tostada

noun

tos·​ta·​da tō-ˈstä-də 

variants or less commonly tostado

tō-ˈstä-(ˌ)dō 

plural tostadas also tostados

: a tortilla deep-fried in hot oil

also : a tostada that is topped with a mixture of ingredients (such as seasoned meat, cheese, and lettuce)

Examples of tostada in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Expect vibrant Thai flavors, like pomelo and shrimp on rice crackers (Yam Som-O), plus wagyu beef tostadas and grilled tiger prawn tacos. —Jenn Rice, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

Head down to Ensenada for a seafood tostada at La Guerrerense or a cold beer at Hussong's Cantina, the oldest bar in the city. —Travel + Leisure Staff, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2025

Modern celebrity chefs helped turn them mainstream, like Rene Redzepi's viral ant egg tostada or José Andrés' grasshopper tacos — one of D.C.'s OG bug bites, still served at Oyamel. State of play: Americans aren't rushing to trade Big Macs for beetles, but there's a growing bug economy in the U.S. —Anna Spiegel, Axios, 16 Aug. 2024

Air-fry or pan-fry the mini rotis to avoid turning them into tostadas. —Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish tostada, from Spanish, feminine of tostado, past participle of tostar to toast, roast, from Late Latin tostare — more at toast entry 2

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tostada

• armada
• entrada
• espada
• hamada
• jornada
• kannada
• posada
• quebrada
• ramada
• sagrada
• arthropoda
• intifada

Kids Definition

tostada

noun

tos·​ta·​da tō-ˈstäd-ə 

: a fried tortilla

Etymology

Mexican Spanish tostada, a feminine form of tostado "fried," from Spanish tostado "toasted"