Crisp corn tostadas — chalupas, in this house — spread with a thick, taco-seasoned beef and refried bean layer, baked just until the cheese melts, then loaded with cold toppings: lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeños both fresh and pickled, black olives, and cotija. Set out the toppings and let everyone build their own.
Best for: a fast, build-your-own family dinner or a casual crowd. The beef-and-bean base does double duty — it's also the filling for tacos, burritos, nachos, or taco salad, so it's worth making a big batch.
Beef & Bean Chalupas — Recipe
Prep
15 min
Cook
5–7 minin the oven
Total
~30 min
Serves
4–6
Equipment
Large skillet
Rimmed baking sheet
Parchment paper
Ingredients
Beef & bean base
1 lb ground beef
1 (20.5 oz) can La Costeña refried pinto beans
1 (20.5 oz) can La Costeña refried black beans
Taco seasoning, to taste
Base & cheese
1 package Guerrero Caseras Amarillas tostadas (the chalupas)
Shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Cherry tomatoes, quartered
Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Green onions, thinly sliced
Fresh jalapeño, finely chopped
Pickled jalapeño slices
Sliced black olives
Grated cotija cheese
Hot sauce of choice
Instructions
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain the excess grease.
Stir in both cans of refried beans and the taco seasoning. Cook over medium until hot and well combined — thick enough to spread, not runny.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Arrange the tostadas in a single layer on the sheet. They don't need pre-heating — they go in raw and crisp up as they bake.
Spread the warm beef and bean mixture evenly over each tostada, out to the edges.
Top with shredded cheese — Pepper Jack on some, cheddar on others, or a mix.
Bake 5–7 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
Pull them out and add the cold toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, fresh and pickled jalapeños, black olives, and cotija.
Finish with hot sauce and serve immediately, while the tostadas are still crisp.
Notes from experience
The Guerrero tostadas don't need pre-heating — assemble on them cold and let the oven do the work.
Keep the base thick. A runny mix soaks the tostada and you lose the crunch that makes this dish.
Toppings go on after baking, not before — the point is the hot-crisp base against cold, fresh toppings.
Add the toppings at the table. A tostada holds its crunch about as long as it takes to eat, so build and eat, don't build and wait.
The base is a workhorse
The beef-and-bean mixture makes an excellent filling for tacos, burritos, nachos, or taco salad. Make a double batch and you've got a second meal already halfway done.
Storage & reheating
Store the base and toppings separately — never assembled, or the tostada goes soft. The base keeps 3–4 days refrigerated and reheats well in a skillet. Re-crisp tostadas in a hot oven if needed, then assemble fresh.
Dietary note
Naturally gluten-free as built — corn tostadas, and La Costeña refried beans are gluten-free — but tagged conditional because taco seasoning blends and hot sauces vary, so check yours. Contains dairy (the cheeses). Skip the beef and lean on the beans for a vegetarian version; the refried beans carry it.
