Best Taco Shells Recipes

HARD TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Heat about 1 inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Use tongs to place one tortilla at a time into the oil. It should start to sizzle right away. Cook for about 15 seconds, then flip over and fold the shell in half, holding in place with the tongs until crispy, about 15 seconds. You may need a little practice at first. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with salt while still hot. Use for tacos right away, or they may become chewy. Leftovers may be heated in the oven for crisping.

TACO SHELLS AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Stir in the diced tomatoes and chiles, hot water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes, then remove to a bowl (it will still be a little juicy).
• In the same pan over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the milk and cook until hot and bubbling. Add the processed cheese and cook, stirring, until melted. Do the same with the Cheddar jack. Pour in the cooked pasta, add the taco meat and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, thinning with a splash of milk if needed. Stir in the cilantro.
• Top each serving with some sour cream and salsa if desired.

HOMEMADE TACO SHELLS #1

Steps:

• Preheat a dry skillet over medium/high heat.
• Mix the ingredients well.
• The batter will be runny.
• Drop by large utensil spoonful onto skillet, quickly spreading the batter in a circular motion, working from the inside out.
• Each side only takes about 1 minute of cooking.
• The shells are not supposed to brown.
• When the shells are removed from the pan, they can be molded into"taco shell shape" by placing, half-curled, between two objects, such as coffee cups.
• I like to serve them to each guest directly from the pan without molding them, however, becuz I find that they dont crack while still hot and pliable.
• Fill with all the taco stuffin's and enjoy!

PUFFY TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Mix masa harina, salt, and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water together in a bowl using your fingertips until dough forms and pulls away from the sides, 2 or 3 minutes. Form into a firm, flattened ball and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Keep dough balls covered with a damp paper towel as you fry them, one at a time.
• Place dough ball between 2 sheets of plastic or a split open zip top bag. Flatten to form a small circle about 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, slide in the first circle. Very carefully baste hot oil over the top of the shell with a spoon to keep oil circulating over the top surface. When shell has puffed (after about 15 seconds), cook another few seconds and flip it over and cook another 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat for each shell.
• When shells are still warm and pliable, gently push down puffed tops to create room for the fillings and slightly crease the shells for folding.
• Fill with your favorite taco fixings and serve while shells are still warm.

AIR FRYER OVEN TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place a mini muffin tin pan upside down the air fryer basket. Position tortillas in the indents of the muffin tin. Place the basket on the lowest rack of the air fryer oven.
• Air fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove tortillas from mini muffin tin pan and place upside down in the basket. Air fry until bottom side is crispy and golden brown, 1 minute more.

TACO STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, until just slightly firm to the bite, about 13 minutes. Drain well.
• Brown the ground beef in a large skillet; drain fat. Stir in the taco seasoning and water; cook over low heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir the refried beans and 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese into the taco meat. Spoon meat mixture into prepared pasta shells.
• Spoon 1/4 cup salsa over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange filled shells over salsa. Spoon remaining salsa over shells.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with sliced green onion and 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese. Serve with sour cream.

CHEDDAR CHEESE TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wrap a yardstick or ruler with aluminum foil and suspend it between two 28-ounce cans.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded Cheddar on the baking sheet to form a circle 6 inches in diameter. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of cheese, making 2 circles. Bake the first batch until the cheese melts and turns light brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Using a spatula, transfer the cheese circles to the suspended yardstick and drape them over to form taco shells. Let them hang until firm, then carefully remove. Repeat with the remaining cheese.
• Fill the shells with your favorite taco fillings.

LOW-CARB KETO CHEESE TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Wrap the handle of a wooden spoon with aluminum foil. Balance between 2 tall cans.
• Spread Cheddar cheese on the prepared baking sheets into four 6-inch circles placed 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese melts and is lightly brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Lift with a spatula and drape over the wrapped wooden handle; cool until set, about 10 minutes.

TACO STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water; drain again., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and crumble beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 6-8 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cream cheese and 1/2 cup taco sauce until blended. Stir in 1/4 cup shredded cheese., Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling into each shell. Place in an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining taco sauce., Bake, covered, until heated through, 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chips., Freeze option: Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover casserole with foil; bake as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°. Top with cheese and chips as directed.

TACO SALAD WITH BAKED SHELLS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning, water and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until thickened. , Meanwhile, place each tortilla in a microwave-safe 7-in.-diameter shallow bowl, forming a shell. Spritz with butter spray. Microwave two at a time on high for 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Carefully remove from bowls to serving plates., In a microwave-safe bowl, combine refried beans and salsa. Cover and microwave on high for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Spoon into tortilla shells. Top with the beef mixture and cheese. Serve with lettuce, olives, onions and sour cream.

TACO-FILLED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Transfer to a bowl; cool. Chill for 1 hour., Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Gently toss with butter. Fill each shell with about 3 tablespoons of meat mixture. Place 12 half of shells in a freezer container. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. , To prepare remaining shells, spoon 1 cup salsa into a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Top with remaining stuffed shells and 1 cup taco sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with 1 cup each of cheeses and 1-1/2 cups chips. Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with sour cream and onions. , Freeze option: To use frozen shells, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours (shells will be partially frozen). Spoon 1 cup salsa into a greased 9-in. square baking dish; top with shells and 1 cup taco sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover. Sprinkle with 1 cup each of cheeses and 1-1/2 cups chips; proceed as directed.

TACO STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• PREHEAT oven to 350°F Cook beef in large skillet until brown; drain. Add seasoning mix and water; cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until thickened. Add beans and 3/4-cup cheese; mix well. Spread 1/4-cup salsa over bottom of each of two 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dishes.
• FILL pasta shells with beef mixture; place half of shells in each baking dish, filled side up. Spoon remaining salsa over shells. Cover one baking dish with plastic wrap, then wrap with foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months.
• COVER remaining baking dish with foil. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with green onions and remaining cheese. Serve with sour cream.
• TO BAKE FROZEN SHELLS: Place baking dish in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 375°F Remove plastic wrap; recover with foil. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sliced green onions and 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Serve with sour cream.

CORN TORTILLAS/TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Combine masa harina with water.
• Mix with hands until dough is moist but holds its shape.
• Add more water if needed.
• Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 balls.
• Dampen dough slightly with water.
• Using a tortilla press or a flat baking dish, press dough between two pieces of waxed paper to a 6 inch round.
• Carefully peel off the top sheet of paper.
• Place tortilla, paper side up, on a hot ungreased griddle or skillet.
• Gently peel off remaining paper.
• Cook for 30 seconds or until edges begin to dry.
• Turn and cook until surface appears puffy.
• Repeat with remaining dough balls.
• To make taco shells: In a heavy skillet heat 1/4 inch cooking oil.
• Fry each tortilla 10 seconds or until limp.
• With tongs, fold tortilla in half and continue frying holding edges apart.
• Cook 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 minutes more or until crisp, turning once.
• Drain on paper towels.

KETO CHICKEN TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Drain the canned chicken thoroughly, getting as much moisture out as possible. Spread chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until dried, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a bowl. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Mix eggs, Cheddar cheese, and taco seasoning into the chicken.
• Scoop 4 even mounds of the mixture onto the same baking sheet. Flatten into tortilla-sized circles.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, 8 to 10 minutes.

TACO STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• COOK BEEF.
• ADD TACO SEASONING AND PREPARE ACCORDING TO PKG DIRECTIONS.
• ADD CREAM CHEESE.
• COVER AND SIMMER UNTIL CREAM CHEESE IS MELTED.
• YOU CAN CHILL THE MEAT SO YOU CAN STUFF THE SHELLS EASIER.
• POUR SALSA IN THE BOTTOM OF A GREASED 9 X 13 IN PAN.
• WHILE THE HAMBURGER IS COOKING, COOK THE PASTA, DRAIN, TOSS WITH BUTTER.
• FILL EACH SHELL.
• PLACE IN BOTTOM OF PAN AND TOP WITH TACO SAUCE.
• COVER AND BAKE AT 350 FOR 30 MINUTES.
• UNCOVER,SPRINKLE WITH CHEESES AND CHIPS.
• BAKE 15 MINUTES LONGER OR UNTIL HEATED THROUGH.
• SERVE WITH SOUR CREAM, MORE SALSA, OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU THINK GOES GOOD WITH TACOS.

CRISP TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed, straight-sided skillet, heat 1 inch vegetable oil over medium until it registers 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Add a corn tortilla and fry 15 seconds per side.
• Fold tortilla in half, pressing one side to bottom of skillet and holding other side up with tongs. Cook until crisp and golden, 15 to 30 seconds. Flip and repeat, pressing other side into oil.
• Drain on paper towels. Repeat to make as many shells as you like; a good rule of thumb is 2 tacos per person.

ZUCCHINI TACO SHELLS WITH BEEF AND ZUCCHINI-TOMATO SALSA

Steps:

• For the zucchini taco shells: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Grate the zucchini with a box grater or the shredder attachment on a food processor; after doing so, you should have about 4 cups. Place the zucchini in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high, stirring after 3 1/2 minutes, until tender and liquid has collected in the bottom of the bowl, about 7 minutes. Set the zucchini aside until it is cool enough to handle.
• Once cool, use a slotted spoon (or your hands) to transfer it to a kitchen towel or piece of cheesecloth; roll up the cloth and twist and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Squeeze hard to get out all the excess water; this is crucial to getting good taco shells. You should end up with about 2 cups of shredded cooked zucchini.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with cooking oil to help prevent sticking. Add the zucchini, Parmesan, scallions, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and eggs to a medium bowl; stir until blended into a dough. Scoop this mixture into 1/4-cup-size balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hand to flatten each ball into a very thin 5-inch diameter round, about 1/8 inch thick. Bake the shells until they are brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Let them cool and then remove them from the parchment.
• For the zucchini-tomato salsa: Add the tomatoes, basil, mint, salt, zucchini and lime juice to a medium bowl and toss together.
• For the taco filling and fixings: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, shallot, serrano and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook this mixture until the beef is done through and the veggies are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels, ancho chile powder, cumin, 1/4 cup water and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook this mixture for 3 minutes more, adding more water if needed to thin the taco filling out.
• Spread about 1/4 cup of the refried beans onto each zucchini taco shell. Place 1/4 cup of the beef filling onto each, then top with 1 heaping tablespoon of the zucchini tomato salsa and 1 heaping teaspoon of the feta. Fold up and enjoy!

CRISPY CORN TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• To make U-shaped taco shells from 5 1/2-inch corn tortillas, a wire taco fry basket with slots that form multiple shells (anywhere from 4 to 8) at a time is the easiest way to shape and fry them. They're available at restaurant supply stores or online. Or, to create shells from 5 1/2-inch corn tortillas, or wonton skins or egg roll wrappers cut into 5 1/2-inch rounds, make a mold from a 5 1/2-inch diameter metal can lid. Remove the lid from the can (preferably with a can opener that leaves a rounded dull edge on the lid). Fold the lid over a slim dowel-like a sharpening steel for knives-creating a slightly rounded (not sharply pinched) fold and a 1 1/2-inch gap at the top.
• For frying, in a deep fryer or large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat about 5 inches of canola oil over medium heat until it reaches 350˚F on a deep-fat thermometer (monitor the temperature carefully; any hotter, and the shells will be too dark; any cooler, and they will be greasy).
• To fry shells using a taco basket: Place a tortilla in each slot and submerge the basket in hot oil. Fry until a light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the hot oil and transfer to paper towels to drain.
• To fry shells using a handmade mold: Wrap a taco-sized (5 1/2-inch diameter) yellow corn tortilla, wonton skin, or egg roll wrapper around the outside of the mold, hold the mold with tongs, and submerge it into the hot oil. Fry the tortilla until a light golden brown, 1 minute. Fry a wonton skin or egg roll wrapper until it puffs up and turns light golden brown, 10 to 15 seconds for wonton skins and about 15 seconds for egg roll wrappers. Remove from the hot oil and transfer to paper towels to drain.

LOW CARB TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Place 1/3 cup of cheese in thin layer on parchment paper.
• Microwave on high for one minute, or until cheese is bubbly.
• While the cheese is still flexible with parchment paper still attached, bend the cheese over a round object to give it a taco shell shape.
• The smaller in diameter the object is, the closer to a normal taco shell shape you will have.
• Let the cheese cool while around the object.
• When it has cooled, peel it from the parchment paper.
• Use this to make tacos, with normal fillings such as taco seasoned meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream, or you can also make smaller version of these shells to serve as low carb chips.

"RAID THE PANTRY" SHELLS-N-CHEESE TACO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. In deep frying pan, cook beef (lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin), and onion til done. Drain grease. Stir in taco seasoning, picante sauce, water and stewed tomatoes. Break up tomatoes. Simmer at least 10 minutes til water has evaporated and sauce is thickened. Meanwhile, in saucepan; make shells and cheese according to package directions, using lowest time alotted for cooking of shells. Fold shells and cheese mixture into beef mixture. Pour into greased casserole dish. I used a 1 ½ quart glass baking dish just slightly smaller than my 13x9 one. Top evenly with shredded cheese. Sprinkle cheese with paprika. Sprinkle lightly with oregano using about a 1/2 teaspoon. Bake in 350º oven, uncovered for 20 minutes, or til hot . Serve topped with any or all "Toppings of Choice".
• 2. Serve with a nice salad if desired!