Ready in under 30 minutes and using only one skillet, this Bean and Beef Tostada with Tomatillo Salsa Recipe packs a lot of flavor in a super simple dinner that will please the whole family and is perfect for after the holiday rush when you want a good meal in a hurry without all the fuss.
Beef Tostada Deliciousness
I love this dinner because it whips up so quickly but packs so much flavor in every bite!
Simple ingredients come together in this winning dish, but we’re also following in the footsteps of the grilled chicken flatbread and spaghetti pie by grabbing my favorite cooking oil Thrive® Culinary Algae Oil! It makes this dinner healthier because it contains 90% monounsaturated fat, which is 25% more good fat than olive oil.
Are we ready to get cooking yet?
What’s In This Bean and Beef Tostada Recipe?
A lot of delicious produce and pantry staples!
- ground beef
- pinto beans
- tomatoes
- onion
- cilantro
- seasonings
- sour cream
- lime
- garlic
- tostada shells
- tomatillos
How Do I Make This Tomatillo Salsa Recipe?
I love tomatillos because they’re often underrated, but they are so flavorful! If you’re a salsa verde fan, then you already know tomatillos!
This tomatillo salsa recipe is more like a pico de gallo because we’re simply dicing everything up and mixing it together. Crazy easy. But you can definitely feel free to whiz it up in a food processor too.
Just toss together tomatillos, roma tomato, sweet yellow onion, cilantro, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Yum.
How Do I Make These Beef Tostadas?
Start by heating up some Thrive Algae Oil in a skillet, then adding sweet yellow onion. Once softened, add in the beef and cook until it’s almost completely browned and broken up.
At that point, you add the garlic and seasoning and stir well, letting the meat finish cooking. All the seasoning will really shine through thanks to Thrive’s neutral taste!
Spoon meat into a heat-safe bowl and cover so we can make the refried beans!
Wipe the skillet down then add more of the Thrive Algae Oil, turning the heat up to medium-high. Smash drained pinto beans in the pan with a potato masher, or the back of a spoon or spatula and let fry for a few minutes until hot and bubbly, seasoning with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
That’s all you have to do! Now you assemble the tostadas and devour like a champ!
I love making refried beans with Thrive Algae Oil because it has such a high smoke point (up to 485 degrees!), so I know it’s not going to burn or ruin my food, and the neutral flavor allows the ingredients to truly shine in this dish, like when we made the chicken Milanese! This oil is so versatile you can use it for cooking, mixing dressings, and even baking.
FAQs
Where can I find Thrive Algae Oil?
- Online through Amazon or at a local store!
Can I use a can of refried beans instead of smashing beans myself?
- absolutely! I just prefer the texture of making them myself, plus you have control of the oil used.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
- yes! corn tostadas are naturally gluten-free and no flour-based thickeners are used in the seasoning.

Bean and Beef Tostadas with Tomatillo Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
For the Beef
- 2 teaspoons Thrive Algae Oil
- 1 cup sweet yellow onion diced
- 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
For the Beans
- 2 tablespoons Thrive Algae Oil
- 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans drained
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly cracked pepper to taste
For the Salsa and Crema
- 2 cups tomatillos diced
- 1 cup roma tomato seeded and diced
- ½ cup sweet yellow onion diced
- ½ cup cilantro roughly chopped
- juice of ½ lime
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 12 tostada shells
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the Thrive Algae Oil. Once hot and shimmering, add the yellow onion and cook until softened, around 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and continue cooking, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until nearly completely browned, around 3 more minutes. Stir in the garlic and seasoning and continue cooking until mixture thickens, around 2 more minutes. Spoon meat into a heat-safe bowl, cover, and set aside.
- Wipe down skillet with a paper towel and return to the stove over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of Thrive Algae Oil, then the pinto beans. Smash the pinto beans to desired consistency and allow to cook until hot and bubbly, around 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatillos, roma tomato, sweet yellow onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine the sour cream and chipotle chili powder and stir until thoroughly combined. To serve, divide beans between 12 tostada shells, then pile on beef and top with the salsa and crema. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
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