Equipment
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 garlic, finely grated
- 1 serrano pepper, finely diced
- 30 ml lime juice
- 29 g mayonnaise
- 3 g salt
- 1 g black pepper
Main Components
- 10 g cilantro, chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- 50 g red onion, diced
- 75 g tomato, diced
- 280 g tuna packed in oil, drained
- 6 tostada shells
- hot sauce
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 217 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 12 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 447 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 17 mg
- Potassium
- 418 mg
- Calcium
- 25 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 40 mg
- Phosphorus
- 199 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 47 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 12 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 20 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 6.4 mg
- Folate
- 35 mcg
- Water
- 89 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a medium bowl, combine the grated garlic, diced serrano pepper, lime juice, mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together until the mixture is completely smooth and emulsified.
Add the chopped cilantro, diced avocado, diced red onion, and diced tomato to the bowl with the dressing.
Add the drained tuna to the bowl and gently fold it into the vegetable mixture until evenly coated, being careful not to over-mash the avocado.
Spoon approximately 120g (about 1/2 cup) of the tuna mixture onto each tostada shell.
Top each tostada with a drizzle of hot sauce if desired and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Using tuna packed in oil provides a richer flavor and better texture for this recipe than tuna packed in water.
- For more heat, include the seeds of the serrano pepper; for less heat, remove them before dicing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store the tuna mixture separately from the tostada shells to prevent sogginess.
Reheating: Serve cold. Do not reheat.
Troubleshooting
Tostada shells become soft and soggy
Cause: Topping was applied too far in advance or the tuna was not drained sufficiently.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once soggy; serve the tuna mixture as a dip with fresh shells instead.
Prevention: Drain the oil from the tuna thoroughly and only assemble the tostadas right before serving.
Cultural Context
Tostadas are a staple of Mexican cuisine, originating from the practice of frying corn tortillas to make them shelf-stable. This modern rendition incorporates fresh, vibrant ingredients like avocado and chili, reflecting the rich and diverse flavors found throughout Mexico, particularly in coastal regions where seafood is abundant.
