Turkey Poblano Tostadas

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These easy Turkey Poblano Tostadas have the most delicious ground turkey and poblano taco meat served on a crunchy baked tostada with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Ready in less than 20 minutes!

375 CAL 40g CARBS 8g FAT 39g PROTEIN 5
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These light and healthy turkey tostadas are crunchy and spicy- thanks to the poblano peppers. The crisp lettuce and blend of seasonings come together effortlessly!

I could honestly eat Mexican tostadas every night for dinner and be a pretty happy lady. A huge part of this has to do with the versatility of the crunchy baked tostada shell- which I make myself!

Layered with any combination of beans, protein, and veggies, you can take the simple tostada in any direction you choose! This is basically a twist on these classic Ground Turkey Tostadas.

Mexican flavors are classic, but I also love making Greek tostadas with chickpeas, chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, black olives, and feta. Asian tostadas with black beans, pork or steak, a quick Asian slaw, and some drizzled Hoisin sauce are one of my favorites too.

Today's recipe is inspired by the classic Mexican tostada and made with lean ground turkey, poblano peppers, red onion, pinto beans, and your favorite salsa. It's a quick and easy recipe that makes for a perfect busy weeknight meal, and you can customize the toppings to suit your tastes!

Ingredients for turkey poblano tostadas including ground turkey, poblano peppers, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheese.

Key Ingredients and Easy Swaps

These tostadas have traditional Mexican flavors and ingredients. Feel free to use all of the following, or leave out the ingredients you don't like.

  • Corn Tortillas: In this recipe, I made my own tostadas out of corn tortillas. I prefer to make my own because I can control how much oil I use. In a pinch, you can also go with premade tostadas from the store.
  • Poblano Pepper: This pepper has the perfect amount of heat. For a milder taste, use bell pepper. If you want it spicier, use jalapeno or habanero peppers.
  • Garlic and Onion: Make sure to use fresh garlic and onion. Any type of onion will be perfect, but I used red onions. They have the strongest flavor.
  • Ground Turkey: This is a very lean type of meat. You could substitute ground beef or ground chicken instead for a similar taste and flavor.
  • Tomato Paste: You only need about a tablespoon.
  • Spices: My favorite blend of spices for Mexican dishes is cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, salt, and pepper.
  • Beans: The best kind of beans for tostadas are pinto beans! You could use black or kidney beans as a substitute. I try to cook up my own beans when I can as canned beans tend to have a ton of sodium.
  • Lettuce: Thinly sliced lettuce works the best on tostadas because it fits well on small tortillas.
  • Tomatoes: Chop the tomatoes up into bite-size pieces. Any type of tomato will be perfect!
  • Cilantro: This is optional. If you don't like the taste of cilantro, just leave it out.
  • Shredded Cheese: I used shredded cheddar cheese, but you can use pepper jack or mozzarella instead.

Note: For a full list of ingredients and detailed instructions on how to make this tostada recipe, take a look at the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Side Dish Ideas

These tostadas are basically an entire meal! They have meat, veggies, and tortillas.

If you want something on the side, try creamy avocado salsa verde. It's a fun dip that will complement all the spicy flavors of the tostadas. You can also make Mexican Chopped Salad. It is one of my favorite types of salad!

Recipe Tips And Ideas For Tostadas

Follow these tips to make sure that these tostadas turn out crispy and delicious every single time!

  • Make the tostada shells fresh in the oven. You can also fry them in your air fryer, just follow the same heating temperature and time.
  • Saute the garlic, onions, and peppers together before you brown the turkey because this will release the most flavor into the meat.
  • Mash the pinto beans after you heat them up. This gives the same texture as refried beans - without the extra fat.
  • If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, repurpose them into tasty taco salad or taco lettuce wraps.

Grond turkey and poblano tostadas with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and corn tortillas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions I frequently get asked about by some readers...

How do you store leftover tostada shells?

Store leftover tostada shells in an airtight resealable bag at room temperature. Keep the air off of the shells, and they won't go stale very quickly. Leftover shells will stay fresh at room temperature for about two weeks.

What else can you add on top of the tostadas?

This is the fun part! Add any of your favorite taco toppings. Try adding some:

  • Sour cream
  • Guacamole
  • Salsa

Just remember that whatever you add will change the number of calories and other macros.

What other types of proteins can you use?

I used ground turkey because it is such lean meat and soaks up all the other flavors in the dish well. You could also use chorizo sausage, shredded chickengrilled shrimp, or blackened salmon.

If you have any leftover meat, use it on your tostadas!

Turkey and bean tostadas with poblano peppers served on baked tostada shells and served with lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese.

More Delicious Mexican Recipes You'll Love:

The Recipe
Turkey poblano tostadas with ground turkey, poblano peppers, and onions served on baked corn tortillas.

Turkey Poblano Tostadas

375 CAL 40g CARBS 8g FAT 39g PROTEIN 5
PREP TIME: 10 Min
COOK TIME: 20 Min
TOTAL TIME: 30 Min
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Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
  • 1 lb. 99% lean ground turkey
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. coriander
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups shredded lettuce
  • 2 small tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheese
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1/2 cup salsa, divided

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Instructions

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1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tortillas directly on the oven rack and cook for 8-10 minutes until crisp to create the tostada shells.

Corn tortillas on a baking sheet to make tostadas.
2

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the turkey and garlic. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the turkey is fully cooked.

Ground turkey and poblano peppers cooking in a skillet.
3

Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, paprika, oregano, and coriander. Cook for one minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Ground turkey and poblano peppers cooking in a skillet with spices and tomato paste.
4

Heat the pinto beans in a pan or the microwave. Then use the back of a fork to slightly mash the pinto beans. Mash in half of the salsa.

Pinto beans being mashed with a fork in a bowl.
5

Build the tostadas by spreading a thin layer of beans on the corn tortillas. Then add the turkey. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, and extra salsa, if so desired.

Turkey poblano tostadas being assembled on a baked corn tortilla.
Diets:
Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 2 tostadas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 375
Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g
12%
Saturated Fat 2g
9%
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 66mg
22%
Sodium 801mg
35%
Total Carbohydrate 40g
13%
Dietary Fiber 6g
24%
Sugars 4g
Protein 39g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

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About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
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