Margarita Shrimp Tostadas
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These Shrimp Tostadas are made with crunchy tostada shells, refried beans, plump and juicy shrimp, and lots of fresh toppings. Fun to say, easy to make, and absolutely delicious to eat, you’ll want to add this shrimp tostada recipe to your summer lineup.
What are tostadas?
Table of Contents
Colorful, fresh, and ready to PARTY, I think of these shrimp tostadas as the fun, bougie aunt of shrimp tacos.
These shrimp tostadas are coming to the party with a little flair and some disposable income, you know what I mean? Shrimp just classes up the joint pretty much everywhere it goes (*just ask our Seafood Mac and Cheese).
Think of tostadas as the open face sandwich of Mexican food, featuring a fried, extra crunchy flat corn tortilla for the base. They can be eaten with a fork or with your hands (my preferred method).
Tostadas often, but not always, include refried beans or guacamole, as well as various meats, cheeses, sauces, and/or toppings. Just like tacos, the possibilities for tostadas are endless.
Shrimp Tostadas
Our tostada recipe stars refried beans, boozy shrimp marinated in a pool of tequila lime juice, and plenty of zesty, colorful toppings that layer flavor and heat.
These Shrimp Tostadas will deliver the fiesta right to your taste buds. They’re a fantastic summer dinner–light, refreshing, and satisfying.
Plus, it’s just so darn fun to say. Who doesn’t want to scream tos-TA-DAAAAAHS as they toast to summer with margaritas raised high?
I’m walking you through all the steps to make these tostadas at home, plus shortcut options if you want all the fun with half the work.
Key Ingredients
- Shrimp– You can use raw or cooked shrimp for this recipe. I prefer to get raw shrimp because it’s easier to tell when it’s cooked and it’s less likely to get overcooked and rubbery. Whether you buy raw or cooked shrimp, look for shrimp that is peeled and deveined to save yourself some time. And go ahead and buy the BIG bag of frozen shrimp! It’s usually a better bargain, and you’ll have extra to make more of our delicious Shrimp Recipes later (like this Creamy Shrimp Pappardelle or our Steak and Shrimp Scampi).
- Tequila– The tequila brings a margarita flavor to the shrimp, but if you prefer, you can omit it.
- Lime juice– This recipe uses fresh lime juice for both the shrimp and the toppings. Unfortunately bottled lime juice won’t deliver the same bright flavor as fresh.
- Cilantro– Sorry to all of you born with “cilantro tastes like soap” taste buds, because this recipe uses quite a lot of it.
- Corn tortilla shells- These form the base of the tostada. Look for tortillas that are around 6 inches in diameter.
- Oil– Use a neutral oil for frying the tortillas, like vegetable or avocado oil.
- Refried beans– I buy canned refried beans for this recipe, but feel free to make homemade refried beans.
- Seasonings– A blend of cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne bring the tostadas to life.
- Toppings– The tostada toppings are up to you, but we love this blend of super crunchy iceberg lettuce, avocado, fresh cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, and red onion. Feel free to add some queso fresco or Mexican crema to the mix as well.
How to Make Shrimp Tostadas
Step 1: Marinate the shrimp. Toss together the shrimp and all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2: Fry the tortillas. Place a 1/4 inch of oil in a cast iron skillet and heat over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Drop the tortillas in the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp on both sides, about 30 seconds-1 minute on each side. Place them on a paper towel lined plate to drain, then keep warm in a 200 degree oven.
Tip: Prefer not to fry? Brush tortillas with oil on both side, then bake at 400 degrees until crispy. Heck, we’ve even made our own Air Fryer Tortilla Chips, so there’s more than one way to crisp a tortilla.
Step 3: Make the refried beans. Combine the can of refried beans, cumin, chili powder, and paprika in a small saucepan and heat until warmed through.
Step 4: Cook the shrimp. Saute the shrimp in two batches for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until no longer pink.
Step 5: Assemble and eat. Arrange the tostada shells on a plate. Spread some refried beans over the bottom of each one. Top with lettuce, avocado, tomato, onion, and jalapeno. Sprinkle with salt. Finish with the shrimp, a squeeze of lime juice, and more cilantro, if desired.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Storing leftovers:
- Leftover shrimp and refried beans can be stored in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
- Leftover tostada shells can be stored in a bag or sealed container at room temperature for up to 48 hours. The leftover shells are VERY delicate, so I recommend stacking them gently and not just throwing them in the pantry like I did.
- Leftover shrimp is FANTASTIC on a Shrimp Taco Salad or in a Shrimp + Fettuccine pasta, omelets, or tacos.
Make ahead:
- The refried beans can be mixed together and stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to 2 days.
- The marinade can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated, however the shrimp itself shouldn’t be marinated for longer than 1 hour.
- The tostadas shouldn’t be assembled until right before serving, to keep the shells nice and crispy!
Time Saving Shortcuts
Want to save time and/or dishes? Try this:
- Buy pre-made tostada shells. You can skip the whole frying part and buy tostada shells at the grocery store and just heat them in the oven.
- Skip the marinade. I can’t believe I’m saying this, because I REALLY like this marinade, but you can definitely skip it, and just season the shrimp with salt, pepper, garlic powder and some cayenne, if you like some heat. Saute in olive oil and finish with a squeeze of lime.
- Heat the refried beans in the microwave. Skip the sauce pan and plop the beans into a microwave safe container. Sprinkle with seasonings then heat for 2-3 minutes, until warmed through.
More Mexican Favorites to Feast On
If you loved this recipe, give these other favorites a try:
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa
- Mexican Marinated Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chilaquiles
- Mexican Beef Stew
- Spicy Chipotle Chicken Marinade
Shrimp Tostadas
Ingredients
For the shrimp marinade:
- 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice (about 2 small limes)
- 1 Tablespoon tequila
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the tostadas:
- 8 small corn tortillas
- Avocado or vegetable oil
For the beans:
- 1 can refried beans
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
For the toppings:
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 jalapenos (sliced)
- 1 avocado (chopped)
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Toss together the shrimp and all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill while you prepare the remaining ingredients, at least 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, fry the tortillas. Place a 1/4 inch of oil in a large, sturdy saute pan and heat over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Drop the tortillas in the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp on both sides, about 30 seconds-1 minute on each side. Use tongs to remove the tortillas and place them on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Keep tortillas warm on a sheet pan in a 200 degree oven.
- Meanwhile, combine the can of refried beans, cumin, chili powder, and paprika in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Heat until warmed through. Turn the heat off and cover to keep warm.
- Drain the oil off the skillet used to fry the tortillas, then heat over medium heat. Cook the marinated shrimp in two batches for about 2 minutes per side, or until no longer pink.
- To serve, place the warmed tostada shells on a plate and scoop a few spoonfuls of refried beans onto each of them. Divide the shredded lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeno, avocado, and cilantro evenly over all of them. Sprinkle with salt and a squeeze of fresh lime. Top with the shrimp. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To save time, buy premade tostada shells.
- If you prefer to not fry the tostada shells, you can brush them on both sides with oil, then bake in a 400 degree oven until crispy.
- The shrimp can be marinated up to 2 hours ahead of time.
- Tostada shells can also be fried in advance, but they’re quite delicate so handle with care.
I did try these last night. I used huge prawns (what my husband brought back from Costco), cutting them in half before marinating them. The shrimp were delicious. Only thing I would do differently next time is to dry toast the tortillas, instead of frying them in oil. But definitely wonderful.
So glad you enjoyed these! The shrimp is definitely the best part–we sometimes skewer them and put them on the grill for a quick meal. I’ll have to try dry toasting the tortillas as well!
You have definitely made the case for these tostadas. I’m going to buy the shrimp this afternoon!
Awesome Laura! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
I am trying this today and bring it over to my friend t eat while moving into the new house!
That’s wonderful! I hope you all enjoyed it!
Omg yummmm. This is exactly the type of stuff I crave in the summer, thanks for the post!
Thanks for taking the time to comment Gina! I hope you love this as much as we did!
These look awesome, Courtney!
This looks so delicious! LOVE shrimp on just about anything 🙂
I’m so glad you shared…and I loved your easy and not so easy variations. Thank you for whetting my appetite!
Anytime! That’s my job. 🙂 Thanks for coming by to comment!
hehe, I’m cracking up at growing my own corn and nurturing a lime tree 🙂
You could probably do it with all your mad agriculture skills Christina! 🙂
Wow, that looks delicous! Shrimp is so so good!
Great meeting you today!
Tiffany Ima
Style Honestly
Courtney, any food blogger worth her salt would pick the crazy way. I’d be shocked if you told me you didn’t grow the corn and hand grind it yourself to make the tacos that you ultimately fried in a cast iron pan that you forged yourself in a mountain with lava spewing around you. Nah, f*ck that. Let’s do it the easy way so that I can get this delicious margarita shrimp tostada into my mouth asap! These are gorgeous photos, girl. I’m drooling over all of them!
Oh Nancy, I love you. Your use of sarcastic over exaggeration is unparalleled, my dear!
so fresh and fabulous!
SHRIMP!!! I will take shrimp any time, any day. any where! Looks incredible!
Me too!
Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be doing these that last way. I think I’m liking that middle road version. Either way, these look spectacular.
Haha. Trust me, I’m not either. 🙂
Oh these are awesome looking. Right up my alley! Shrimp! Margaritas! Yes!
I love shrimps with tortillas! The photos are fantastic too. I’m so glad I found your site. 🙂
Thanks for visiting Maggie!
I love recipes with simple and hard ways to do them – that way you can take the long way on days when you have the time, or skip to the good stuff when you’re in a rush. I wish someday someone would come up with a vegan version for shrimp. For now, I’d probably make this recipe with some mashed chickpeas combined with the seasonings you have listed above. Yum! By the way, we have a Calphalon Convection Toaster oven and we LOVE it! I highly recommend it because not only can you toast things in it…you can also bake a cake. Pretty cool!
That sounds really good Marly! I bet the chickpeas would be wonderful. Thanks for the rec on the toaster oven too. I’ll have to check that out!
These look perfectly wonderful! I would eat these any time before, during or after Cinco de Mayo!
The Margarita Shrimp sound AMAZING! YUM. I can’t wait to try this.
The only thing I need now is a good margarita to wash this down with. Super yummy looking!
Amen!
need this! sounds incredible!
Get in my belly!
These would go perfectly with my spanish rice. Oh yes, please. 1000x yes!
I don’t own the Breville toaster oven but I do own the Breville toaster and Breville hand mixer. I love them both & highly recommend the brand. Good Luck!
Thanks Tamra! I’ve heard good things about Breville so far, which is why it’s currently on the wish list.
I’m all for the tostadas and I like the middle of the road way. No pre-made tostadas, you gotta fry those babies up!
It’s true…you can’t beat the crispiness of freshly fried tostadas.
I’m already ready for more cinco de mayo fun as evidenced by my enchilada post today. Maybe we can just call it montho de mayo and celebrate for the next four weeks!
I am ALL over that idea. Montho de Mayo it is!
These sound wonderful. Will make them for sure. And I have the least expensive toaster oven WM had and it works just great. It’s about three years old and not one problem. Friends bought “the good one” and had to return it in about two weeks. Now their cheapy is working great, too!!
That’s good to know Bonny! I love when the cheap stuff works better than the fancy pants expensive models!