Shrimp Tostadas

Shrimp Tostadas with a crunchy tostada shell, mashed avocado, Mexican Spice Mix roasted shrimp, homemade pico de gallo, and Greek Yogurt Chipotle Lime Sauce are surprisingly delicious.  This unexpected Mexican dinner is fresh, flavorful, and healthy and can be on the table in just 20 minutes!

Love healthy Mexican recipes with seafood? Also try my Ahi Tuna Tostada, Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa, or Shrimp Taco Bowl.

Shrimp Tostadas

Shrimp Tostadas are a fresh and flavorful Mexican-inspired recipe that's loaded with roasted shrimp flavored with my Mexican Spice Mix.  This crunchy delight also features mashed avocado with lime, pico de Gallo, and a simple homemade Greek Yogurt Chipotle Sauce.

You'll simply love the combination of Mexican flavors with the crunch of a tostada shell.  This dish looks fancy, but you'll be surprised at how easy it is to make!  This dish actually makes a fabulous weekday dinner idea.  You can customize it to match everyone in your family's tastes too!

What does a tostada consist of?

If you aren't familiar with a tostada, it's kind of like a flat taco with a crunchy corn tortilla shell.  Tostada means "toasted" and refers to dishes served on a crispy shell.  The crispy shells taste like tortilla chips.  You can think of it kind of like an open-faced taco.  In Mexico, tostadas are seated with refried beans, lettuce, salsa, cheese, and sour cream.  They are a common simple meal.

Now you can find all sorts of taco-like toppings on them including meat or beans and toppings like guacamole or salsa!  These Shrimp Tostadas are super fresh and tasty!  You can also try my Ahi Tuna Tostadas for a different twist on tostada night.

Why You'll Love Shrimp Tostadas...

• You'll love these Shrimp Tostadas because they are unique and tasty! It's a great way to mix up Mexican night at home.
• These flavors pair so well together!
• The crunchy shell is addictive.
• This recipe looks fancy, but it comes together in just 20 minutes.
• Each hearty tostada is less than 250 calories!
• It's a great way to eat a fabulous Pescatarian meal.
• You can customize it in so many ways with your favorite toppings, much like tacos.  Every family member can have a slightly different version!

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make Shrimp Tostadas, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

For the Shrimp:

• Shrimp: These Shrimp Tostadas call for a half pound of shrimp.  I like to use the medium to large-size shrimp, but most sizes will work.  If you have larger shrimp it will take 30 seconds to one minute longer to cook. You can buy the already peeled and deveined shrimp for the easiest prep.  This is also a great use for frozen shrimp, just be sure to thaw them out completely before cooking them.
• Taco Spice Mix: For lots of customizable flavors, I use my homemade Taco Spice Mix, which includes chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne or chipotle.  You can also use any purchased taco seasoning or Mexican seasoning.
• Olive Oil: You'll need a touch of olive oil to cook the shrimp.

For the Pico de Gallo:

• Tomato: Fresh tomato works best!  I like using one Roma tomato for this small batch of the pico de Gallo recipe.  To prep, it, dice it into small pieces.
• Red Onion: You'll need a red onion for flavor too!  Red onion gives fresh pico de Gallo a bite and is the perfect addition.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is a key flavor.
• Lime: Freshly squeezed lime is another must! Between this and the rest of the recipe, you'll need two limes.  Use half of this lime for the pico de Gallo and save the other half for your mashed avocado.
• Salt to Taste

For the Greek Yogurt Chipolte Lime Sauce:

• Plain Greek Yogurt: The base of my simple sauce is plain greek yogurt.  You can use low-fat or full fat depending on your diet.  You can also substitute mayo or sour cream if you prefer.
• Lime: Use one-half of the lime for the sauce and cut the rest into lime wedges to serve with the tostadas as garnish.
• Chipotle in Adobo Sauce: This is where the magic happens!  You'll find this little jar of chilies in the Mexican, Hispanic, or Spanish section of your grocery store.  Remove the dark red peppers and there is a red sauce or juice they are sitting in.  That sauce is what you need to make this recipe.  Start with just a little and add more to taste because it can be powerful and spicy.  It has a rich smoky flavor.  Find it online here.

For the Tostadas:

• Tostada Shells: Tostadas are the crispy shells that these sit on. Store-bought tostada shells are found near the tortillas in your grocery store.  I use the pre-made ones, but you can make your own.  Follow my directions below to either bake or fry them fresh from corn tortilla shells.
• Avocado: I like to use freshly mashed avocado as the base for the tostada.  Squeeze lime on top for extra flavor.
• Purple Cabbage:  I love adding some fresh purple cabbage for crunch and color.  It's not necessary, but it makes the dish colorful and pretty
• Kosher Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions to make these Shrimp Tostadas, but the full detailed printable recipe is below in the recipe card.

For the Shrimp:

1. The first step for making Shrimp Tostadas is to prepare the shrimp. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  For easy cleanup, line the pan with foil.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp in the Taco Seasoning and olive oil.
3. Put the shrimp in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Make sure they are spaced out.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp turn opaque pink and start to curl.  The shrimp will be done quickly!

For the Pico de Gallo:

• Toss together the diced tomato, diced onion, chopped cilantro, and half of the lime, in a small bowl.
• Set aside the other half of the lime.  Save it to squeeze on the avocado.
• Add salt to taste.

For the Greek Yogurt Chipotle Lime Sauce:

• In another small mixing bowl, add the greek yogurt.
• Spoon out the chipotle sauce by pushing the peppers to the side of the jar.
• It can be spicy so start with less chipotle sauce and add more to taste.
• Add a squeeze of the lime.  Cut the rest into wedges to use as a garnish.

To Assemble the Tostadas:

• Now it's time to assemble the tostadas!  Warm the shells according to package instructions.
• Carefully dive and mash the avocado on the shells.  Sprinkle on salt and lime to season it.
• Stack the seasoned cooked shrimp on top of the avocado.
• Sprinkle with the pico de gallo.
• Drizzle the greek yogurt chipotle lime sauce on top.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Variations

I love this Shrimp Tostadas recipe as written, but here are some fun variations.

• Make it Spicy: Add hot sauce or chopped jalapenos.
• Use Different Salsa: I used pico de Gallo, but you can swap out your favorite salsa.  I included other ideas in my toppings list below.
• Shortcut: Use prepared or packaged pico de Gallo or salsa to save time.

Other Topping Ideas:

• Greek Yogurt Chipotle Lime Slaw
• Homemade Salsa
• Black Bean Salsa
• Mango Salsa
• Pineapple Salsa
•  Peach Salsa
• Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing
• Greek Yogurt Chipotle Lime Ranch Dressing
• Chopped Jalapenos
• Shredded Cheese
• Cotija Cheese or Queso Fresco
• Sour Cream
• Hot Sauce
• Refried Beans
• Mashed Black Beans

FAQ

Storage & Leftovers

Assembled tostadas will not keep well because their shells will get soggy.  Store any unassembled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I make these ahead of time?

I'd make them halfway ahead of time.  Make all of the components and store them separately in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, just assemble the shrimp tostada.  Once assembled on the tostada, the tostada shell will keep soggy much like tortilla chips, so it will not keep well assembled.

Cook Your Own Tostadas

You can make your own tostada shells by baking or frying corn tortillas.  To bake them put them on a baking sheet and spray them with olive oil.  Bake them at 400 degrees for 4-6 minutes on each side until crispy.  To fry them put a thin layer of oil in a skillet and raise the temperature to around 350 degrees.  Use tongs to carefully fry the corn tortilla in the oil.  It will take around 30 seconds a side.

How many calories in a shrimp tostada?

Traditional tostadas can have in excess of 500 calories each, but my light and healthy version have less than 250 calories making it a fabulous meal idea.  Bake your own corn tortilla into a tostada to reduce the calories even more.

Is a tostada a taco shell?

Not really! The main difference is a tostada is cooked fat instead of folded.  They are both made from tortillas though.

This Shrimp Tostadas recipe is a Tasty Weekday Meal!

I love this Shrimp Tostada recipe for a tasty, crunchy, and vibrant family weekday meal.  Swap these babies out for taco night once and you'll have the entire family loving tostadas!  You can eat them with a fork or pick them up like a slice of pizza, either way, they taste delicious.

Here are a few side dish ideas to round out your meal.

Serve it With:

• Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
• Chips and Homemade Guacamole or Black Bean Dip
• Mexican Chopped Salad
• Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges
• Vegetarian Taco Salad
• Mexican Macaroni Salad
• Pineapple Avocado Salad
• Black Bean Salad
• Easy Black Beans and Rice

More Healthy Mexican Recipes to Love:

• Ahi Tuna Tostadas
• Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
• Shrimp Taco Bowls
• Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
• Ahi Tuna Tacos with Mango Salsa
• Chipotle Lime Mahi Mahi Tacos
• Lentil Quinoa Tacos
• Black Bean and Sweet Potato Vegetarian Tacos
• Shrimp Lettuce Tacos 
• Sweet Potato Stuffed Taco
• Taco Stuffed Mushroom
• Crock Pot Vegetarian Taco Soup

If you make these Shrimp Tostadas, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Shrimp Tostadas

Julie Wunder

Shrimp Tostadas with a crunchy tostada shell, mashed avocado, Mexican Spice Mix roasted shrimp, homemade pico de gallo, and Greek Yogurt Chipotle Lime Sauce are surprisingly delicious.  This unexpected Mexican dinner is fresh, flavorful, and healthy and can be on the table in just 20 minutes!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 248 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Shrimp:

• ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ½ tablespoon taco seasoning
• ¼ tablespoon olive oil

For the Pico de Gallo:

• 1 roma tomato, diced
• ¼ red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons ciltantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt, to taste

For the Greek Yogurt Chipolte Lime Sauce:

• ½ cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 lime, cut in half, reserve second half for garnish
• ½ teaspoon adobo sauce from chipotles peppers in adobo sauce

For the Tostadas:

• 4 tostada shells
• 1 avocados, mashed
• ¼ cup purple cabbage, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

For the Shrimp:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  You can also line the pan with foil for easy clean-up.
• In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp in the Taco Seasoning and olive oil.
• Line the shrimp in a single layer on the baking sheet, making sure they are evenly spaced.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp turn opaque pink and start to curl.  The shrimp will be done quickly, so stay close and watch them.

For the Pico de Gallo:

• Toss together the diced tomato, onion, cilantro and half of the lime. Save the other have of the lime for the avocado and serving. Salt to taste.

For the Greek Yogurt Chipolte Lime Sauce:

• In a small mixing bowl, measure out your greek yogurt.
• Spoon out the chipolte sauce by pushing the peppers to the side of the jar. Start with less chipolte and add more to taste. It can be spicy.
• Add a squeeze of lime and stir.
• Spoon into a ziplock or piping bag to make a nice drizzled line or just use a spoon to drizzle it onto the tostadas.

To Assemble the Shrimp Tostadas:

• Warm up the shells according to package instructions.
• Carefully divide and mash the avocado on the shells. Spinkle with salt and a few drops of lime juice.
• Place the shrimp on top of the avocado.
• Sprinkle with the prepared pico de gallo.
• Drizzle the Greek Yogurt Chipolte Lime Sauce on top.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

Storage & Leftovers

Assembled tostadas will not keep well because their shells will get soggy.  Store any unassembled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

 

Make Ahead Suggestions

You can make these halfway ahead of time.  Make all of the components and store them separately in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, just assemble the shrimp tostada.  Once assembled on the tostada, the tostada shell will keep soggy much like tortilla chips, so it will not keep well assembled.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 17gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 217mgPotassium: 562mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 312IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Shrimp Tostadas

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