Last Updated on August 20, 2025 by Sabrina Currie
Looking for a fresh, flavorful and fast meal? Easy prawn tostadas with guacamole, salsa and cheese are the answer! Crispy tortillas get topped with creamy avocado, zesty tomato salsa and smoky-spiced prawns. Next, tangy quick pickled onions and crumbled queso fresco (or feta) get sprinkled over. Prawn tostadas make a fantastic summer lunch, appetizer or dinner that looks impressive but comes together quickly using simple ingredients.
Why I made/Love this recipe
I might be biased but I think Mexican food always hits the mark. These jumbo shrimp tostadas are a fresh and vibrant summer dish that's full of flavor.
What I love most about these prawn tostadas is how versatile they are. You can prep everything ahead of time, lay out the toppings, and let everyone build their own. A little lighter that fish tacos but just as satisfying.
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Recipe Ingredients
With a few pantry staples and a bit of fresh produce, you'll have have juicy prawns loaded onto crispy corn tortillas and garnished in no time!
- Tostadas - These are just crispy tortillas, like tortilla chips but uncut so they are in rounds. If they are stale, a few minutes in a hot oven will crisp them right up.
- Prawns - Large prawns are ideal but smaller ones or even small shrimp work just fine too, just don't cook them for as long. You can use precooked prawns or raw. Raw shrimp or prawns will need to be cooked through and precooked seafood just needs to be warmed through.
- Cheese - Queso fresco is traditional but if it's hard to find, swap it for some crumbled feta cheese.
- Avocado - You'll want to use a nice ripe avocado so it will mash up nice and creamy. Choose 1 large avo or 2 smaller ones so you end up with about 1 cup of avocado flesh.
- Spices - I've used a combination of Old Bay and taco seasoning to bring the heat and lots of zesty flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions + Variations
- Tropical - Swap half or all of the tomatoes for diced mango and you'll have a delicious mango salsa that tastes SOOO good on these.
- Protein - Swap the prawns for grilled chicken, beef, pork or fish to change it up.
- Vegetarian - Use black beans and cubed, roasted sweet potatoes in place of the prawns.
- Spice it up - If you like it HOT, serve these up with your favorite hot sauce, spicy mayo or chili powder.
- Extra crunch - Shredded cabbage or lettuce is good in these for some extra fresh crunch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
If your tostadas need crisping, preheat your oven to 350°F and once preheated, place the tostadas on a baking sheet and into the oven for 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside. Everything is quick to make but the onions will benefit from some marinating time so try to make them ahead.
Step 1. Place the sliced onions in a small bowl and cover them with the red wine vinegar. Let sit for at least an hour, and up to overnight in the fridge. Drain right before serving.
Step 2. Combine the chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro (aka coriander), lime juice and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl and toss well. Cover and set aside for up to 6 hours before serving.
Step 3. Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl with the finely diced onion, salt and pepper.
Step 4. Mash well, then add the lime juice and stir well. Cover and set aside up to 3 hours ahead.
Step 5. In a large bowl, toss the prawns with the olive oil, Old Bay, taco seasoning and salt. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Once hot, add the prawns, tossing until cooked (if using raw prawns), about 2-3 minutes, or until hot (if using precooked prawns), about 1-2 minutes.
Step 6. Place tostadas on plates or a serving board and top with guacamole, salsa, prawns, crumbled cheese and pickled onions.
Step 7. Or place everything on the table and let everyone serve themselves!
Step 8. In addition to pickled onions and crumbled cheese, prawn tostadas can be garnished with sour cream, fresh coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime.
Serve These Up With...
These prawn tostadas are perfect on their own, but I love serving them with a side of black beans, Mexican rice and a fresh green salad to balance the richness. For an appetizer, this tuna ceviche makes a great starter.
Pin It For Later
Love this recipe? Save it for later by sharing it to Pinterest or Facebook! It's the perfect dish for weeknight dinners, parties, or whenever you're craving fresh Mexican food with a kick.
Related Recipes
If you love these prawn tostadas, I bet you'll love these other seafood recipes, too!
- Best Lobster Appetizers- Over 20 Easy Recipes And Ideas
- Easy Lobster Nachos With Corn And Cheesy Garlic Queso
- Prawn Bruschetta With Tomatoes and Lemon Garlic Aioli
- Best Creamy Prawn Chowder With Leeks, Corn And Bacon
If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.
Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.
Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Easy Prawn Tostadas With Guacamole, Salsa And Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 corn tostadas
- ¾ cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
- ½ cup cilantro for garnish
Pickled Onions
- ½ cup red onion, sliced into thin rounds
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar or enough to cover the onion slices
Tomato Salsa
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 small jalapeno, finely diced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ tsp salt
Guacamole
- 1 large avocado or 2 small-medium avocados
- ¼ cup finely diced sweet onion
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Prawns
- 1 lb prawns, shelled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- If your tostadas need crisping, preheat your oven to 350°F and once preheated, place the tostadas on a baking sheet and into the oven for 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Pickled Onions
- Place the sliced onions in a small bowl and cover them with the red wine vinegar. Let sit for at least an hour, and up to overnight in the fridge. Drain right before serving.
Tomato Salsa
- Combine the chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl and toss well. Cover and set aside for up to 6 hours before serving.
Guacamole
- Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl with the finely diced onion, salt and pepper. Mash well, then add the lime juice and stir well. Cover and set aside up to 3 hours ahead.
Prawns + Tostada Assembly
- Toss the prawns with the olive oil, Old Bay, taco seasoning and salt. Heat and large non-stick pan over high heat. Once hot, add the prawns, tossing until cooked (if using raw prawns), about 2-3 minutes, or until hot (if using precooked prawns), about 1-2 minutes.
- Place tostadas on plates or a serving board and top with guacamole, salsa, prawns, crumbled cheese and pickled onions. Or place everything on the table and let everyone serve themselves!
Notes
Nutrition
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