Tuna and Bean Tostadas Recipe
Tuna and bean tostadas are crispy tortilla rounds spread with a white bean and tuna paste, topped with vegetables and lime. In Mexico these snacks often appear as a quick dinner or “from the can” food when there’s no time to cook. The taste is like a mix of sandwich-style fish spread and bean salad, only served on a crunchy base instead of bread.
These tostadas show how cleverly Mexicans use canned products – tuna and beans turn into a filling, creamy spread on a crispy tortilla. The contrast of textures is great: crunchy base, smooth paste, and fresh vegetables on top, finished with lime juice. It’s a quick yet complete snack that tastes like both a fish spread sandwich and a bean salad, just in a much more interesting form.
Chef's tips
Fry the tortillas in well-heated oil and not for too long – as soon as they start to turn lightly golden and stiffen, take them out, as they will continue to crisp on the paper towel. Blend the tuna and bean paste only briefly or mash with a fork; if it’s too smooth, it will be less interesting in flavor and won’t sit as well on the crunchy base. Dice the vegetables really finely so it’s easy to bite into the tostadas without everything falling off the plate.
How to serve
Serve tostadas immediately after assembling – that’s when the tortilla is still very crisp and the vegetables fresh and juicy. They’re perfect as a quick weeknight dinner or as part of a snack table for board game nights with friends, alongside a bowl of guacamole and salsa. To drink, lime-infused water, light beer, or homemade sangria all work well for a more evening-style gathering.
Ingredients
- corn tortilla - 8 piece
- tuna - 160 g
- white beans - 200 g
- mayonnaise - 2 tablespoons
- lime - 1 piece
- cucumber - 0.5 piece
- tomato - 1 piece
- onion - 0.5 piece
- coriander - 5 g
- vegetable oil - 100 ml
- salt - 0.5 teaspoons
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- Drain the beans and rinse them in a sieve under running water, then drain very well.
- Drain the tuna and flake it with a fork in a bowl.
- Add the beans, mayonnaise, juice of half a lime, salt, and pepper to the tuna. Mash everything with a fork or briefly blend with a hand blender to get a thick paste with small pieces still visible.
- Dice the cucumber and tomato finely, slice the onion into very thin wedges or small dice. Chop the coriander.
- Heat a shallow layer of oil (about 2–3 mm) in a pan. Add a tortilla and fry for 30–60 seconds on each side, until golden and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Spread a portion of the tuna and bean paste over each crispy tortilla, leaving a small border at the edge.
- Top with some cucumber, tomato, and onion, and sprinkle with chopped coriander.
- Drizzle with a little juice from the remaining lime just before serving.
Storage
Store the tuna and bean paste and the chopped vegetables in separate airtight containers in the fridge and assemble fresh tostadas just before eating. Re-crisp any leftover tortillas briefly in a dry pan or low oven.
