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Crisp and savory Breakfast Tostadas are an easy way to start your day. This flavor-packed breakfast or brunch starts with crunchy corn tortillas layered with creamy refried beans, melty cheese, and perfectly fried eggs. Pile on your favorite toppings and dig in!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Mexican
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Meet Your New Favorite Breakfast: Tostadas!
This Tex-Mex breakfast is sure to become a family favorite! I love this quick recipe for breakfast tostadas, which is adapted from Mary Younkin’s fantastic The Weekday Lunches & Breakfasts Cookbook (and her BBQ Chicken Tostadas from her first cookbook are always a hit with my fam!). Ready in just 10 minutes, these meatless tostadas are a slight riff on my Easy Chicken Tostadas, but you’ll swap the chicken for eggs! I make these using a batch of homemade corn tortillas, and I never skip the big scoop of Easy Guacamole on top. A few more highlights include:
- So versatile. Make egg tostadas for breakfast or brunch, or whip them up for a quick and satisfying dinner. It’s also easy to double or even triple this recipe.
- Easy to customize. This dish is naturally gluten free, and it’s easy to use dairy-free cheese if needed to suit both gluten and dairy-free diners. You can also add veggies (like wilted spinach) or add meat like sausage or bacon to bulk it up a bit.
- Kid-friendly. My kids love these breakfast tostadas, maybe because of the different textures in each bite (the contrast of crispy tortillas and soft beans is so nice!). I love that tostadas start their day on a filling note, and they won’t be hungry again until lunchtime.
Recipe Ingredients
I’ve included everything you need to make breakfast tostadas below, along with some tips. Make sure to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Tostada Shells: Make my recipe for gluten-free corn tortillas and then use my method for How to Make Tostada Shells. You can also buy tostada shells.
- Refried Beans: You can use any type of refried beans—black or pinto beans—that you prefer.
- Cheese: I like to use shredded Colby Jack or pepper Jack cheese, and other cheese you like (cheddar is great) is fine, too.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter works.
- Eggs: You can use large or extra-large eggs.
- Salt and Pepper
- Water
- Garnishes: Green onion, cilantro, and cotija cheese or queso fresco.
- Toppings: Pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, avocado, etc.
How to Make Breakfast Tostadas
You’ll get an idea of how to quickly make this breakfast dish through the photos below, and you can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Start with beans. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the tostada shells on a large baking sheet. Divide the beans evenly between the tortillas.
- Add cheese. Sprinkle over the cheese, then bake for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
- Cook the eggs. Melt the butter in a skillet, then add 2 eggs and cook until the edges of the eggs turn white. Season with salt and pepper, add a little water, then cook until soft and runny. Remove the eggs from the pan and repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Assemble. Place 2 tostadas on each plate, top with an egg, and garnish with onion, cilantro, and Cotija cheese.
Tips and Variation Ideas
- Make your tostadas. Refer to my post linked above, or use corn tortillas to make soft tacos like these Salsa Egg Tacos. You can also lightly brush the tortillas with oil or spray them with cooking spray and crisp them up in a 350°F oven for 3-5 minutes per side to make your own tostada shells.
- No need to heat the beans first. Just open up a can of your favorite refried beans and smear it evenly on the tortillas. (Choose vegetarian beans if you want to keep this meatless.) The beans will warm in the oven, so you don’t need to heat them first.
- Maximize your cooking time. While the tostadas, cheese, and beans heat in the oven, cook the fried eggs. I love Mary’s tip of adding a tablespoon of water and covering the pan while cooking the yolk to be as runny or firm as you like (the water also helps keep the egg from sticking to the pan). Keep the cooked eggs warm under foil while you make the rest of the eggs.
- Try other eggs. If you don’t like fried eggs, I’m sure these tostadas would also be great with scrambled or poached eggs. Or prep ahead with my baked eggs.
- Cheese: If you can’t find Cotija cheese, crumbled feta or queso fresco are good substitutions, but you can use any cheese you like. Instead of Jack cheese, I’ll often add shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Can I Save Extras For Later?
While tostadas are best hot and fresh, you can save leftovers for later. You could also assemble the tostadas without adding the eggs, then heat them up later and make the eggs to pop on top.
- Fridge – Transfer leftover tostadas to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat – Place tostadas on a baking sheet and heat them in a 300°F oven until crisp and the cheese is melted.
Make It a Meal
Use this recipe as your base and build up from there! Swap the fried eggs for scrambled eggs, add crumbled bacon (here’s how to cook bacon perfectly) or taco meat, and top them with Pico de gallo or salsa, chopped avocado, or guacamole. And try these ideas, too:
- A side of rice. Serve tostadas with Instant Pot Spanish Rice or Mexican Quinoa Salad. I also love Browned Butter Cauliflower Rice!
- Veggies. Add a side of Chili Lime Sweet Potatoes or Chili Lime Roasted Cauliflower Butternut Squash. Other veggies could include Chili Lime Corn or Mexican Pepper Jack Baked Cauli-Tots.
- Slaw. I love topping tostadas with crunchy Taco Slaw!
- Meat. For an even heartier meal, add a little meat alongside in the form of Chili Lime Steak Bites.
- More toppings! Open a jar of your favorite salsa or make juicy Mango Avocado Salsa.
More Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas
Breakfast Tostadas
Ingredients
- 8 crispy tostada shells
- 1 16-oz. can of refried beans
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack or pepper Jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter, divided
- 4 large eggs
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons water, divided
- 1 thinly sliced green onion
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 4 tablespoons crumbled Cotija cheese or queso fresco
- Additional toppings, including pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, avocado, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the 8 crispy tostada shells on a large baking sheet. Stir the 1 16-oz. can of refried beans until smooth and then divide on each of the tostada shells. Spread the beans across the shells with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the 1 cup shredded Colby Jack or pepper Jack cheese over each tostada. Bake until the cheese melts, about 5-8 minutes.
- While the tostadas are baking, melt ½ tablespoon of 1 tablespoon butter, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter begins to foam, tilt the pan to coat the bottom with butter.
- Add 2 of 4 large eggs to the skillet. When the edges of the eggs turn white, season them lightly with Salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of 2 tablespoons water, to the pan and cover it with a lid. Remove the eggs from the heat when they are still soft and runny. Slide the cooked eggs onto a plate and tent them with foil.
- Drain any liquid from the pan and add ½ tablespoon of butter to the hot skillet. Repeat the steps with the remaining eggs.
- When the cheese on the tostadas has melted, place 2 tostadas on each plate. Place an egg on top of each stack and sprinkle with 1 thinly sliced green onion, 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, and 4 tablespoons crumbled Cotija cheese or queso fresco , if desired, as well as any other desired Additional toppings, including pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, avocado, etc..
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