How to Make Hard Shell Tacos-Simple and Tasty For Dinner

Have you ever wanted crunchy hard tacos but no hard taco shells on hand? Yep–this happens to me often. And when this happens and I only have the tortillas on hand, I heat up a pan of oil and get to frying up some taco shells.

Now this works with both corn tortillas and flour tortillas. What you have on hand is the only factor that matters. I employed corn tortillas for the tutorial today. However, in the past, I have used corn tortillas. For a dozen taco shells, it’s simple to make and only takes a few minutes!

What Exactly Are Taco Shells?

Tortillas are a common ingredient in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine and are used to make taco shells. Tortillas can be produced from various flours but are most commonly prepared using corn, whole wheat, or plain white flour.

Corn masa, a type of dough made from finely ground maize, is the traditional ingredient used to make tortillas in Mexico. Although whole wheat tortillas are increasingly popular as a healthier option, white flour tortillas are still frequently used in Tex-Mex cooking.

Tacos are typically equal in taste and messiness. Undoubtedly, the heavenly experience is created by the flavors of the meat and the toppings. But we’ve all bit into a hard shell taco and watched in horror as half of the filling spills out the other side of the open tortilla. It always makes me angry, I know that much! Thanks to a viral hack, we might have a way to avoid that and eat mess-free tacos whenever we want. You will require 10 x 8-inch taco shells for each of the ensuing techniques. Although we advise using corn tortillas because they are the most common and taste best when they are crispy and crunchy, you can also try making a hard shell taco with whole wheat or white flour tortillas.

How to Make Homemade Taco Shells

Making some super crispy hard taco shells is really not that difficult! You simply need some pre-made corn tortillas, some cooking oil (either vegetable or frying), and a timing device to remove the tortillas from the pan at the ideal moments. The crispiest taco shells can be made from flour, but corn tortillas work best for achieving the desired crispiest texture. There’s a vast range of different methods and recipes for preparing homemade taco shells. To start, you’ll need a package of tortillas from the store or a supply of homemade tortillas that you previously made with a tortilla press. Then you can bake, fry, or make tortilla chips or crunchy taco bowl shells out of them!

The details are as follows:

First, line a plate with paper towels and place a stack of corn tortillas on the plate for frying. Place 1 cup of oil in a skillet. Heat until bubbles start to form and it becomes hot. You can use a pinch of flour or cornstarch to see if the oil is hot enough by dropping it into the pan and watching for bubbles to form. If they do, the oil is hot enough. Activate the pan and add the corn tortilla. Let it cook for 10 seconds.

After flipping, let it stand for an additional five seconds before folding it with tongs.

After taking the shells out of the skillet, drain any extra oil.

Place on the paper towel-lined plate. Continue doing so until all of your crunchy tacos are prepared.

And just as easy as that you–you have your very own homemade crunch taco shells!

How to Make Crispy Taco Shells in the Oven

To make homemade taco shells that are both healthy and crunchy, bake tortilla wraps in the oven. With this technique, you can make healthy taco shells in just ten minutes without using any oil!

• Your oven should be preheated to 375 degrees.
• Make two stacks of five tortillas each, and then wrap each stack in paper towels.
• Put each stack in the microwave and zap it for 30 seconds on high.
• Once microwaved, wrap each tortilla so they are hanging downwards across two bars of the oven rack.
• Place the oven rack into the oven’s center and allow the tortillas to bake for ten minutes, or until you have crunchy taco shells!
• Your oven-baked taco shells should be taken out and served with your favorite salsas and taco fillings!

If you want to prepare the taco shells in advance, they can be kept at room temperature for up to a week in an airtight container. They shouldn’t be frozen or kept in the fridge because doing so will make them lose their crispy texture.

How to Fry Taco Shells

Famous fast-food chains, taco stands, and food trucks all over the United States most frequently use the method of frying tortillas into taco shells. To make taco shells that are crunchy using this method, a lot of hot vegetable oil is required. For that reason, it’s really not the healthiest option, but the results are super delicious!

1. Pour about one inch of vegetable or frying oil into a deep skillet or pan and heat until it’s starting to sizzle.
2. A tortilla wrap should be placed in the oil and fried for 15 seconds on one side.
3. Use kitchen tongs to flip over the taco shell and immediately fold it in half.
4. Cook for an additional 10 seconds, then turn it over (keeping the taco shell folded in half) and cook for a final few seconds.
5. Remove the fresh tacos from the oil and place them on a rack to allow excess oil to drop off.
6. Continue until all of your corn taco shells have been fried.

You need the oil to be sizzling hot, or you won’t get crispy hard taco shells! If you were to take the oil’s temperature, it should be at least a scorching 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Make Taco Shells from Scratch

Instead of just buying tortillas from the store, you can actually make homemade tortilla wraps that will later crisp up to make homemade taco shells. It’s surprisingly simple, and all you need is a cast iron tortilla press, flour, salt, water, and a little oil.

You can make your own tortillas using corn masa (the real deal from Mexico), all-purpose white flour, or even whole wheat. The tortilla maker is used to press the dough into shape after preparation. Then, using the procedures we already described earlier in the article, prepare crispy, hard-shell tacos using your freshly made tortilla wraps.

Keep in mind to microwave or lightly cook fresh tortillas in a skillet (without any oil) before using them.

How to Make Taco Salad Shells

The latest trend is for tiny taco shells to resemble tiny salad bowls. By baking tortilla wraps and molding them over an upside-down muffin tin, you can transform them into salad bowls. It’s a clever technique that yields homemade baked taco shells that you can then fill with your preferred Mexican-style salad toppings for a nutritious lunch.

1. Set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for baking.
2. Warm your tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then lightly oil each side of the tortilla using oil spray or a brush.
3. An upside-down position on the counter is best for a 12-cup muffin pan.
4. To make a salad bowl-shaped tortilla, place it between the raised muffin cups and brush it with oil.
5. With a 12-cup muffin tin, you should have space for at least four tacos when you are baking corn tortillas into salad shell bowls.
6. When the oven has preheated, place the upside-down tray into the center and allow the homemade tortilla shells to bake for 10 minutes.
7. Continue until you’ve baked every tortilla.

Instructions

• Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• While the oil preheats place a plate next to the pan, lined with paper towels and the 12 corn tortillas you will be frying.
• The corn tortilla should be placed in the pan once the oil is hot enough. For 10 seconds, let it cook. The tortilla should then be flipped and given another five seconds to stand. Then fold with tongs.
• Shells should be taken out of the skillet, and any extra oil should be poured over the pan. Place on the plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until you’ve cooked all 12.

Notes

I adore creating my own shells at home. They can be perfectly fried for me, and I can eat them warm. It also implies that everyone can select their preferred option from a single package, whether soft or crunchy.

Nutrition

Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Conclusion

Making the crispy taco shells right before eating is recommended. I find that they do not keep well the next day–so only make what you know you’ll consume that night at lunch or dinner. You won’t find better homemade hard taco shells than these. They’re easy to make, super crunchy, and perfect for pairing with all of your favorite taco fillings.

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