Why it works: Beans and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,188 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓
Turkey Tostadas
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the tortillas
Preheat oven to 425º.
Place tortillas on ungreased baking sheets and bake for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Remove tortillas from oven.
Make the toppings
In a small or medium saucepan, heat refried beans.
Stir in chili powder and cumin over medium heat.
In a medium sized bowl, toss together the turkey, green onions and tomatoes.
Assemble and bake
Spoon the refried beans equally in the center of each tortilla then spread to about 1/2 inch from the edge.
Spread an equal amount of the turkey mixture over each tortilla then sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
Place the tostadas back in the oven and bake until the cheese melts then serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Tortilla | 1 medium flour (45g) | 140 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Bean | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Beans + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,188 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Beans + tomatotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,713 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cumin + tomatotop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,272 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Cumin + oniontop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,498 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Beans + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,242 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour tortillas
- Bake until crisp to form the sturdy base that holds the toppings.
- Refried beans
- Add moisture and body, spreading over the crisp base so it stays creamy under the toppings.
- Cooked turkey
- Provides the main protein and substance of the topping.
- Cheddar or jack cheese
- Melts over the toppings to bind them and add richness and savory flavor.
The step that matters
Bake the tortillas until golden and crisp before topping. A fully crisped tortilla resists the moisture of the beans and turkey; underbaked tortillas soften and become soggy, which makes the tostadas hard to eat.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, beans, cumin, turkey, tomato, cheese):
- Capsicumfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, beans, cumin, turkey, tomato, cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Cream of Tomato Soup107 recipes
Macaroni and Cheese102 recipes
Turkey Soup71 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.