These oven-baked tostadas cook quickly, which means you can have dinner on the table in just 15 minutes! They’re vegetarian, gluten-free, and customizable for the whole family!

vegetarian tostadas
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I’m having so much fun with this 15 minute dinner series because we could all use a little extra time in the day, right? I’ve learned that if I want to make healthy choices consistently, I have to make it easy. And while I know a lot of people enjoy meal prepping, it’s just never been my thing. So creating healthy recipes that can be made after a long day has been a fun series to develop!

Why I Love This Recipe

These are easy to make gluten-free or vegan depending on your dietary preferences, and you can customize the spice level for you and your family! The trick to these tostadas is to set the oven to broil, so they cook quickly! While your tostadas are in the oven, you can prep the rest of your toppings so you can have dinner on the table in just 15 minutes!

tostadas on a pan

Recipe Tips

  • This recipe makes 8 tostadas, but if you’re only cooking for 2, you can cut the recipe in half. The extra beans can be stored in the fridge for about four days so that you can make a second round of these later in the week!
  • Watch for hot spots in your oven. You may notice that certain tortillas are browning faster than others, due to uneven heat. If that happens, turn the tray around halfway through cooking.
  • If you want to add a little extra spice, you can double the chili powder. We used a hot pico de gallo, so the ¼ teaspoon of chili powder was just perfect. These would also be great with fresh jalapeno on top if you want an additional layer of spice.

How to Make Tostadas

Turn the oven to broil and toast the tostadas until crisp. Top with refried beans and black beans and return to the oven.

tostadas baking

Once the beans are heated, remove them from the oven and top them with salsa, guacamole, and feta or cotija cheese. Cotija is a crumbly, salty cheese traditionally used in Mexican recipes, but it can be hard to find. It’s very similar to feta cheese, so that’s what I typically use!

tostadas on a plate

How to Customize Your Tostadas

Gluten-free version: To keep these tostadas gluten-free, use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.

Vegan version: Skip the feta and add a little pinch of nutritional yeast and salt on top! Or you can skip it entirely and add a little extra salsa.

Extra protein: Feel free to add your favorite protein whether that’s tempeh, tofu, TVP, or meat!

Extra vegetables: Try adding sauteed bell pepper slices or thinly sliced onion. You could also use sauteed zucchini or summer squash to add more veggies to your plate!

Are Refried Beans Vegetarian?

Traditionally, refried beans are made with lard, which is animal fat. But most brands sell a vegetarian version or a fat-free version. Be sure to check the label to ensure there is no animal fat in your refried beans. Most grocery stores carry a variety of refried beans that don’t contain lard.

Substitution Ideas

  • You can use 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning in place of the cumin, garlic, and chili powder, if you prefer. Or, try a sprinkle of my homemade taco seasoning!
  • I typically use canned black beans but for even more flavor, try these Mexican Black Beans!
  • I like using pico de Gallo but any type of salsa is fine. You can also make your own quick pico de Gallo by chopping up a few tomatoes and a little onion and adding a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
  • You can use guacamole in place of the avocado for even more flavor.
tostada with guacamole

Additional Topping Suggestions

Feel free to get creative with your toppings! You can add sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, hot sauce, diced jalapeno, roasted bell peppers, salsa verde, or roasted corn. These tostadas are great with any of your favorite traditional taco toppings!

Side Dish Suggestions

Looking for a side dish for these tostadas? Try this Mexican Street Corn Salad! It’s one of my most popular recipes because it’s delicious with any type of tostada or taco! You could also pair these with my Rice Cooker Mexican Style Rice which is super easy to make.

How to Store Leftovers

If you’re making a double batch or you’re planning on having leftovers, I recommend storing the fillings separate from the tortillas. The refried beans and black beans can be stored together, but the tortillas will get soggy if stored with toppings. Since this recipe comes together so quickly and easily. I’d recommend making a smaller batch if you don’t think you’ll be able to eat it all in one sitting.

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tostadas on a plate

Vegetarian Tostadas

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 23 reviews
  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 5 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Tostadas 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Description

These oven baked tostadas cook quickly which means you can have dinner on the table in just 15 minutes! They’re vegetarian, gluten free, and customizable for the whole family!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 whole wheat or corn tortillas
  • 1 15oz can refried beans (see note)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and mashed
  • 1 cup pico de gallo
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta or cojita cheese
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Set the oven to broil.
  2. While the oven heats up, line a baking sheet with foil
  3. Bake the tortillas in the preheating oven for 2-3 minutes. Depending on how quickly your oven heats up, you may need to keep a close eye on these! You want them lightly browned and beginning to crisp.
  4. While the oven heats up, combine the refried beans, cumin, garlic, and chili powder.
  5. Remove the tortillas from the oven and spread about 3 tablespoons of refried beans on each tortilla.
  6. Add ¼ cup of black beans on top.
  7. Place in the oven and broil for 3 on the medium rack minutes until the edges of the tortillas get crispy and the beans are heated through.
  8. Remove from the oven and top with mashed avocado, pico de gallo, feta, and cilantro.

Notes

Be sure you buy fat-free refried beans or vegetarian refried beans, as traditional refried beans are made with lard, which is not vegetarian.

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