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We’re making Red Chile Tostadas with Eggs! We’re talking creamy, crunchy, drippy, and tangy – the absolute perfect flavor combination.
This is a brand new recipe that’s part of our Spring 2023 SOS Series – in other words, EASY recipes! View our full collection of SOS recipes here.
In This Post: Everything You Need For Red Chile Tostadas
OKAY! Okay, okay!
These tostadas are just my favorite thing on the planet Earth right now. These guys are crispy, drippy, savory, salty, and all-around just in your face in the best kind of way.
Here’s what’s happening:
- a crispy fried corn tortilla
- a layer of refried black beans
- a fried egg cooked in red chile enchilada sauce
- a cheddar cheese crispy edge around the egg
- a little tangle of pickled red onion on top
- cilantro
The combination of flavors and textures is unmatched, plus so many of these things can be made ahead or store-bought (the enchilada sauce, the refried beans, the tostada if you want). It is my perfect food combination: something creamy, something crunchy, something tangy, and something drippy and messy to really make you feel alive.
I have eaten (slash, continue to eat) these for ANY meal of the day, which is another reason why I love them. They are breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner all in one cute, crunchy little package.
I hope you love these as much as I do – and if you do, these cauliflower tostadas with queso are your next stop!
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Description
We’re making Red Chile Tostadas with Eggs! We’re talking creamy, crunchy, drippy, and tangy – the absolute perfect flavor combination.
Tostadas:
Optional toppings:
- Make the Pickled Onions (optional): Slice a red onion very thinly (I use a mandoline for this). Transfer to a jar and fill 1/3 of the way with white distilled vinegar, 2/3 of the way with water, and add a pinch of both salt and sugar. Shake and place in the fridge – they’ll be ready to go within 30-60 minutes, and can stay in the fridge for 1-3 days.*
- Fry the tortillas: Heat the oil over medium heat (I use a cast iron for this). When the oil is hot, fry the tortillas for a minute or two on each side until golden and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil; sprinkle with salt.
- Fry the eggs: Wipe the pan clean. Return to medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce to the pan, making a little pool of sauce for each egg. The sauce may sizzle, so wear an apron! Crack the eggs directly into the center of each pool of sauce; 2 eggs is the most I can fit in my pan at one time. Cook until the whites are completely set, 4-5 minutes. The sauce will caramelize a bit around the edges (so good). Sprinkle a bit of cheddar cheese around the edges of the eggs for the last few minutes to get a crisped, cheesy edge on your egg.
- Assemble tostadas: When the eggs are done, layer your tostadas: crispy tortilla, refried black beans, fried egg. Sprinkle with salt, cilantro, pickled onion, and/or chunks of avocado. SO so good!
Notes
*If you want to keep the pickled onions in the fridge for longer than 1-3 days, just boil your water first! I always make them in a scramble so I never do any boiling, which is why they shouldn’t be kept as long for food safety reasons. But we go through them quickly, so it works perfectly for us!
The tortillas need to fry quickly in order to get crispy, so make sure your oil is nice and hot when you put them in the pan! It shouldn’t take more than 3-4 minutes to fry them. I’ve also found that using corn tortillas out of the refrigerator makes them chewy instead of crispy, so I’d recommend using room temperature tortillas.
I never heat up my refried black beans because the other elements are warm and it all just works for me as-is! But if you want, you can microwave your beans or heat them on the stove.
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan-Fry
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Keywords: tostada, red chile enchilada sauce, egg
Can You Use Pre-Made Tostadas?
Yes! That would be a huge time saver and very convenient which is what this series is all about!
That said, it’s hard to beat the taste and texture of a freshly fried corn tortilla, so that’s what I usually do!
Can You Bake Tostadas?
I find that they get too chewy (not crispy, but chewy and hard to eat) when baked, so I don’t recommend it.
How Do You Make This Ahead / What Do You Do with Leftovers?
This works really well to prep ahead in segments – just to assemble until right before you eat it.
The tortillas will stay crispy and yummy for a day or so after frying (obviously best coming off the pan, but still delicious a couple hours later). And the beans, sauce, and pickled onions keep in the fridge!
When I’m ready to make one of these, I just pull out all my individual items, fry my egg up, and assemble!
How Can You Make This Dairy-Free?
Just skip the cheddar cheese edge on the egg!
Do You Have To Use “Red Chile Enchilada Sauce”?
Frontera’s red chile enchilada sauce is one of my all-time favorite shortcut products – we’ve used it in multiple recipes like the beans and greens tacos, and the red chile chicken tacos.
You don’t have to use this exact sauce, but it’s the clear winner for me! I buy it at Target and you can also find it on Amazon (affiliate link).
What Kind Of Pan Works Best For This Recipe?
I normally use my cast iron to fry the tortillas, and my Caraway nonstick for the eggs.
But if you want to make these all in one pan, I’ve also used both types of pan for everything start to finish. You have options!