DIY Taco Shells - Easy Peasy!

At our house, one of those rare meals both adults and kids eat happily is tacos. But I really do hate buying taco shells. Half the tacos in the box are usually broken before I even buy the box. And all those preservatives and unhealthy vegetable oils found in ready-made tacos are a real turn off. So last week I decided it was time I try to make my own taco shells.

There are two ways to do this. For the healthiest taco shells, you can make your own corn tortillas, free of unhealthy fats and preservatives. But you can also use store bought corn tortillas, which is what I did because I needed a quick way to make taco shells.

But before I show you how easy this is, first let me tell you how not to make taco shells. This post, oft-cited on Pinterest, inspired me to make my own taco shells. I followed the directions exactly, but the oil on the tortillas made my stove smoke up the house, some of the shells stuck to the oven rack, and all the shells ended up dry and tough. I do not recommend this method.


Instead, try making taco shells the old fashioned way:

1. Warm some olive oil in a skillet. Once it is hot enough to sizzle when you flick water at it, move on to the next step.

2. Take 1 corn tortilla out of the bag and gently fold it in half (without creasing the fold line; the fold should be rounded, like a finished taco). Place the tortilla in the skillet and hold the taco open using tongs (see photo). Cook for about 20 - 30 seconds, or until golden and crisp.

3. Turn the taco over and cook the opposite side about 20 - 30 seconds, or until golden and crisp, holding  the taco open with tongs.

4. Remove the taco from the skillet and place it, fold side up, onto paper towels. The taco will further harden as it cools.

The resulting tacos pleased everyone in my family - which is really rare! We actually like them better than store bought because they were a little less hard, so they didn't fall apart as soon as we started eating them. (Cooking them a little longer will make them more hard.)

So, homemade is better and healthier - how about more frugal? I can buy 18 taco shells for $2 at Walmart - OR 24 corn tortillas for the same price. And if you make your tortillas from scratch, homemade tacos are even cheaper.