Shrimp Tostadas With Avocado Cream

This Shrimp Tostadas with Avocado Cream recipe features fried corn tortillas that are layered with refried beans, rice, shrimp, and a zesty avocado cream sauce. This makes for a great appetizer or light meal!

Do you love Mexican-inspired food? Then you’ve got to try my Easy Chicken Enchiladas and my Mexican Stuffed Shells!

What Are Tostadas, Exactly?

Tostadas are one of my all-time favorite meals. They’re colorful and loaded with tons of flavor. Simply layer on your favorite toppings like salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, and you’ve got a delicious, light meal.

But what are tostadas? The word “tostada” is Spanish for “toasted.” They typically consist of a toasted or deep fried corn tortilla and are topped with refried beans, cheese, meat, lettuce, salsa, and other toppings. They are a popular menu item at any Mexican restaurant and are SO easy to make at home!

My Shrimp Tostadas are topped with refried black beans, cilantro-lime rice, tomatoes, shrimp, and avocado cream. It’s like an inside out taco! It makes for a delicious appetizer or a light lunch or dinner any day of the week, especially when served with a cold beer or a refreshing margarita. Enjoy!

Key Ingredients

• Tostada Shell: I love being able to make my own taco shells and tortilla chips at home. When making your tostadas, it’s important to season the tortillas generously with salt as soon as they comes out of the oil. This insures the salt with stick to the warm tortilla.
• Refried Beans: I also made my own homemade refried black beans for this recipe. They are so simple to make and taste way better than the canned stuff, but you can always use canned refried beans in a pinch.
• Cilantro-Lime Rice: On top of the refried beans I added my cilantro lime rice. The recipe is simple. Brown rice, cilantro, lime, and oil make this cilantro-lime rice fantastic. You will end up with extra rice which I serve alongside the tostadas.
• Avocado Cream: This avocado cream sauce tastes just like guacamole, but as a thinner, creamier sauce. You can use any extra as dip for tortilla chips!
• Shrimp: I sautéed my shrimp in just olive oil with salt, pepper, and lime juice. I kept it simple because there are so many layers of flavor in these homemade tostadas.
• Cilantro: Fresh, chopped cilantro gives this dish a pop of fresh, herbal flavor that compliments all the components of these tostadas.
• Tomatoes: I like adding fresh, juicy, red tomatoes to these tostadas, but a salsa would also work well.

How To Make Tostadas

• First, make the avocado cream: Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor. Scrap edges with a rubber spatula, and blend some more. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and let it sit in the fridge until it’s time to serve. (The longer it marinates, the better!)
• Then, make the tostadas: Add 1-2 inches of canola oil into a large saucepan with high sides. Heat the oil to 375 degrees, and then cook the tortillas for 1-2 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle immediately with salt while hot. Set aside.
• Sauté the shrimp: Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Add peeled, deveined shrimp and cook until translucent. Season with salt, pepper, and lime juice. Set aside.
• Prepare the Refried Beans: Heat a medium skillet with olive oil, add beans, and smash them with the back of a spatula until they are mostly mashed. I like to leave the beans chunky with some beans still intact. This takes about 2-3 minutes.
• Cook the Cilantro-Lime Rice: Cook brown rice per packaging instructions. While the rice is cooking, add garlic, lime juice, and oil to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Add cilantro and cooked rice to the vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Assemble the Tostadas: Begin by layering refried beans on the fried corn tortilla. Next add 2 tablespoons cilantro-lime rice to each tostada, then sprinkle tomatoes on top. Add cooked shrimp and 1 1/2 tablespoons of avocado cream on each tostada.Garnish with chopped cilantro, serve, and enjoy!

Tips and Variations

• Change up the protein! Any meat would go great with these homemade tostadas, especially chicken, salmon, and ground beef. Even tofu would be delicious!
• Or keep it vegetarian by omitting the meat entirely and sticking with the veggies.
• You can even make it vegan by skipping the shrimp and swapping a plant-based option for the sour cream, like coconut cream.
• Make it extra crunchy by layering more tostada shells between the layers, like the refried beans or the rice.
• Add a fried egg to make it more filling

Serving Suggestions

• With some of my homemade Salsa Verdes, Cherry Tomato-Peach Salsa, or Chipotle Corn Salsa
• With a bowl of soup like my Chicken Enchilada Soup or my Turkey Tortilla Soup
• Alongside a fresh salad like my Blackened Shrimp Salad or my Mexican Kale Salad
• Or with my Spicy Chipotle Guacamole

Storage Instructions

If you’re wanting to meal-prep this recipe ahead of a busy week, you can prepare all of the ingredients and store them separately, then assemble as needed. Everything except the tostadas needs to be stored in airtight containers in the fridge, and they should last up to 5 days. The tostadas can be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to a week.

More Recipes To Try

• Healthy Greek Yogurt Guacamole
• Tomato and Black Bean Quinoa Salad
• Mexican Salmon Salad
• Loaded Mexican Sweet Potato Skins
• Easy 7-Layer Dip

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