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Baked Taco Shells Are Just as Good as Fried

May 13, 2016 By Patrick 11 Comments

A few months ago I fried up some taco shells at home by dipping corn tortillas in a skillet full of hot oil.

Then I tried baking them instead of frying them, and I haven’t gone back to the frying pan since.

You’ve got lots of options on how to bake a batch, so here are some of the key details to keep in mind if you want a healthier version of the classic hard taco shell.

Homemade Baked Taco Shells mexicanplease.com

Baked Taco Shells Recipe

Older tortillas tend to crisp up more readily.  If using newer tortillas, let them dry out on the counter for a bit before putting them in the oven.

Then the idea is to give them a light coating of oil and use the oven rungs to give them shape as they crisp up.

For the oil, you can either use cooking spray or you can brush on some neutral vegetable oil.  I brushed on some canola oil for this batch.

Homemade Baked Taco Shells mexicanplease.com

These tortillas then get draped over two rungs in the oven.

Homemade Baked Taco Shells mexicanplease.com

They’ll bow awkwardly at first but over time the sides will drop.

10 minutes later at 375F they’ll look like this:

Homemade Baked Taco Shells mexicanplease.com

See the light browning on the edges?  That’s probably when you want to take out your first batch.

10 minutes at 375F will give you a shell that has crispy edges but is still pliable in the middle.

12-13 minutes at 375F will give you a shell that is crispier but at the expense of being a little drier.

I like the crispy but slightly pliable version best and usually default to that, but your taco shell mileage may vary.

It’s also easy to give them a hint of flavoring if you want.

Homemade Baked Taco Shells mexicanplease.com

A shake of chipotle powder (or regular chili powder) along with a dash of salt is a good option to liven them up a little.

Put the flavored side up when baking as that will be the outside of the final product.

Homemade Baked Taco Shells mexicanplease.com

And for the Chili-Lime addicts out there, I had the same impulse and thought that a Chili-Lime coating would be the perfect hint of flavor on these shells.

After spreading some lime juice and chili powder on them and baking for 10 minutes they were absolutely……disappointing.  The lime juice combined with oil gave them an odd flavor and they didn’t really crisp up.  Bummer!

OK, a couple more things to keep in mind…..

The crispy yet pliable version is best eaten as soon as possible.   If they sit on the table for awhile they’ll get chewy.  Luckily you can always pop them back in the oven for 30-60 seconds and this brings them back to life.

If you are making a big batch it’s probably best to put a roasting pan or sheet underneath them in the oven as they will drip a bit.

And to answer a last possible question…Will this work on flour tortillas?

Homemade Baked Taco Shells mexicanplease.com

While it may look appetizing, the flour tortilla tasted a bit pastry-like after baking and didn’t really crisp up.  No bueno.

OK, got your freshly baked batch of hard taco shells handy?

Homemade Baked Taco Shells mexicanplease.com

Now the best part…..deciding what to put in them.  We made Classic Ground Beef Tacos out of this batch.   Yum!

Classic Ground Beef Hardshell Tacos mexicanplease.com

Buen Provecho.

Homemade Baked Taco Shells mexicanplease.com

Baked Taco Shells Are Just as Good as Fried

These baked taco shells are much healthier than the fried version, plus they are super easy to make.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 216kcal
Author: Patrick Calhoun | Mexican Please

Ingredients

  • 6-8 corn tortillas
  • oil (or cooking spray)
  • chili powder (optional)
  • salt (optional)

Instructions

  • Brush a light coating of oil onto the tortillas (or use cooking spray).
  • If you want to give them some flavoring, gives them dashes of chili powder and salt
  • Place each tortilla over two oven rungs
  • Bake for 10 minutes at 375F for a crispy but pliable version
  • Bake for 12-13 minutes for a crispier version
  • Serve immediately

Notes

Old tortillas will crisp up more readily than new tortillas.  If you're using newer tortillas, let them sit on the counter and dry out for a bit before putting them in the oven.
 
Keep a close eye on them the first time you make them as ovens can vary.
They will drip a little. You can use a roasting pan or sheet to catch the oil if you want.
They are best served immediately. If they've been sitting for awhile they'll get chewy, but you can always put them back in the oven for an additional 30-60 seconds.
Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

 

You can use a similar technique to make a batch of Baked Tortilla Chips. 

This is the easiest way to make a batch of Baked Tortilla Chips. I like them best when the edges are crispy but the middle is still slightly chewy, i.e. don't cook them too long! mexicanplease.com

Filed Under: Mexican Cooking 101, Most Recent

« Classic Ground Beef Hardshell Tacos
Chicken Tinga Tacos (Are Everywhere) »

Comments

  1. Carmella says

    May 17, 2016 at 3:34 pm

    Gosh, that’s a really ingenious idea! I love how the rungs shape the tortillas, it’s a pretty much hands free operation.

    Reply
    • Patrick says

      May 19, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      Thanks Carmella! Much healthier too 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jeff says

    May 17, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    Too bad it doesn’t work with flour tortillas, because I like them best – and crispy/chewy would be awesome. I love the idea of having them a bit less oil-laden.

    Reply
    • Patrick says

      May 19, 2016 at 1:14 pm

      I’m with you on that one, I was pretty disappointed when the flour tortilla test was a dud. Maybe it needs to be brushed with lard 🙂

      Reply
  3. Paula manzetti says

    February 1, 2018 at 6:31 pm


    Just made these for dinner and they came out fantastic never going to fry again!

    Reply
    • Patrick says

      February 2, 2018 at 7:13 pm

      Awesome Paula thanks for the feedback — I’m a huge fan of these too!!

      Reply
  4. Cathy says

    December 4, 2018 at 8:15 pm


    This is a super helpful post. Great information and pictures. I tried this and it worked perfectly. So clever. Thanks for taking the time to share.

    Reply
    • Patrick says

      December 5, 2018 at 7:55 pm

      Thanks Cathy, so glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  5. Meredith Viator says

    January 17, 2019 at 2:18 pm


    See if you can find a spice mix called tajin. Its perfect for the chili lime flavor

    Reply
  6. June says

    January 19, 2019 at 4:47 pm

    But what about the smoke alarm going off! The oil drips to the oven bottom and vurns!

    Reply
    • Patrick says

      January 21, 2019 at 5:46 pm

      Hey June! Yeah if you are making a bunch of them you can put some foil or a sheetpan underneath them to catch any drippings, but it also depends a little on how much oil you’re using Cheers.

      Reply

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Hey, I'm Patrick! I spent 2 years living in Cozumel and got obsessed with Mexican food. I built this site to share all the recipes and techniques I've learned along the way. Read More…

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