Name: Best Hard Taco Shells (No Frying!)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 8 yellow corn tortillas; Non-stick cooking spray

Recipe

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Making homemade crunchy taco shells is possible without frying! All you need are corn tortillas and this easy method.

And with the tips I share below from years of making these crunchy taco shells in the oven, your taco night is about to get better!

Healthy Homemade Taco Shells

If you are a taco fan, you know that warmed tortillas are the way to go when eating soft tacos. And while they’re delicious, I personally love crunchy tacos even more.

And while you can make your own corn tortillas first and then use this simple method to enjoy healthy taco shells, there’s no shame in buying corn tortillas at the store.

The store-bought shells tend to have additives to preserve their freshness and shape, and if that’s something you’re trying to avoid, consider making your own taco seasoning too!

By baking tortillas in the oven, you’ll avoid the mess of frying and get much healthier taco shells that get enjoyed that same day. All you need are your favorite fillings, and you’re ready for an epic taco night!

What You Need

Grab those tortillas you always have around and… that’s all! Check what I use to turn them crispy in the oven:

Corn tortillas: white or yellow corn tortillas. Flour tortillas don’t work for this recipe.
Cooking spray or oil: to make taco shells crispy! You can also brush tortillas with oil.
Tongs: you will need them so you don’t burn your hands in the oven!

How to Make Hard Taco Shells from Tortillas

The process of making homemade taco shells is simple and yields delicious, crunchy results perfect for filling with all your favorite taco ingredients. Check it out:

1. Prep the oven
Lining the bottom rack of the oven with foil will catch any oil drippings. Then, preheat it because you want to start out with a hot oven and the racks positioned correctly so there’s enough room to hang the tortillas -more on this below.

2. Warm them up
Microwaving them for a few seconds will make them pliable.

3. Spray or brush the tortillas
Use a light coat of oil or spray on both sides to turn them crispy.

4. Bake them
You’ll use tongs to place them in the oven and remove them.

5. Bake
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the tortillas are golden and crispy. Carefully remove from the oven using tongs.

In this quick video, I show you how to make taco shells in the oven:

How Long to Bake Homemade Taco Shells

Tortillas take about 8 minutes to turn into crispy taco shells. You know tortillas are ready when golden and crispy enough to hold their classic hard shape.

Can You Make Taco Shells Ahead?

I don’t recommend making taco shells ahead since they lose crispness and may taste a little “stale”. Better cook them while you are preparing your tacos’ filling.

Storing Homemade Hard Taco Shells

These baked taco shells are best enjoyed the same day, but if you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight bag or container.

Best Taco Recipes for Crunchy Tacos

The taco shells that you can stuff and stand on their own are my family's favorite. We can load them up and not have to worry about them tipping over or spilling out as we make our way to the dining table. Here are some of our go-to taco night recipes:

Best Hard Taco Shells (No Frying!)

Servings: 8 crunchy taco shells

Prep Time: 2

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 12

Making homemade crunchy taco shells is possible without frying! All you need are corn tortillas and this easy method.

5 from 54 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

8 yellow corn tortillas
Non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

Prep the oven:

Position one oven rack at the lowest position available. Take one or two sheets of foil and line this rack with it. This will catch all the drippings from the tortillas and make this process mess-free!
Preheat the oven to 375F and place the top oven rack in the middle position, making sure there is at least 4" of room between that oven rack and the next one. I often remove one rack and have the one at the bottom lined and the top one in the middle.

Get the tortillas ready:

Place 4 corn tortillas on a plate, and microwave them for 15 to 20 seconds to warm them up and make them pliable. Once warm, put them on top of a baking sheet and warm up the other 4. I like to warm 4 tortillas at a time and bake 8 at a time.
Spray or lightly brush oil on both sides of all the corn tortillas with cooking spray.

Bake them crunchy:

Pull the oven rack out, if possible, and using tongs, drape each tortilla over two bars of the oven rack.
Bake, for 8 to 10 minutes until the tortillas are golden and crispy. With the tongs, remove them from the oven onto a baking sheet.