These light and healthy turkey tostadas are crunchy and spicy- thanks to the poblano peppers. The crisp lettuce and blend of seasonings come together effortlessly!
I could honestly eat Mexican tostadas every night for dinner and be a pretty happy lady. A huge part of this has to do with the versatility of the crunchy baked tostada shell- which I make myself!
Layered with any combination of beans, protein, and veggies, you can take the simple tostada in any direction you choose! This is basically a twist on these classic Ground Turkey Tostadas.
Mexican flavors are classic, but I also love making Greek tostadas with chickpeas, chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, black olives, and feta. Asian tostadas with black beans, pork or steak, a quick Asian slaw, and some drizzled Hoisin sauce are one of my favorites too.
Today's recipe is inspired by the classic Mexican tostada and made with lean ground turkey, poblano peppers, red onion, pinto beans, and your favorite salsa. It's a quick and easy recipe that makes for a perfect busy weeknight meal, and you can customize the toppings to suit your tastes!
Key Ingredients and Easy Swaps
These tostadas have traditional Mexican flavors and ingredients. Feel free to use all of the following, or leave out the ingredients you don't like.
- Corn Tortillas: In this recipe, I made my own tostadas out of corn tortillas. I prefer to make my own because I can control how much oil I use. In a pinch, you can also go with premade tostadas from the store.
- Poblano Pepper: This pepper has the perfect amount of heat. For a milder taste, use bell pepper. If you want it spicier, use jalapeno or habanero peppers.
- Garlic and Onion: Make sure to use fresh garlic and onion. Any type of onion will be perfect, but I used red onions. They have the strongest flavor.
- Ground Turkey: This is a very lean type of meat. You could substitute ground beef or ground chicken instead for a similar taste and flavor.
- Tomato Paste: You only need about a tablespoon.
- Spices: My favorite blend of spices for Mexican dishes is cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, salt, and pepper.
- Beans: The best kind of beans for tostadas are pinto beans! You could use black or kidney beans as a substitute. I try to cook up my own beans when I can as canned beans tend to have a ton of sodium.
- Lettuce: Thinly sliced lettuce works the best on tostadas because it fits well on small tortillas.
- Tomatoes: Chop the tomatoes up into bite-size pieces. Any type of tomato will be perfect!
- Cilantro: This is optional. If you don't like the taste of cilantro, just leave it out.
- Shredded Cheese: I used shredded cheddar cheese, but you can use pepper jack or mozzarella instead.
Note: For a full list of ingredients and detailed instructions on how to make this tostada recipe, take a look at the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Side Dish Ideas
These tostadas are basically an entire meal! They have meat, veggies, and tortillas.
If you want something on the side, try creamy avocado salsa verde. It's a fun dip that will compliment all the spicy flavors of the tostadas. You can also make Mexican chopped salad with honey-lime dressing. It is one of my favorite types of salad!
Recipe Tips And Ideas For Tostadas
Follow these tips to make sure that these tostadas turn out crispy and delicious every single time!
- Make the tostada shells fresh in the oven. You can also fry them in your air fryer, just follow the same heating temperature and time.
- Saute the garlic, onions, and peppers together before you brown the turkey because this will release the most flavor into the meat.
- Mash the pinto beans after you heat them up. This gives the same texture as refried beans - without the extra fat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions I frequently get asked about by some readers...
How do you store leftover tostada shells?
Store leftover tostada shells in an airtight resealable bag at room temperature. Keep the air off of the shells, and they won't go stale very quickly. Leftover shells will stay fresh at room temperature for about two weeks.
What else can you add on top of the tostadas?
This is the fun part! Add any of your favorite taco toppings. Try adding some:
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Salsa
Just remember that whatever you add will change the number of calories and other macros.
What other types of proteins can you use?
I used ground turkey because it is such lean meat and soaks up all the other flavors in the dish well. You could also use chorizo sausage, shredded chicken, grilled shrimp, or blackened salmon.
If you have any leftover meat, use it on your tostadas!
More Delicious Mexican Recipes You'll Love:
- Citrus Marinated Carne Asada
- Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
- Easy Chicken Soft Tacos
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Avocado Chicken Salad