Ditch the tacos for something a bit crispier with these easy Crispy Shrimp Tostadas. They include all of the ingredients you love, like salsa verde, veggie slaw, and shrimp! The perfect refreshing and flavorful meal for a warm summer evening.

crispy shrimp tacos with jalapeño and cilantro

A Quick Look

Recipe Name: Crispy Shrimp Tostadas
Ready In: 60 minutes
Serves: 12 servings
Main Ingredients: 4.5 inch tortillas, medium sized frozen raw deveined and peeled shrimp, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, olive oil, rainbow vegetable slaw
Why You'll Love It: Ditch the tacos for something a bit crispier with these easy Crispy Shrimp Tostadas. They include all of the ingredients you love, like salsa verde, veggie slaw, and shrimp! The perfect refreshing and flavorful meal for a warm summer evening.

Spice up taco Tuesday with these crispy tostadas

Forget Taco Tuesday — it's time for Tostada Tuesday! This week, mix up your meal rotation by switching out tacos for something a little different. Like a taco, a tostada is made with salsa, avocado, veggies, and of course, tortillas!

The main difference? With tostadas, the tortillas are baked before assembling. This creates a deliciously crispy base layer that's perfect for piling on toppings!

three shrimp on a tostada with jalapeno and cilantro

Ingredients in crispy shrimp tostadas

This recipe utilizes typical taco ingredients, but also throws in a few different items like veggie slaw, mayo, and even corn. The recipe comes together with some delicious shrimp!

Tortillas: First up, you will need 12 4.5 inch tortillas. You can use flour or corn tortillas.
Shrimp: Shrimp will serve as the protein in these tostadas. You will need 16oz of frozen thawed shrimp. They should be deveined and peeled before cooking.
Seasonings: 4 seasonings will help add flavor to the dish. Use 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of onion powder.
Olive oil: 2 tablespoon of olive oil will be used to cook the shrimp.
Vegetable slaw: 4 cups of rainbow vegetable slaw adds so much flavor to this dish! It creates a bit of a tangy taste which is great alongside the savory ingredients.
Corn: Throw in some more veggies with 1 cup of corn kernels.
Mayo: Then, ½ cup of mayo will be used to add some more flavor.
Salsa verde: Throw in ¾ cup of salsa verde.
Salt: Season with ½ teaspoon of salt.
Avocado: Next up, we'll use 1 avocado, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice to create guacamole.
Optional: Last but not least, optionally include sliced jalapeño and sprinkle cilantro on top!

Tools used to make this shrimp tostada recipe

To make this recipe, you will need some kitchen tools. Everything, including appropriate measuring cups, is listed below!

Cutting board & knife (if including jalapeño)
Baking pan
Parchment paper
2 large mixing bowls
Stirring utensil
Large skillet
Spatula
Small mixing bowl
Tongs

For measuring out ingredients, you will need ½ tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, ½ cup, ¾ cup, and 1 cup sized measuring cups.

Photo of ingredients for Crispy Shrimp Tostadas with labels.

How to make tostadas with crispy shrimp

Ready to get started? You can expect this recipe to require 35-40 minutes of total time. When all is said and done, the recipe yields 12 delicious tostadas.

First, preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Line the tortillas onto two baking sheets (or do one at a time). Bake for 8 minutes, and then flip and bake for another 8. Remove once the tortillas are crispy, and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the thawed shrimp and the paprika, salt, pepper, and onion powder.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Set aside.

If preferred, you could also grill the shrimp for some tasty grilled shrimp tostadas!

In another bowl, mix together the slaw and corn kernels. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, salsa verde, and salt. Pour the mayo mixture over the slaw and toss until completely coated, saving a little of the mixture for the top of the tostadas!

Mash 1 avocado and then mix in the salt and lime to create guacamole.

Now, it's time for assembly!

To each tortilla, add some slaw. Add about 3 shrimp to each tostada, and then top with a dollop of avocado mash. Add the sliced jalapeño and cilantro on top if desired, and then drizzle with leftover mayo salsa verde sauce.

What else can I add?

Want to add some more toppings to your tostadas? Here are some ingredients you can experiment with adding!

Cheese
Tomato
Red onion
Hot sauce
Refried beans
Lettuce
Hot sauce
Garlic powder or any preferred seasonings

Recipe Tips

What is in a tostada?

These crispy shrimp tostadas are made with tortillas, shrimp, seasonings, vegetable slaw, corn, mayo, salsa verde, and avocado! I also recommend topping with jalapeño and cilantro for extra flavor.

How is a tostada different from a taco?

The ingredients in a taco are similar to that of a tostada. The difference comes in how it's made! While taco shells are warm and eaten folded, tostada shells are baked and served flat as a crispy bottom layer.

What is in veggie slaw?

Recipes vary, but most vegetable slaws include some variation of cabbage and carrots. Any veggie slaw will work for this recipe!

shrimp, coleslaw, jalapenos, and cilantro on a crispy tostada.

If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!

Enjoy some more refreshing meals with these shrimp recipes. The coconut curry shrimp is always a favorite! It's also super easy to prepare.

All recipes by Erin Morrissey and Photos by Sierra Inn

Erin Antoniak