Mexican Chili in a Tostada Bowl is SO easy to make and the clean-up is even easier! It is low in fat, high in fiber, hearty and flavorful.

Mexican Chili in a Tostada Bowl
This Mexican Chili recipe is one of our favorites, and I’ve made this dozens of times. It’s such a versatile recipe that it can be eaten as a soup, a dip, drizzled over nachos, and as I pleasantly just discovered, in a tostada bowl! I was worried that it would get soggy and nasty, but it didn’t. It actually turned out great! It’s the perfect twist on soup in a bread bowl. Serve in a tostada, then eat the bowl! This recipe makes about 10 servings so we only used 4 tostada bowls and ate the rest of the chili for leftovers.
Ingredients for Mexican Chili
- There are so many hearty ingredients in this chili! we love using lean ground beef in this recipe but you could easily substitute ground turkey or chicken, or leave out the meat for a vegetarian dish.
- Add lots of different kinds of beans! We like kidney beans, black beans, refried beans and Mexican syle chili beans for some added heat.
- Use fresh, frozen or canned corn. If you have leftover grilled corn on the cob, cut it off the cob and use it in this chili. So good!
- The spices for this chili are so easy to add too: use regular taco seasoning and a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix. It adds such a tangy flavor to the chili.
- We like to use spicy diced tomatoes, but you could use fresh tomatoes or regular diced canned tomatoes too.
Suggestions for Serving Mexican Chili
Find tostada bowls in the Mexican foods aisle at the grocery store. To serve, dish some chili into each tostada bowl, then add sour cream, cheese, avacadoes, and crushed tortilla chips on top. The nice thing about this chili is you can be as creative as you want! You can also add tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro, salsa, guacamole, olives, or anything else you’d like!
More Mexican Recipes
Try some or all of these delightful Mexican recipes and put together a true feast for your next gathering.
- Creamy Black Bean Soup
- Easy Cheesy Enchiladas
- Shredded Beef Taquitos
- Sweet Corn Cakes (Tamalitos)
- Mexican Street Corn Cups
- Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

Mexican Chili in a Tostada Bowl
Ingredients
- 15 oz kidney beans
- 15 oz black beans
- 15 oz refried beans
- 15 oz Mexican style chili beans
- 15 oz corn
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 can chilies chopped (4 oz)
- 1 c. water
- 1 pkg taco seasoning mix
- 1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- ½ c. onion finely chopped
- 6 Tostada bowls
Instructions
- Brown meat and onion. Put in large cooking pot and add all remaining ingredients (Do not drain) Simmer for 20-30 min.
- You can also brown the meat and onion, then combine with all remaining ingredients in a large crock pot on high for 2-3 hours.
- Serve in tostada bowls.
Nutrition Information
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We don’t have ranch dressing were I live. What can I use instead?
You can just leave it out! Maybe add a little more taco seasoning.
This sounds and looks simply delicious!!!!!
I am so excited to make this. We are having a chili cook off on Saturday and I have never made chili before and didn’t know what to do . Then I remembered when you made this for us and how amazing it was! Here’s to hoping it turns out as good as yours 🙂
Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole’s Chatter is collecting links to posts about Mexican dishes and flavours. I do hope you link this one in. This is the link . Please do pop back to check out some of the other links – there are a lot of good ones already. Have a great week.
@ Shelly– That's a great question. I haven't frozen this before but I am sure it would be ok. I have frozen and re-heated other chilis before and they have turned out fine!
Hi! I commented up there ^ over a year ago and had a quick question. I was thinking of making this for a freezer meals group I'm a part of… do you think it would hold up to freezing and reheating (minus the garnishments of course)? Thanks!
I always visit your blog before any recipe websites. I have never left comment so I am long past due. Everything I make from your blog is a family/friends hit. thank you so much! Making this Mexican chilli for the first time tonight for guests coming over. Thanks so much! Melissa in Charlotte, NC
I love that I can rely on your blog to help me when I need a recipe. I wanted to make chili tonight, but out of ground turkey for my usual recipe. Love it, Erica. Give that baby extra snuggles today, just because she has an awesome mom.
Made this today and it was my first time making chili. Loved it! I let it simmer in a crock pot for 6 hours on low and it turned out fabulous.
A yummy Recipe
I've made this 3 or 4 times since you've posted it. We absolutely love this recipe and it's so easy! We especially love adding chunks of fresh avocado as garnish. I'm so glad you re-posted this as I may not have seen it otherwise. Thanks!
i like chilli recipe…. good
Mmm, I'm always on the lookout for new chili recipes. Thanks for posting this!
I'm glad you posted this again. I really need a good chili recipe and this looks like a great one!