Air fryer tostadas are crispy and delicious. These tostada shells are easy to make in the air fryer and can be topped with a variety of tasty toppings.
When I was a kid growing up, my go-to easy lunch was to fry up a corn tortilla in some oil, top with beans and cheese and melt the cheese in the microwave. A delicious tostada. I would eat 2 of these for lunch and I loved it.
I hated using all that oil though. To get a tortilla crispy. Luckily, air fryers exist today! I can simply add a bit of oil to corn tortillas (so so much less than I used to use when frying on the stove), and get my tortillas crispy.
Less mess, less oil, still so crispy and delicious in the air fryer. I love these as a throwback to my childhood, but modified for 21st century technologies. I hope you enjoy them too!
You can top these air fryer tostada shells in so many different ways. Growing up, my sister would just add cheese to hers, but I still love the combination of bean and cheese. And then depending on what I have around, I'll add more toppings like avocado, cilantro, and salsa. Scroll down for more ideas!
Ingredients
- Corn tortillas - Any size corn tortillas will work for this
- Olive or avocado oil - you can either use regular bottled oil or spray oil
- Salt (optional)
- Refried beans (optional)
- Cheese (optional)
How to make an air fryer tostada
First, either spray oil onto both sides of your tortilla or brush oil onto both sides. I sort of sprayed oil and then rubbed it in. Next, sprinkle the tortilla with salt (if desired).
Add to your air fryer basket.
Air fry for 6-7 minutes at 350 degrees F, flipping halfway through.
Add refried beans and cheese to the top of the crispy tostada.
Air fry for an additional 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Remove from the air fryer and add any toppings if desired!
Recipe tips
- The tortilla may curl up slightly while cooking. To prevent this, place something heat-safe on top to weigh it down. (I've used the metal rack from my Instant Pot for this purpose before). But it doesn't curl up much, and honestly hasn't been an issue for me.
- All air fryers cook differently. Watch tortilla carefully during cook time to ensure it doesn't burn.
Topping ideas
- Pickled red onions
- Cooked chicken or steak
- Air fried bell peppers
- Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Cilantro
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Pico de gallo or salsa
Air Fryer Tostada
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 corn tortilla
- olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 pinch salt optional
- 2 tablespoon refried beans optional
- 2 tablespoon shredded cheese optional
Instructions
- Brush or lightly spray both sides of a corn tortilla with oil. Rub into the surface of the tortilla. Sprinkle salt on tortilla if desired.
- Place the tortilla in the air fryer basket and cook for 6-7 minutes at 350 degrees F, flipping halfway through cooking.
- Add refried beans to the top of the tostada, and then sprinkle cheese on top. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees F, watching to make sure tostada does not burn.
- Plate, and top as desired.
Notes
- The tortilla may curl up slightly while cooking. To prevent this, place something heat-safe on top to weigh it down. (I've used the metal rack from my Instant Pot for this purpose before). But it doesn't curl up much, and honestly hasn't been an issue for me.
- All air fryers cook differently. Watch tortilla carefully during cook time to ensure it doesn't burn.
- The actual amount of beans, cheese, and topping you put on your tostada are up to you! I've just included measurements as a guide.
Nutrition
If nutrition info is shown, values are based on an online calculator and are estimates. Please verify using your own data.
Kathleen
Thanks for this! For those limiting oil, you can easily replace the oil with a spritz of water, then slightly salt before air frying. I used a tray style air fryer - no flipping required. So easy! I did a dozen in less than 20 minutes.