Black Bean Tostadas are crispy, creamy, zesty, and ready in about 30 minutes! The beans simmer with taco sauce, bold spices, and lime juice until they turn into a thick topping that gets piled onto crunchy tostada shells with your favorite toppings.
Black Bean Tostadas
This vegetarian entree doubles as an easy weeknight dinner AND as the perfect party food. The best of both worlds! If you’ve got a couple of cans of black beans in your pantry that you’re just not sure what to do with, this recipe is your new best friend. Taco sauce and seasonings dress up the beans in the very best way and the crunchy tostada shell is so satisfying to bite into. Set up a little toppings bar with cojita cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, avocado slices, and more!
Celebrate meatless Monday with more vegetarian entrees like white bean orzo, spicy roasted cauliflower pasta, and fried potato tacos!
Can I use refried beans instead of black beans?
Sure thing! Refried beans will create a smoother, creamier topping. Just warm the refried beans with the taco sauce and seasonings the same way you would the black beans. If you think the refried bean mixture is too thick to spread (since the black beans have the liquid from the cans), you can always add a splash of water or broth.
How to Make Black Bean Tostadas:
- Sauté the onions. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions until very soft and translucent.
- Cook the beans. Add the black beans WITH their liquid along with the taco sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Simmer the mixture for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Mash. Mash the beans to your desired consistency. Try to keep them slightly chunky.
- Add the final touches. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Storing and Reheating Tostadas:
Once assembled, these black bean tostadas are best served fresh. The longer the black bean topping sits on the tostada shells, the less crunchy they will be. However, you can certainly store the black bean topping by itself in the fridge for up to 4 days! Reheat it in 30-second intervals in the microwave until warmed all the way through.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive Oil – Avocado oil will also work just fine.
- Onion – White onions are my favorite to use here, but yellow will also work just fine.
- Black Beans – Do NOT drain or rinse! The liquid helps the beans simmer into a creamy, saucy filling that spreads easily over the tostada shells.
- Taco Sauce – Any brand will do the trick! You can also swap this with some red salsa if you’re in a pinch.
- Seasonings – A simple blend of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper is what you’ll need to add a ton of flavor to the beans. Sprinkle in some cayenne powder or crushed red pepper flakes if you’re craving something spicy!
- Lime Juice – Fresh lime juice is the way to go for the very best flavor. Add it at the end so it stays bright and fresh!
- Toastadas – Do your shells keep breaking? No worries! You can get creative and turn this recipe into tostada bowls. Break the tostadas into pieces and layer them in a bowl with the beans and toppings!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Black Bean Tostadas
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion minced
- 2 15-oz Cans Black Beans, undrained
- 1/4 Cup Taco Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6-8 Tostadas
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until very soft and translucent.
- Add the black beans with their liquid along with the taco sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and smoked paprika, then stir to combine.
- Simmer the mixture for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Mash the beans to your desired consistency, keeping them slightly chunky.
- Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the beans onto the tostadas and top with pico de gallo, cotija che
