kids will be fine to balance everything, but if your kids are younger, you can either break up the tostadas and build little nachos (they can do this!) or if they are really young, you can serve all of the components separate and they can eat separately. (Read more about my philosophies when it comes to feeding kids here.)

For these tostadas with ground beef, I would serve my toddler beans and beef, lettuce and radish with lime crema (like a mini salad), and diced avocado.

I would let my preschooler build her own, but since she loves eating the “huge” chips so much, she would probably eat everything separately too. Whatever works is the theme in our house.

How to Prep Beef Tostada Ahead:

If you like to meal prep, there are few things you can do to make this meal come together even faster!

1. Cook the taco meat and store in the refrigerator. Simply reheat in the microwave or stove when you’re ready to eat.
2. Wash romaine lettuce. Lightly wrap leaves in a towel or paper towel and then slice right before serving. If the leaves are wilty, perk them up in a quick ice bath.
3. Mix up lime crema. This will keep for a few days in the fridge, so you can make this ahead of time.

More Easy Mexican Recipes:

• Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Salad – Super popular and perfect for summer parties and spreads. Keeps well and is also great for meal prep.
• Mexican Tater Tot Casserole – The popular Minnesota meal gets an extra dose of flavor.
• Breakfast Tacos Recipe with Chipotle Sour Cream – I will do just about anything for this chipotle sour cream. PUT IT ON EVERYTHING!!!
• 10 Minute Black Bean Cowboy Caviar – Ok, not really Mexican, but works with Mexican flavors. Bring to parties, or serve for a no-cook dinner!

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