Calling all shrimp lovers! You will love this homemade shrimp tostada. Sauteed shrimp with cooling sour cream and guacamole and a crunchy tortilla is a match made in flavor heaven.
Chef Jessica Approved ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Tons of flavor and texture – This shrimp tostadas recipe has an amazing amount of flavor. Between the crunchy tostadas cups, to the spicy shrimp with lime, you’ll be begging for more.
- Great for parties – Perfect as an appetizer or entree and great for parties like Cinco de Mayo.
- A fun twist – Tired of the same old taco night? These tostadas are a fun way to put a twist on things!
What You’ll Need
The ingredients for these traditional shrimp tostadas are pretty simple and can easily be found at your local grocery store. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Corn tortillas– These will make the base for the actual tostada shells. When baked they turn into a little cup or small bowl if you will, and they are crunchy, delicious and so fun!
- Avocados- you can’t have homemade guacamole without avocados! Make sure you use ripe avocados (I know they only are perfectly ripe for a day or two!) because they are much easier to mash when soft and ripe.
- Sour cream– I actually add this to the guacamole mixture. It gives it a slight tang, and also makes is extra creamy.
- Tomatoes- I use plum tomatoes in this recipe. Just make sure they are chopped with both the pulp and the seeds removed.
- Hot sauce– You can use your favorite brand of hot sauce here. Frank’s will give you more of a buffalo flavor while sriracha will have more of an Asian flair. Choose one that you know you like.
- Onion– I like using a red onion when I make my guacamole. Not only do I love the flavor, but the color adds a little flair to the guacamole too.
- Lime juice– If you have a bottle of lime juice in the refrigerator, I know you will be tempted to use it. But fresh lime juice totally makes a difference with these shrimp tostadas. Also save some limes to serve lime wedges on the side.
- Shrimp– And now for the shrimp! I like to use medium sized shrimp for this recipe. The jumbo shrimp don’t fit into the cups as nicely.
- Chili powder– We use this for flavor, but the color also makes it nice to sprinkle a little on top as a garnish.
- Lettuce- Whether you buy a bag of pre-shredded lettuce or shred it yourself, it doesn’t matter. I would just suggest making sure the pieces are small enough to fit into your tortilla cups.
The Play by Play
If you don’t feel like making your own baked tostada cups, you can always use store bought tostadas, either the small or large version. There are four main components to this shrimp tostadas recipe, so let’s go through them:
- First, make the tostada cups. Lightly coat the wells of one cupcake tin, and then also spray the bottom side of another cupcake tin of the same size. Then wrap the tortillas in paper towels and microwave them for 10-15 seconds. This softens them up a bit and prevents them from tearing. Make a slit in each so you can overlap them a bit. Fit the tortillas into east cupcake tin, and it’s ok to fold them over so they fit. Put the other cupcake tin on top and then bake for 12-15 minutes or until they’re crispy. Some might have little holes, this is fine, the guac will plug them up.
- Next, make the guacamole. Scoop out the avocados and mash them together with the sour cream. Fold in the tomatoes, onion, hot sauce and lime juice, mix well and set aside for later.
- And last but not least- cook the shrimp with chili powder in a medium skillet or pan with vegetable oil (or olive oil) and cook over medium-high heat. Continue frying and stir until the shrimp are pink and start to curl. This should take 3-4 minutes. remove to paper towel lined plate.
- Now assemble your shrimp tostadas! First lay a bed of shredded lettuce into the cups, top that with dollop of guacamole, and then add two shrimp per cup. Finish them off with a spritz of lime juice from a lime wedge and dusting of chile powder to taste if you’d like.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – I do add sea salt to both the guacamole and as a garnish for the shrimp. If you feel it needs more after tasting, feel free to add more to your taste.
- Seasonings – If you want to take the heat up a notch, consider adding things like diced jalapeno, roasted chiles or red pepper flakes. You can also add even more freshness with the addition of fresh cilantro, lemon juice, lime juice or green onion (scallions.)
- Sauces – We like to use different sauces and salsas to top our shrimp tostadas. Mexican crema, mango salsa, pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa verde or fresh homemade salsa are all great options.
- Swaps – Not a fan of shrimp? Use the same tostado cups but switch out for a different protein like chicken or beef! Chorizo would also be a nice option. Try adding some cheese like queso fresca or shredded mozzarella.
- Senses – Shrimp tostadas are a crisp, flavorful bite—golden tortillas topped with tender, citrusy shrimp, cool avocado, and a touch of heat. Each mouthful bursts with contrast: creamy and crunchy, zesty and savory, vibrant in both color and taste.
Make it a Meal
You can serve these shrimp tostadas with just about anything you would serve with tacos! I always like to start with homemade tortilla chips and favorite blender salsa. You can take it a step further with guacamole and cheese dip too.
For sides, I usually go with either refried beans or black beans. And I can’t eat a dish like this without mexican rice!
Storage and Freezing
How to Store Shrimp Tostadas
This is one of those meals that is best enjoyed fresh. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days, but the cups might get a little soggy from guacamole. To reheat, place in an oven heated to 350°F for about 5 minutes.
Can I Freeze Shrimp Tostadas?
We do NOT recommend freezing shrimp tostadas. They will be a soggy mess upon thawing.
More Easy Shrimp Recipes
Shrimp recipes are among of our favorite things to make, mostly because it’s so versatile! Here are a few of our favorite recipes.
Shrimp Tostadas Recipe
Homemade Shrimp Tostadas in homemade mini cups- guacamole, lettuce and spicy sauteed shrimp. Make it as an appetizer or entree!
Servings:
Equipment
Ingredients
Tostada Cups:
Cooling Guacamole:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 plum tomatoes , chopped with pulp and seeds removed
- 1/4 cup red onion , minced
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Spicy Shrimp:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 24 medium shrimp , peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon chili powder , plus for more garnish
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 2 limes , cut into wedges
- Maldon sea salt , for garnish
Instructions
Tostada Cups:
- This step may be done in advance. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat the wells on a 12 cup muffin tin. Also spray the bottom side of another cupcake tin of the same size.
- Wrap 6 corn tortillas in paper towels and microwave for 10-15 seconds. Slightly heating will make them pliable. Cut a slit halfway through on each. Fit the tortillas into each muffin tin, folding over one edges so they fit. Repeat with second set of 6. Then lightly cover with the second tin to hold the corn tortillas in place.
- Bake for 12- 15 minutes or until lightly browned a crispy. Remove and set aside.
Guacamole:
- Halve and pit the 2 ripe avocados, scoop out and mash with the 2 tablespoons sour cream.
- Fold in the diced 2 plum tomatoes, chopped 1/4 cup red onion, 1 tablespoon hot sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt . Set aside.
Spicy Shrimp:
- In a medium skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the peeled and deveined 24 medium shrimp and 1 tablespoon chili powder. Stir until the shrimp are pink and start to curl, approximately 3-4 minutes for medium shrimp. Remove to paper towel lined plate.
- To assemble, start with a bed of 1 cup shredded lettuce, top with dollop of guacamole, top with 2 shrimp per cup and garnish with a spritz of lime juice from a lime wedge and dusting of chile powder or Maldon sea salt .
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 145 kcal, Carbohydrates: 16 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 31 mg, Sodium: 197 mg, Potassium: 274 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 350 IU, Vitamin C: 10.3 mg, Calcium: 52 mg, Iron: 1 mg
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I love a good tostada and these sound amazing!
This post is making me so hungry. Just look at that juicy shrimp! I wish I could reach out and grab a tostada cup!
wow now that is one that everyone will love here and that shrimp is huge the bigger the better yum!
I love lime with shrimp — ALL of the flavors here sound fantastic.
I love that they’re made into cups! What a fun way to change it up. This is going onto my meal list asap!
I love spicy shrimp and I love the flavor and heat combos here! Looks like a great appetizer idea. Going to try these really soon!
Thank you!
Shrimp is ALWAYS a hit at our house! Will totally be adding this to the summer menu 😀
So perfect for summer. Not too heavy and easy to make!
I am so going to have a go at these. If I can crack the shaping then I’ll let you know what I did.
Thanks for a great idea.
I can’t take the credit for the idea, only the filling… let me know how yours turn out!
Great question! I did not cut them down. They were the small size, 6 inches. If you can see in some of the pictures, they are doubled over about 1 inch along the edge to make them fit. The extra along the top gets patted down with the other cupcake tin.
Hey, it looks delicious! Do you cut the corn tortillas down to size to fit the cupcake tin? Thanks!