Easy Tostada Bowl – Break out store-bought tortillas for quick and easy tostada bowls. It’s a crispy, satisfying, and versatile lunch option faster than takeout. Zap it in the microwave or bake it in the oven, then fill it with your favorite fillings for pure comfort or healthy indulgence.

Tostada Bowl with shrimp salad for a delicious lunch

Tortillas have somehow found their place in my household. They’re simple replacements for traditional bread. And they have quickly become my son’s favorite snack.

I love using tortillas for quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, and even a Mexican-style lasagna. They hold a variety of delicious fillings for an indulgent treat. But tostada bowls are the all-time fave, and learning how to make tortilla bowls was easy.

Content…

The Versatile Tortilla Bowl
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make It
Recipe Variations
Make-Ahead Instructions
Serving and Storage Instructions
What to Serve
More Easy Tortilla Recipes to Try

Serving up a crispy tostada bowl for a satisfying and fun meal

The Versatile Tortilla Bowl

Each person in my family has their favorite way to fill a tostada bowl. Of course, those over time as I introduce new fillings, tortilla variety, and toppings.

But my son’s favorite is always the flour tortilla. He fills them up with fruits, vegetables, and nuts and eats the whole thing! He gets so excited about eating the bowl and all, like he’s doing something outrageous.

The good thing is that you can whip it up in no time in the microwave. Here’s an easy and healthy way to make a tostada or tortilla bowl in the microwave without buying an extra gadget for the house. All you need is a bowl, tortilla, and oil. Then choose a variety of fillings to put in the bowl to make a tostada salad.

Recipe Ingredients

Tortillas – Store-bought and homemade tortillas are staples at my house. But you can use corn tortillas for a smaller bowl or a classic gluten-free tortilla. Any of them make a good tostada bowl shell.
Fillings – Choose your fave fillings. Classics are taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, sour cream, ranch dressing, etc. for homemade taco bowls. But you can use a shrimp salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, and more. See, I told you they’re versatile.

How to Make a Tostada Bowl

I make a salad with grilled shrimp, avocados, beans, tomatoes, onions, queso fresco (cheese), and cilantro. Then I top it with my favorite dressing.

Prep Bowl – Lightly oil the bowl. Drape a tortilla on top of the bowl and press lightly. Make sure it sits evenly on the bowl.
Cook – Place in the microwave and cook for about a minute. Using an oven mitt, lightly press the tortilla against the bowl again; adjust for even placement on the bowl. It will firm up and take the shape of the bowl.
Repeat – Microwave for another minute, remove from the bowl, and flip it upside down. Voila! You have a tostada bowl.

Recipe Variations

Baked tortilla bowl. Follow the instructions for the tortilla bowl, then bake it in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 15-20 minutes. You may want to spray the tortilla with cooking spray so it doesn’t dry out and set a timer so it doesn’t burn.
Corn tortilla bowls. Use a smaller, round oven-safe bowl and follow the same procedure as the flour tortilla bowl. An upside-down muffin tin works, too, for the smaller tortillas for delicious taco salad shells.
Shrimp taco bowl. Make your tostada bowl, then fill it with classic shrimp taco ingredients: grilled shrimp, diced onion and cilantro, and salsa. Yum!
Burrito bowl. Layer your usual burrito fillings in your tortilla bowls instead of wrapping them. Much less messy.😍
Air-fryer tostada bowl. If you can do it in the oven or deep fry it, you should be able to do it in the air fryer, too, right? Spray your tortilla with cooking oil, drape it over an upside-down oven-proof bowl (arranging the folds), and air fry it at 375°F (190°C) for 8-10 minutes.

Squeezing lime over a shrimp salad nestled in a homemade tortilla bowl

Make-Ahead Instructions

If you want to make the tortilla bowls ahead, it’s better to bake them in the oven. You can shape them a day or two ahead and serve them at room temperature. Then, have all the fillings chopped and ready to go so everyone can assemble their bowl at serving time.

Serving and Storage Instructions

You can assemble the bowls or just set all the fillings on the table separately. That way, everyone can customize their own tortilla bowls.

Wrap up the leftover bowls well and keep them in the fridge for up to a week. How long the filling ingredients last depends on what they are. But most meats and vegetables last 2-3 days at least if properly stored in the refrigerator.

What to Serve With Tostada Bowls

Traditional sides and toppings for a taco salad bowl include pico de gallo, guacamole, and mango salsa. And smoked chicken, beef birria, and salmon bites are also perfect fillings.

More Easy Tortilla Recipes to Try

This blog post was originally published in April 2013 and has been updated with additional tips