Braised Beef Tostadas
These Braised Beef Tostadas have layers of tender beef, fresh mango salsa, cabbage slaw and homemade pesto which sits on top of a crispy corn tortilla. These beef tostadas have the most delicious fresh flavors and variety of textures. Beef is braised then cooked in the instant pot or slow cooker with spices, seasonings and beef broth to yield ultra tender, juicy beef. If you prefer, you can substitute chicken in place of the beef.
There’s a restaurant near me that makes these braised beef tostadas and my goodness they are DELICIOUS! I knew I had to recreate these at home, so that I wasn’t eating dinner there every night!
These braised beef tostadas are actually easy to make, and honestly they are very customizable. The toppings for tostadas are endless! But, feel free to substitute chicken, or even salmon instead of the beef on these, if you prefer.
I love that the beef is made in the instant pot, or crockpot, because during the hot summer days, like today (it’s supposed to be 100F here today!), the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven. Plus, the instant pot and crockpot, I think is the best way to get the most ultra-tender, juicy beef.
Here’s what you will love about these beef tostadas
- easy to make – the majority of the work is from the crockpot or instant pot. The hands on time for these is minimal, and just involves chopping up some ingredients for the salsa, seasoning the beef and making the homemade pesto (which only takes a few minutes in the blender)
- fully customizable – the thing I love about tostadas is that they are fully customizable. You can truly add whatever toppings you want to these. If you don’t like beef, feel free to substitute chicken or salmon. Both would be equally delicious!
- fresh and refreshing – the fresh mango salsa, zesty, fresh cabbage slaw, and bright pesto make this meal a refreshing meal, perfect for summer. I also love the contrast of textures between the tender beef, crispy tortilla and crunchy slaw.
Here are a few of my favorite summer dinners
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Braised Beef Tostadas
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: approximately 12 tostadas 1x
Description
These Braised Beef Tostadas have layers of tender beef, fresh mango salsa, cabbage slaw and homemade pesto which sits on top of a crispy corn tortilla. These beef tostadas have the most delicious fresh flavors and variety of textures. Beef is braised then cooked in the instant pot or slow cooker with spices, seasonings and beef broth to yield ultra tender, juicy beef. If you prefer, you can substitute chicken in place of the beef.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Corn tortillas
- 12 6-inch (fajita or taco size) corn tortillas
Mango Salsa
- 2 mangoes
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
Cabbage Slaw
- 1 cup cabbage
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
Pesto
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 small garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
1. Make the beef. Cut chuck roast into bite size pieces. In a large bowl, add beef, tomato paste, garlic and onion powder, parsley and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine the spices with the beef. Heat a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Sear beef in batches, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan, until well-browned on all sides.
Add beef to instant pot or crock pot, along with beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.
For instant pot, cook 35 minutes, with 10 minutes natural release, followed by quick release.
For crockpot, cook on low for 8 hours.
2. Make the tostada (the crispy corn tortilla). Line paper towels underneath a wire cooling rack. Fill a large skillet halfway full with vegetable or canola oil, or a heavy bottomed pot. Heat the oil to 350F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the oil, by dropping a small piece of tortilla into the oil. It should sizzle and bubble vigorously. Once the oil reaches this temperature, add the corn tortilla to the oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, then flip and fry on other side, roughly 1 minute per side. Place fried corn tortilla on prepared wire cooling rack.
3. Make the mango salsa. In a large bowl, add chopped mango, cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice. Toss to combine.
4. Make the cabbage slaw. In a large bowl, add cabbage, cilantro and lime juice. Toss to combine.
5. Make the pesto. In a blender or food processor, add toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, fresh basil and pinch of salt. Blend to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency.
6. Assemble. When ready to serve, add the cabbage, beef, mango salsa and pesto on top of the tostada (fried corn tortilla). You can serve assembled, or put all the toppings on a plate along with the tostadas (fried corn tortillas) and allow each person to assemble their own.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: Instant Pot – 45 minutes; Crock pot – 8 hours
- Category: Lunch/Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot, Crockpot
- Cuisine: American
