Quick and easy turkey tostadas with leftover turkey, refried beans and cheese on baked, crispy corn tostadas are a delicious dinner that’s ready in about 15 minutes!
We've had family in town this past weekend and are looking forward to more family time later this week for Thanksgiving. Makes my heart happy. ❤️
I've been printing out tons of Thanksgiving coloring pages and gathering up supplies to make a thankful tree with the kids. I also love the idea of this handprint keepsake, so we may try to do that as well!
We'll be down at the beach for the holiday, so it'll be nice to get in some beach walks and boat rides, even if we have to bundle up for it.
So, I recently shared my easy pork tostadas and that’s what gave me the idea for today’s recipe.
These easy turkey tostadas are a simple, healthy, delicious and fast dinner that’s perfect for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
This recipe features leftover chopped or shredded turkey that’s warmed through in a pan with taco seasoning to give it a totally different flavor.
We layer up crispy baked tostada shells with refried beans, the taco turkey strips and then cover it all with cheese.
They are baked off for just a couple of minutes to get everything warm and melty and then are ready to serve! (But don’t forget the toppings! More on those below.)
And y’all, these are just 5 ingredients and they are ready — start to finish — in about 15 minutes.
(Check out one pot turkey and white beans skillet for another recipe with leftover turkey; it's also just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes. Or these cheesy turkey spinach mushroom melts for a quick and easy lunch.)
Oh, and these are naturally gluten-free.
So it’s a really fast but also healthy and fresh dinner to get on the table. Especially on those nights after Thanksgiving when you really don’t want to be in the kitchen anymore!
(Check out these turkey and black bean quesadillas for another quick and easy recipe for those turkey leftovers.)
I also love that they have such a different flavor profile from the traditional turkey day feast, so it won’t feel like a thinly veiled recreation with leftovers that totally taste just like a plate of leftovers.
I will say though, these are a bit messy to eat. Tostadas just are.
You can go in full force and just pick them up and go at it, breaking the tostado up as you go.
Or you can get a knife and cut your tostados into halves or quarters to make it a little easier to pick up and bite into.
You will probably be so excited to chow down that you don’t even care about the mess.
They are that good!
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make easy turkey tostadas. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
What are tostadas?
Tostada is a Spanish word meaning "toasted.” It usually refers to a flat or bowl-shaped tortilla that has been fried or toasted.
Corn or flour tortillas can be used to make tostadas and various sizes can be used.
Baked tostadas use little or no oil and get crispy from baking in the oven, rather than frying in oil.
Tostadas can be topped with any number of things: chicken, turkey, pork, beef, or just beans and veggies.
And of course, you can personalize these by using all kinds of fun toppings. (Keep reading for my list of topping ideas.)
Here we’re using leftover turkey, beans and cheese, but even with that combination, there’s plenty of wiggle room so you can customize them to suit your tastes.
Notes on making easy turkey tostadas:
- I use leftover Thanksgiving turkey for these tostadas. I recommend removing any skin and shredding or chopping the turkey.
- If you don’t have any leftover turkey, you could easily substitute rotisserie chicken in this recipe. You could also cook up some ground turkey and season it with taco seasoning and use that as the turkey component for this recipe.
- I use a spread of refried beans on the tostadas, which makes a great base. However, you could also use black beans or pinto beans. Mix those in with the turkey in the skillet to get them warmed through.
- Homemade taco seasoning is awesome (and takes just 5 minutes to mix up) but store-bought is of course fine to use here too.
- Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese would all work here. Or you can use a Mexican-style cheese blend.
So see, there’s lots of ways to switch these up to make your family happy.
What else makes everyone at the table happy?
Toppings. Lots of toppings. ALL the toppings.
Topping ideas for tostadas:
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage
- Salsa or chopped fresh tomatoes
- Avocado slices or dollop of guacamole
- Pickled red onions
- Pickled or fresh jalapeños
- Hot sauce or sriracha
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Fresh lime juice
- Chopped fresh cilantro
So if you need an easy dinner idea for the days after Thanksgiving later this week, when you really don’t want to cook, I hope you give these tasty tostadas a try.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. Check out these other favorite ways to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey:
- 15-minute turkey noodle soup
- Creamy turkey artichoke casserole
- Thanksgiving leftovers breakfast hash
- Thanksgiving leftovers chef salad
- Leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich
Easy Turkey Tostadas
Ingredients
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 2 cups chopped, cooked turkey
- 1 ½ tablespoons taco seasoning
- ¼ cup water
- 1 (14 oz.) can refried beans
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Optional toppings:
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage, salsa or chopped tomatoes, avocado or guac, pickled red onions, pickled or fresh jalapeños, hot sauce or sriracha, Greek yogurt or sour cream, fresh lime juice, chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Place tortillas in a single layer on two ungreased baking sheets. You can line them with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy clean-up. You can brush the tortillas with some olive oil if you prefer, but it’s not necessary.
- Bake tortillas for 7-8 minutes, until crispy and slightly browned.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add leftover turkey, taco seasoning and water and stir to coat the turkey in the seasonings. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until water is absorbed and turkey is warmed through, stirring regularly.
- Spread a layer of refried beans on each baked tostada shell. Top with the seasoned turkey then sprinkle each with ¼ cup shredded cheese.
- Return to the oven at 375 and bake for 2-3 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Add desired toppings and serve hot!
Notes
Nutrition
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