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The Ultimate Chipotle Beef Tostadas: Your 30-Minute Dinner Hero

A hand holding a finished Chipotle Beef Tostada.

A quick and flavorful weeknight meal, these Chipotle Beef Tostadas feature a savory filling of ground beef cooked with onions, chipotle chile powder, pinto beans, and fresh zucchini. The warm, hearty beef mixture is spooned onto crispy tostada shells and then topped with shredded cheddar cheese and a simple, refreshing lime-dressed coleslaw. The dish offers a great balance of warm, savory, and cool, tangy flavors.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 pound ground beef chuck
  • 1 large white onion, minced
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
  • 1 (10-ounce) can Mexican-style diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
  • 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, diced
  • 2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
  • Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 8 tostadas (flat crisp tortillas) or taco shells
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Instructions

  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the ground beef, half of the minced onion, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the chipotle chile powder to the skillet.
  3. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned and the onion is tender.
  4. Stir in the canned tomatoes, pinto beans, and diced zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6 more minutes, until the zucchini is just tender.
  5. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, toss the coleslaw mix with the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. To serve: Divide the tostada shells among plates. Spoon the warm beef mixture evenly on top of each tostada.
  7. Top with the shredded cheddar cheese, the lime slaw, and the remaining reserved minced onion.
  8. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

  • This recipe is a quick one-skillet meal (for the filling), making cleanup easy.
  • Reserving half of the minced onion to use as a raw topping at the end adds a fresh, sharp crunch.
  • Using pre-shredded coleslaw mix and canned beans are convenient time-saving shortcuts.

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