Vegan refried bean tostadas (air fryer or baked)

There’s not much better than the satisfying crunch of a refried bean tostada.

You get all of your favorite toppings like avocado and salsa riding on a crispy corn tortilla shell.

It’s wonderfully messy indulgence.

If you’ve never had a tostada before, think of it as a flat crunchy taco or a single oversized nacho chip.

Translated from Spanish, tostada means “toasted.”

Tostadas in restaurants are usually fried.

But at home, I prefer to cook them in the air fryer or oven. They get wonderfully crispy without being oily. 

(Feeling decadent? I give directions on how to fry in oil in the recipe card as well.)

As far as toppings, the possibilities are endless. 

These mouthwatering tostadas are vegan and gluten free.

And you can make as many or few as you’d like. 

Tostadas are a terrific weeknight meal, because they are so quick and easy to prepare.

Plus, everyone can assemble their tostada to their exact preferences.

In this post:

Corn tortillas: You’ll want small, 6-inch 100% corn tortillas.

If you’re using larger tortillas, plan on cooking them longer until crispy.

Oil (optional): For better browning, add a light layer of oil to the tortillas before baking or air frying. (I usually skip the oil.)

If you’re pan frying, I recommend a high heat oil like organic canola oil or avocado oil.

Refried beans: You can use either refried pinto beans or refried black beans.

I prefer to use homemade. But canned vegetarian refried beans work as a timesaver. 

Shredded cabbage mix: You can obviously shred cabbage by hand. But it’s even easier to grab a bag of shredded cabbage mix.

Shredded cabbage mix is one of my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products. It includes both purple & green cabbage plus carrots.

Salsa or pico de gallo: Use homemade or store-bought salsa. Fresh salsa is especially nice here.

If necessary, use a slotted spoon when topping, so that the tostada doesn’t get waterlogged. 

Avocado: Buttery avocado adds creaminess and fat.

If you prefer, you can replace it with guacamole.

Pickled red onions: Homemade pickled red onions add a briny crunch. I always keep a batch on hand in the refrigerator.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to make them from scratch, replace with finely diced yellow onion.

Pickled jalapeños: Homemade quick pickled jalapeños are my favorite because of their heat, crunch, and color.

But jarred jalapeños also do nicely here.

Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is a tasty and colorful garnish.

First, choose how you’d like to cook the tostada shells.

• If you’re making one or two, the air fryer is super convenient.
• If you’re cooking for a crowd, I recommend baking, so that you’re not making one tostada shell at a time.
• And if you want to go all in on decadence, fry them!

To air fry tostada shells: Put a soft corn tortilla in the air fryer. (If you like, you can lightly oil it first. But I usually don’t.) 

Top the corn tortilla with something oven-safe to hold it down. (Otherwise, it will blow Into the fan.) I like to use a metal taco holder as a weight.

Air fry at 390 degrees for 5 minutes. Stop once halfway through to flip. (I recommend using toast tongs for easiest flipping.)

Remove & continue with remaining tortillas until all of them are toasted.

To bake tostada shells: Put corn tortillas onto a baking sheet. Lightly oil them if you like. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 18 minutes. Stop once halfway through to flip.

To pan fry tostada shells: Fill a non-stick skillet with a quarter inch of high-heat oil (like canola or avocado oil). Bring to a medium high heat.

Fry each tortilla one at a time. (You’ll know the oil is ready if bubbles immediately form around the tortilla.)

Fry for about 30 seconds on each side until golden brown.

If the tortilla is rising to the top of the oil, press it down with tongs or a spatula.

Once brown, move each tortilla to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

Once all of the tortillas are toasted and crunchy, it’s time to add the toppings.

Slather with refried beans. They are the “glue” that holds the remaining toppings onto the crispy tortilla.

Then add any or all of the following:

• Shredded cabbage mix
• Salsa or pico de gallo
• Avocado
• Pickled red onions
• Pickled jalapeños
• Cilantro

To eat, simply pick up your tostada and take a bite. Keep a fork handy to reapply any toppings that fall off.

Use store-bought tostadas

Instead of making tostadas from scratch, you can buy pre-fried tostada shells. Follow the instructions on the bag for reheating directions.

Vary the refried beans

• Instead of refried pinto beans, use refried black beans.
• Instead of homemade refried beans, warm a can of vegetarian refried beans.

Add more protein options

Instead of or in addition to refried beans, add one of these vegan protein options:

• Jackfruit carnitas
• Lentil taco meat
• Walnut taco meat
• Tempeh taco filling
• Chickpea taco filling
• Seitan chorizo & black beans
• Spicy black beans
• Tofu scramble (for a breakfast tostada)

Vary the salsa

Tomato salsa or pico de gallo are classics.

But feel free to vary the flavors with a fruity salsa:

• Peach & black bean salsa
• Pineapple salsa

Add a finishing sauce

Finish the vegan tostadas with a flavorful finishing sauce or vegan cheese.

• Cashew queso
• Vegan sriracha mayo
• Vegan feta cheese
• Cilantro chimichurri sauce
• Vegan sour cream
• Vegan cheddar cheese
• Hot sauce
• A squeeze of lime juice

With a corn tortilla, refried beans, and toppings aplenty, a tostada can be a full meal on its own. 

Or you can round it out with any of these dishes:

• Vegan tortilla soup
• Vegan chili cheese dip
• Grilled vegetable skewers
• Vegan ceviche
• Black bean corn avocado salad
• Sweet fried plantains
• Southwest salad
• Baked french fries

Store all of the toppings separately from the corn tortillas. Otherwise, the tortillas will become soggy.

Homemade refried beans will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Or store refried beans in the freezer for up to 6 months. Then thaw when ready to use.

If the refried beans have dried out in the refrigerator, add a splash of water and stir. Then microwave to reheat.