Shrimp tostadas are delicious and come together very quickly! Whip them up in 30 minutes or less for a tasty, easy dinner in no time. You cant go wrong with succulent shrimp and crispy tostada shells slathered in creamy refried beans with fresh toppings like pico de gallo salsa, avocado, sour cream and cheese.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you're craving turf rather than surf, be sure to check out my Shredded Beef Tostadas recipe! If you're feeling the seafood, you may also want to make these incredible Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos or my delicious Mexican Tuna Salad.
Oh and, I often make a Simple Skinny Margarita or Tequila Soda to sip on while I make my tostadas. Both are perfectly refreshing and pair very nicely with this recipe.
Jump to:
- So what are tostadas?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Homemade Tostada Shells
- How To Make Shrimp Tostadas
- Expert Tips
- Do I Have To Sauté My Shrimp?
- More Toppings For Shrimp Tostadas
- Variations
- How To Store Leftovers
- More Healthy Shrimp Recipes
- More Mexican Recipes
- Tasty Shrimp Tostadas Recipe
So what are tostadas?
A tostada is basically a giant, singular nacho. Tostadas are made with a baked/toasted or fried corn tortilla covered in a layer of refried beans and other delicious toppings.
Fun fact: the word tostada translates to "toasted" in English!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Simple: you'll need minimal ingredients to make these tostadas!
Flexible: easily leave out or substitute ingredients to use up what you've got on hand.
Quick: get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less.
Gluten free: this recipe is gluten free and can easily be made dairy free by excluding cheese and sour cream. I like using extra avocado or guacamole to maintain creaminess when going dairy free.
Delicious: if you're craving Mexican food, these scrumptious, crispy tostadas won't let you down.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Refried pinto beans: or refried black beans!
- Seasonings: ground cumin, kosher salt and ground black pepper. Table salt will also work, fine.
- Shrimp: I buy frozen, peeled/deveined shrimp and highly recommend purchasing size medium or small. Jumbo and large shrimp are good in so many recipes, but they make tostadas difficult to eat.
- Extra virgin olive oil: or avocado oil.
- Tostada shells: you can buy tostada shells at the grocery store, they're usually located by the tortillas. You can also make homemade tostada shells, if desired! It's super easy.
- Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado and salsa! Feel free to add or subtract toppings.
How To Make Homemade Tostada Shells
Making tostada shells at home is super easy. Simply line fresh corn tortillas on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Spray shells with a little oil and sprinkle with salt (do this on both sides).
Place a wire rack over the corn tortillas and bake at 400 for 6-7 minutes. Flip and bake 6-7 more until golden brown. For a full guide click here: Homemade Tostada Shells.
How To Make Shrimp Tostadas
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Heat refried beans:
- Scoop refried beans from the can into a medium saucepan. Add ground cumin, a pinch of salt and one quarter cup of water.
- Mix often while warming over medium heat. Once bubbling, place a lid on the pot and turn heat off. I like to leave my beans on the burner so they stay warm.
Sauté shrimp:
- Place thawed, raw shrimp in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over shrimp and generously season with kosher salt and black pepper. Mix well until each piece is coated in spices.
- Add a bit more olive oil to a large skillet and place on medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add shrimp and sauté on each side for 1-2 minutes until pink. Avoid overcrowding the pan and cook in shrifts, if necessary.
- Set shrimp in a small bowl to the side, or you can turn off the heat and leave in the skillet to keep it warm.
Assemble tostadas:
- Add a thin layer of refried beans to each tostada shell.
- Add shredded cheese on top of refried beans. *Note: I like to assemble my tostadas on a baking sheet so I can pop them in the oven after adding cheese, but it's not necessary. The warm, refried beans should melt the cheese regardless.
- Add all of your favorite toppings! I like sour cream, diced avocado, and pico salsa.
Serve:
- Add 2-3 shrimp to each tostada and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges (optional but delicious). Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Bar style: I often serve tostadas "bar style." It's really convenient to set things up on your countertop, kitchen island or table so everyone build their own, that way people can add their favorite toppings.
Baking sheet: If you choose to build all of the tostadas yourself, it can come in handy to line them on a baking sheet. I do this so that I can pop them in a warm oven once I add the cheese.
Shrimp: I very much prefer using medium or small sized shrimp for this recipe. Jumbo or large options make it a lot harder to eat and enjoy your tostadas.
Do I Have To Sauté My Shrimp?
I generally sauté my shrimp in hot oil, but you can also grill it! Season shrimp with olive oil, salt and pepper then skewer pieces. Grill over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side.
You can also bake shrimp at 350°F for 9-12 minutes.
Whichever method you choose, don't overcook the shrimp or it will become tough. Once it's light pink, opaque and reaches an internal temperature of 120°F, it's done!
More Toppings For Shrimp Tostadas
- Baja sauce
- Poblano sauce
- Homemade guacamole
- Healthy queso dip
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Cotija cheese crumbles
- Crumbed queso fresco
- Black beans
- Fresh red onion
- Picked red onion
- Jalapeno slices
- Red cabbage
- Red salsa
- Salsa Verde
- Mango salsa
- Corn salsa
- Hot sauce
- Shredded lettuce
- Sour cream
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped green onions
- Lime wedges/lime juice
- Fresh, creamy avocado
- Diced bell peppers
Variations
Tostada salad: place shrimp on a bed of lettuce and add toppings. Crunch up a shell or part of a shell on top for texture.
Bean-less: save some calories and carbs by leaving the beans off and only doing shrimp with toppings.
Protein: not feeling the shrimp? That's okay! You can really use any protein you like. Make chicken tostadas or steak tostadas instead. Carnitas would also be delicious. Or, you can leave the meat off all together and create a vegetarian bean and cheese version.
How To Store Leftovers
Tostadas are really best when eaten right away. However, if you have leftover ingredients, I recommend storing beans, toppings and tostada shells separately.
Place the beans and toppings in airtight containers and refrigerate up to 2-3 days. The tostada shells can be stored at room temperature in a Ziploc bag, or in their packaging from the store.
When you're ready to eat leftovers, simply reheat the beans in a saucepan and heat the shrimp back up in the microwave or in a sauté pan with a bit of olive oil.
More Healthy Shrimp Recipes
More Mexican Recipes
- Beef Taco Stuffed Peppers
- Shredded Chicken Taco Salad
- Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas
- Sheet Pan Nachos With Ground Beef
- Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef
- Shredded Beef Enchiladas
- Low Carb Taco Casserole
- Chicken Tinga Enchiladas
- Cheesy Chorizo Quesadillas
- Creamy Taco Soup
Pin it for later!
Tasty Shrimp Tostadas Recipe
Ingredients
For the beans:
- 1 15 ounce can refried pinto beans *or black refried beans
- 1 & ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- Pinch of salt *I like using kosher salt, but regular table salt works fine.
- ¼ cup water
For the shrimp:
- 10 ounce package frozen shrimp *peeled/deveined *small or medium size, not large or jumbo
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher or table salt & ground black pepper *to taste *I usually end up using ½-¾ teaspoon of each.
For the tostadas:
- 10 tostada shells *store-bought or homemade *see note below
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup light sour cream *regular works fine, too
- 1 large avocado *diced
- 1 cup pico de gallo salsa
Recipe notes:
Tostada shells: store-bought or homemade tostada shells will both work. Tostada shells are typically located by the tortillas at the grocery store.Instructions
- Add refried beans, ground cumin, a pinch of salt and water to a medium saucepan. Stir often while warming over medium heat. Once bubbling, place a lid on the pot and turn heat off. I like to leave my beans on the burner so they stay warm.1 15 ounce can refried pinto beans, 1 & ½ teaspoons ground cumin, Pinch of salt, ¼ cup water
- Place thawed, raw shrimp in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over shrimp and generously season with kosher salt and black pepper. Mix well until each piece is well coated.10 ounce package frozen shrimp, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, Kosher or table salt & ground black pepper
- Add a little more olive oil to a large skillet on the stovetop and turn heat to medium-high.
- Once oil is hot, add shrimp and sauté on each side for 1-2 minutes. Avoid overcrowding the pan and cook in shrifts, if necessary. Once the shrimp is light pink and opaque in appearance, it's done.
- Set shrimp in a small bowl to the side, or you can turn off the heat and leave in the skillet to keep it warm.
- Add a thin layer of refried beans to each tostada shell (you'll have enough for about 3 tablespoons per tostada when making 10 total).10 tostada shells
- Add shredded cheese on top of refried beans. *Note: I like to assemble my tostadas on a baking sheet so I can pop them in the oven after adding cheese, but it's not necessary. The warm, refried beans should melt the cheese regardless.1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Add sour cream, diced avocado, and pico salsa.1 cup light sour cream, 1 large avocado, 1 cup pico de gallo salsa
- Place 2-3 shrimp on each tostada and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges (optional but delicious). Enjoy!
- *Tip: you can also serve these tostadas bar style and allow everyone to assemble their own!
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?!
Wahoo! Thank you so much for trying it out – would you leave a rating?! Simply click on the stars in the recipe card above.
Ken says
These look so amazing! I can't wait to try this recipe!
Garlic Salt & Lime says
You will love them! Thanks, Ken!
Austin says
These are delicious!
Garlic Salt & Lime says
Thank you, Austin. 🙂