Prep time
4 hours
Cook time
15 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Beginner
Season
Spring, Summer
Serves
4 to 6
A tostada is essentially an open-faced hard taco. Crunchy, spicy, savory, and deliciously messy, this is a fun and easy meal to put together. This wild turkey version is made with turkey thighs that are braised with chiles, cumin, and garlic. Prepare the meat, beans, and fried tortillas ahead of time, and these tostadas come together in minutes.
I recommend brining the turkey the night before cooking, which will season it evenly and help it retain moisture while it cooks. Once ready to cook, brown the turkey and add it to the crockpot with the remaining ingredients and cook on high. Thighs from a tom will take about 4 hours until they are fork tender, jake thighs will take between 2 to 3 hours. Note: if you plan on cooking the turkey legs as well, separate them from the thighs, and start them 2 to 4 hours before the thighs because they need a head start.
Aside from the turkey, the base for this delicious dish is a fried corn tortilla. You can buy these in the store, but making your own is the way to go. Take stale corn tortillas and fry them in beef tallow for the best results. Heat your fat up to 350-375°F and fry the tortilla until golden brown, about 1 minute. Drain on a wire rack.
Next in importance to the tortilla are refried beans. You need something sticky to keep everything from sliding off the tortilla, and refried beans are the answer. I like to make my refried beans with pork lard and venison bacon, but you can use domestic bacon or any salty smoked meat. Other than that, it's your tostada—layer it up with your favorite fixins. I like to top mine up with avocado, jalapenos, tomato, cilantro, and queso fresco. I finish it all off with some lime juice and hot sauce.
Ingredients
Braised turkey
- 2 turkey thighs, brined
- 3 pasilla peppers, dried
- 8 to 10 ancho chiles, dried
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ bulb garlic
- ½ tsp. cumin powder
Refried beans
- 3 cups cooked black or pinto beans
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- ½ cup pork lard
- ¼ cup bacon, diced
- ½ tsp. epazote, dried
Toppings
- Queso fresco
- Avocado
- Diced jalapenos
- Diced tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
Preparation
- Season the turkey thighs with salt and pepper and brown both sides over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes per side. Place thighs in a crockpot with peppers, bay leaf, garlic, and cumin. Add water until almost covered. Set to high and cook for about 4 hours or until fork tender.
- While the meat is cooking, prepare your refried beans. Sweat the onions, garlic, and peppers in a saucepan over medium-low heat with the pork lard and bacon until fragrant and onions are semi-translucent (about 5 to 6 minutes). Add in beans and epazote, and cook for another 5 minutes. Smash with a potato masher until it has a paste-like consistency. The beans may seem runny, but they will thicken as they cool. Taste and season heavily with salt and pepper.
- Once thighs are tender, remove from liquid and shred with a fork.
- Build your tostada. Smear refried beans on your fried corn tortilla and pile high with queso fresco, shredded turkey meat, cilantro, avocado, jalapeno, tomatoes, and your favorite hot sauce.
Turkey Tostada
Prep time
4 hours
Cook time
15 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Beginner
Season
Spring, Summer
Serves
4 to 6
A tostada is essentially an open-faced hard taco. Crunchy, spicy, savory, and deliciously messy, this is a fun and easy meal to put together. This wild turkey version is made with turkey thighs that are braised with chiles, cumin, and garlic. Prepare the meat, beans, and fried tortillas ahead of time, and these tostadas come together in minutes.
I recommend brining the turkey the night before cooking, which will season it evenly and help it retain moisture while it cooks. Once ready to cook, brown the turkey and add it to the crockpot with the remaining ingredients and cook on high. Thighs from a tom will take about 4 hours until they are fork tender, jake thighs will take between 2 to 3 hours. Note: if you plan on cooking the turkey legs as well, separate them from the thighs, and start them 2 to 4 hours before the thighs because they need a head start.
Aside from the turkey, the base for this delicious dish is a fried corn tortilla. You can buy these in the store, but making your own is the way to go. Take stale corn tortillas and fry them in beef tallow for the best results. Heat your fat up to 350-375°F and fry the tortilla until golden brown, about 1 minute. Drain on a wire rack.
Next in importance to the tortilla are refried beans. You need something sticky to keep everything from sliding off the tortilla, and refried beans are the answer. I like to make my refried beans with pork lard and venison bacon, but you can use domestic bacon or any salty smoked meat. Other than that, it's your tostada—layer it up with your favorite fixins. I like to top mine up with avocado, jalapenos, tomato, cilantro, and queso fresco. I finish it all off with some lime juice and hot sauce.
Ingredients
Braised turkey
- 2 turkey thighs, brined
- 3 pasilla peppers, dried
- 8 to 10 ancho chiles, dried
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ bulb garlic
- ½ tsp. cumin powder
Refried beans
- 3 cups cooked black or pinto beans
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- ½ cup pork lard
- ¼ cup bacon, diced
- ½ tsp. epazote, dried
Toppings
- Queso fresco
- Avocado
- Diced jalapenos
- Diced tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
Preparation
- Season the turkey thighs with salt and pepper and brown both sides over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes per side. Place thighs in a crockpot with peppers, bay leaf, garlic, and cumin. Add water until almost covered. Set to high and cook for about 4 hours or until fork tender.
- While the meat is cooking, prepare your refried beans. Sweat the onions, garlic, and peppers in a saucepan over medium-low heat with the pork lard and bacon until fragrant and onions are semi-translucent (about 5 to 6 minutes). Add in beans and epazote, and cook for another 5 minutes. Smash with a potato masher until it has a paste-like consistency. The beans may seem runny, but they will thicken as they cool. Taste and season heavily with salt and pepper.
- Once thighs are tender, remove from liquid and shred with a fork.
- Build your tostada. Smear refried beans on your fried corn tortilla and pile high with queso fresco, shredded turkey meat, cilantro, avocado, jalapeno, tomatoes, and your favorite hot sauce.