These Air Fryer Tostadas are a fast and simple dinner or lunch idea that takes about 5 minutes from start to finish making it perfect for a quick bite!
Making tostadas in the air fryer is a perfect way to get a crunchy shell, melty cheese, and warm beans in every bite without having to put forth too much effort.
You can make as many or as little as you want and the results are always quite fabulous. If you still have tortillas leftover you can always make Air Fryer Chicken Tacos or Healthy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips.
Why This Recipe Works
- Super fast! Air fried tostadas take about 5 minutes from start to finish and that includes making the air fried tortillas for tostadas too!
- You can use flour or corn. Pick flour or corn tortillas (or maybe a healthier tortilla option) and make yourself an air fryer tostada today!
- They're customizable. Use your favorite toppings to make these tostadas however you want, and you're sure to love them!
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🥘 Ingredients
Corn Tortillas- We like to use corn tortillas because they can get nice and crispy after frying.
Shredded Chicken Taco Meat- Shredded meat is a great idea, especially if you have leftover Chicken with Enchilada Sauce, but feel free to use any prepped taco meat.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese- Use cheddar or any cheese variety of choice. Buy it pre-shredded to save time, or shred it yourself for a meltier experience.
Refried Beans- You will need a can of your favorite refried beans.
Optional Toppings
These toppings are all suggestions for you to choose from, but you can use any toppings you want, whether it's on this list or not.
- Shredded Lettuce
- Diced Tomatoes
- Sliced Avocado
- Sliced Black Olives
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make air fryer tostadas with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Place one tortilla into the air fryer and place a trivet or small wire rack over the top to help hold it down. This will help to prevent the tortilla from flying around in the basket as it cooks.
Cook the tortilla at 390 degrees F for 3-4 minutes (depending on how dark you want it) and flip it halfway through the cooking process.
Top your tortilla with about ¼ cup of beans, ¼ cup of taco meat (if using), and 3 tablespoon of cheddar cheese before air frying for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Remove the tostada and then top with your favorite toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, or black olives.
Repeat the cooking process for all tostadas and serve warm.
🧾 Side Dishes
You can serve up just about anything as a side dish for these tostadas but sticking with fast and simple Mexican-inspired recipes is always my go-to.
For example, my Easy Salsa Rice only takes about 5 minutes and 3 ingredients to prepare which makes it perfect for cooking alongside this fast recipe.
🌮 Toppings
You can also make your own guacamole as a tasty topping to serve on your healthier fried tostadas. Check out my 4 Ingredient Guacamole for a simple recipe or my Guacamole Without Cilantro if you're looking for something a little different.
Other great ideas include salsa, sour cream, grilled corn, black beans, or cilantro lime rice.
📖 Variations
When you air fry tostada shells you can choose between just about any tortilla option. This means you can air fry corn tortillas for tostadas or air fry flour tortilla for tostadas depending on what you want or have on hand.
You can even go so far as to grab the low carb, gluten free, or spinach flavored varieties for a unique twist. I recommend checking on the tortillas when you flip them over just to ensure that they aren't breaking or heating too quickly as some may cook faster than others. Adjust the time for the following tostada shells if needed.
🍴 Recipe Tips
Taco meat
You can use any meat (or no meat at all depending on your preference). I included steps for making Crockpot Chicken with Enchilada Sauce as a simple taco meat choice but you don't have to include it at all in your tostadas.
I like to make a big batch of my crockpot chicken taco meat and use it for multiple meals throughout the week including these air fryer chicken tostadas.
Tostada shells
You can use store-bought tostada shells if you do not wish to make your own. Just skip down to the recipe step where you assemble the tostadas before heating to melt the cheese. This will reduce the cooking time to about 2 minutes per tostada.
💭 FAQs
A tostada is basically an open faced taco and can be topped with just about anything. On top of a crunchy tortilla (usually baked or fried) rests a schmear of refried beans, cheese, shredded lettuce, and other taco toppings. Tostadas are often served with or without meat.
A tostada shell is a toasted tortilla. You can use corn or flour tortillas depending on your preference but the most commonly used is corn shells. The biggest difference is that a tortilla is softer and pliable while a tostada shell is much more firm, like a tortilla chip, only larger and more round.
If you use a gluten free tostada shell or a gluten free corn tortilla then the recipe will be gluten free. Just make sure to double check the ingredient labels on any sauces, beans, or taco seasoning that you may use as they could contain gluten.
More great air fryer recipes to check out soon
- Easy Air Fryer Mini Pizzas
- Air Fryer Grilled Ham and Cheese
- Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
- Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Tostadas
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken Taco Meat
- 3 Tablespoons Taco seasoning ($0.44)
- 3 Large chicken breasts ($5.97)
- 1 can (14oz) Enchilada sauce ($1.98)
For the Air Fried Tostadas
- 8 Corn tortillas ($0.40)
- 2 cups Shredded chicken taco meat (priced above)
- 4 ounces Shredded cheddar cheese ($0.93)
- 1 cup Refried beans ($0.88)
Optional Toppings
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced avocado
- Sliced black olives
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
Instructions
Chicken Taco Meat
- Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Top with taco seasoning, evenly sprinkling it over the breasts. Pour the enchilada sauce over the top.
- Cook on low or 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Shred chicken and serve/use as desired.
Making Air Fryer Tostadas
- Place one tortilla into the air fryer and place a trivet or small wire rack over the top to help hold it down. This will help to prevent the tortilla from flying around in the basket as it cooks.
- Cook the tortilla at 390 degrees F for 3-4 minutes (depending on how dark you want it) and flip it halfway through the cooking process.
- Top your tortilla with about ¼ cup of beans, ¼ cup of shredded chicken, and 3 tablespoons of cheddar cheese before air frying for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove the tostada and then top with your favorite toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, or black olives.
- Repeat the cooking process for all tostadas and serve warm.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- You can use any meat (or no meat at all depending on your preference). I included steps for making Crockpot Chicken with Enchilada Sauce as a simple taco meat choice but you don't have to include it at all in your tostadas.
- You can use storebought tostada shells if you do not wish to make your own. Just skip down to the recipe step where you assemble the tostadas before heating to melt the cheese. This will reduce the cooking time to about 2 minutes per tostada.
- If you use a gluten free tostada shell or a gluten free corn tortilla then the recipe will be gluten free. Just make sure to double check the ingredient labels on any sauces, beans, or taco seasoning that you may use as they could contain gluten.
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