Shrimp tostadas are a quick and easy Mexican inspired meal. Topped with a spicy avocado crema and served with crunchy red cabbage slaw, they make a deliciously simple seafood dinner.
Tostadas are totally under appreciated in the world of Mexican food in my opinion. Tacos seem to steal all the hype and if we’re being honest, I’m not really sure why. I find tacos to be incredibly tedious to put together.
Don’t get me wrong, I love them and will happily shove a lamb taco down my throat any day of the week but with all the prep work that goes into a taco, I’d rather spend $100 for a night out at a good Mexican place and have them served to me instead.
Tostadas, however, are where it’s at. There’s no worrying about tortillas breaking as you fold them to eat, the toppings are usually much more minimal and there’s just something about that tortilla texture that lives somewhere between a freshly pressed soft corn tortilla and a baked chip that’s absolute perfection.
That’s why I love these shrimp tostadas and I’m thinking you will too.
Recipe Highlights
- The shrimp are tossed with a handful of spices before quickly sautéing with fresh lime juice so they’re packed with flavor.
- The simple red cabbage slaw brings the perfect level of textural crunch to each bite.
- The avocado crema is made with a touch of jalapeño to liven things up in the spice department but it’s otherwise incredibly refreshing and creamy.
Ingredients to Make Shrimp Tostadas
Here’s a rundown of what you’ll need for this easy recipe but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom for all the details.
Corn tortillas — You can either make your own or use good quality corn tortillas. If you have a tortilla press, I highly recommend making your own. Nothing beats the freshness.
Shrimp — I like using large or extra large wild-caught shrimp. Make sure they’re deveined. Tails can be on or off, it’s up to you — like in our shrimp Caesar recipe. Tails on is always prettier for presentation, but tails off is obviously much more convenient to eat. Frozen thawed shrimp work well in this recipe if you don’t have fresh.
Spices — Paprika, cumin and chili powder give the shrimp big flavor.
Lime juice — Fresh is best here and don’t skip this! The lime juice balances out the smoky spices in the shrimp. Acid always works well in a taco or tostada. Save some for squeezing on top of each one before you eat it too.
Cabbage — Any sort of finely shredded cabbage will work for this tostada recipe. The crunch it brings is unparalleled.
Avocado crema — This is made with ripe avocados, Greek yogurt, garlic, jalapeño and lime juice. Processed in a food processor until smooth, it’s the perfect base for your tostada and serves two functions: taste as well as something for the toppings to stick to. Save any extra and use it as a stand-in for guacamole or top a shredded Mexican beef bowl with it. You can also use it in our breakfast tostadas.
Cilantro and scallions — These fresh herbs are used to finish the tostadas. Just a sprinkle on top of each one before serving.
Optional cotija cheese — This isn’t pictured in the recipe but a light sprinkle of cotija cheese is classic in Mexican cuisine and would work well here.
How to Make this Shrimp Tostada Recipe
You’ll be surprised how quickly this seemingly gourmet meal comes together.
- I like to start by making the avocado crema and getting that out of the way. To do so, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings how you like.
- Combine the spices in a bowl with the shrimp and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Add a touch of olive oil to a hot skillet and toast each tortilla one by one until they’re just starting to crisp up on each side. Set them aside on a plate.
- In the same pan, add the shrimp with a bit of olive oil and a squeeze of lime juice. Sauté until they’re pink and cooked through.
- Lastly, toss the prepared shredded cabbage with some olive oil (and lime juice if you have some left) until it’s well combined.
- Assemble the tostadas by placing a toasted tortilla on a plate. Spread the avocado crema on the bottom, top with shrimp, cabbage slaw, cilantro and scallions.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Making the crema first lets the flavors meld together. You can set it in the fridge if you want to make it ahead of time to lessen the meal prep of this recipe. It tastes better as it sits!
Other Ways to Serve These
The options when it comes to assembling a tostada are endless. Here are a few other ways you can make this meal using the same shrimp recipe as the base.
- Use refried beans as the base instead of the avocado sauce.
- Prepare or use a prepared pico de gallo.
- Use one of our salsa recipes like mango habanero salsa or pineapple habanero salsa to top the shrimp.
- Use our citrus grilled shrimp recipe instead of the shrimp and spices here.
How to Eat a Tostada
This is a point of contention among the tostada community. Some people like to fold it like a taco, others like to pick some of the toppings off with a fork then eat it like a piece of pizza. There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy these shrimp tostadas.
What Does Tostada Mean?
Tostada literally translates to “toasted” in Spanish. In fact, you can toast the tortillas for a tostada recipe any way you want. Another option besides pan-frying is to lightly brush them with oil, place them on a baking sheet and bake in a 400°F oven until they’re crisped to your liking.
Looking For More Easy Shrimp Meals Like This?
I always keep a bag of frozen shrimp on hand for easy, healthy dinners. If you’re not making these shrimp tostadas, try our shrimp bucatini pasta recipe or this sweet and spicy mango shrimp one-pan meal.
Shrimp lo mein, General Tso’s shrimp and Kung Pao shrimp are all great copycat Chinese recipes too if you’re not in the mood for Mexican.
Shrimp Tostadas with Spicy Avocado Crema
Ingredients
Spicy Shrimp Tostadas
- 6 corn tortillas
- 24 large shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- salt & pepper
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 3/4 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
Spicy Avocado Crema
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
Shrimp Tostadas
- In a small bowl combine shrimp, paprika, cumin, chili powder and a pinch of salt & pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat add 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil and pan fry each tortilla, adding another 1/2 tablespoon of oil with each tostada. You just want to crisp them up on each side.
- Set tortillas aside and saute shrimp in the same skillet with the lime juice until they just turn pink on each side, about 3 minutes total.
- Toss the cabbage with remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil.
Spicy Avocado Crema
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
To Assemble
- To assemble tostadas start with avocado sauce on the bottom, then cabbage, shrimp and top with scallion and cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
My family loved these!
I love shrimp anything, and these tostadas are amazing. I could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Absolutely delicious and I love that crema!
The shrimp was perfectly seasoned and cooked. Love the sauce!
Absolutely loved it! Thanks for the great recipe.
These are so tasty! I love the authentic Mexican flavors and they’re so easy to make. A dinner winner!
That’s funny. The same thing has happened to me many times where I’ve had to substitute parsley for cilantro. It works, but it doesn’t look the same. Delicious dish!
Beautiful dish, absolutely delicious! I do have to say, I will use less chili pepper next time because my mouth and chest are on fire, and I found a cut on my finger -_- I changed some things: used a whole avocado instead of half, and used small, pre-cooked frozen shrimp (about 40-50). Great with a Bud Lime!
I’ve made these twice now and they are deeeeelicious!!!! Both times I did not add the arugala or the scallion. And the 2nd time I substituted sour cream for the greek yogurt (because I was out of yogurt) Hubby loves them too!!!!
Awesome, so glad you like them!