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    Home » How Tos

    Crunchy Baked Taco Shells

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    Crunchy baked taco shells pinterest image.
    Crunchy baked taco shells pinterest image.

    Crunchy baked taco shells that are easy to make, healthy, low-fat and delicious! These things crisp up like a dream with NO OIL and NO DEEP FRYING!

    Crunchy baked taco shells in basket.

    Yeah, that’s right. I said, “CRUNCHY Baked Taco Shells!” These things come out of the oven crisp and delicious. And, they’re cheap and easy as hell to make.

    It’s time for you to show your arteries some love and leave those crappy deep fried meat racks on the shelf. That stuff is bush league.

    What was that loud BOOM? Shots fired in the taco shell war. GAME…ON!

    Crunchy baked taco shells plain tortillas.

    Crunchy Baked Taco Shells

    If you’re like me, you probably felt destined to a life of soft whole-wheat or soft corn tortillas for your healthy tacos. I had no problem ditching the idea of meat tacos. But, I gotta be honest. I grew pretty tired of soft taco shells pretty quick. 

    So, one day I fired up the oven and draped some tortillas over the oven racks. It was sheer genius. Or, so I thought. That was until I realized this was already a thing. My celebrity was short lived. Still, I felt this information should be available to the general public.

    Regardless of where this idea originated the fact was I had crunchy taco shells again! And, not just crunchy taco shells. But, BAKED crunchy taco shells! Healthy, BAKED CRUNCHY TACO SHELLS that stand up! Life was is good.

    Crunchy baked taco shells tortillas on oven rack.

    How To Make Crunchy Baked Taco Shells

    The hardest part about this recipe is not burning yourself. I know…I’ve done it.

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, once it’s ready, carefully drape the corn tortillas over two spaces on the oven rack. Why 2 spaces? Because it creates a nice little flat bottom so the taco shells will stand on their own. And, that’s awesome because you won’t have to hold the shell while you’re loading it with stuff. 

    Now, simply let them bake until they’re golden-brownish. Usually around 10-15 minutes. Learn your appliances because you’ll need to feel it out. Because if you take the tortillas out too early, they’ll be chewy. If you take them out too late, you’ll burn them. But, 10-15 minutes seems to be the sweet spot.

    Once the taco shells are ready, use an oven mitt to remove them. Please, use an oven mitt. I tried to be all cool and use my bare hands once. ONCE!

    Crunchy baked taco shells in basket with white napkin.

    Now, all that’s left is to stuff the tacos with my Cauliflower Mushroom Walnut Taco meat and have a party! Oh, but don’t stop there. Go crazy and cover this bad boy with my Cashew Cheese Dip and Tofu Sour Cream. I promise your life will change.

    These taco shells are just as good as fried taco shells. In fact, I say they’re better because they don’t crumble like those wimpy ass store bought shells. And, you can buy a whole bag of corn tortillas for just a couple bucks.

    Trust me. You’ll like them because they’re…

    • Low-fat
    • Crunchy
    • Baked, not fried
    • Healthy
    • Cheap
    • Simple & quick
    • & Delicious.

    I almost feel guilty calling this a recipe. I said almost.

    Side note: If you like crunchy things you should try my Crunchy Baked Onion Rings & Healthy Homemade Tortilla Chips. The chips are perfect for dipping into my Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip. Just sayin’…

    So, if you happen to make these Crunchy Baked Taco Shells let me know! Leave a comment below with a STAR rating. And, share a picture by tagging me on Instagram and use the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!

    Cauliflower mushroom walnut vegan taco meat in shells with lettuce and tomato.
    Print
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    Crunchy baked taco shells.

    Crunchy Baked Taco Shells

    ★★★★★

    4.8 from 9 reviews

    Print Recipe

    Crunchy baked taco shells that are easy to make, healthy, low-fat and delicious! These things crisp up like a dream with NO OIL and NO DEEP FRYING!

    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 4 taco shells 1x

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 4 corn tortillas

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2. Drape corn tortillas over oven rack. I use two spaces so my shells will stand up. It’s easier to build the taco. But, that’s just me.
    3. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the shells start to turn golden brownish. But, be careful and don’t let them burn.
    4. Remove from the oven and stuff them with whatever fillings you like. But, really my Cauliflower Mushroom Walnut Taco Meat is perfect!
    • Author: Shane Martin
    • Prep Time: 5 mins.
    • Cook Time: 10 mins.
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: Vegan
    • Diet: Vegan

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 2 Corn Tortillas
    • Calories: 100
    • Sugar:
    • Sodium: 20 mg
    • Fat: 1 g
    • Saturated Fat:
    • Trans Fat:
    • Carbohydrates: 21 g
    • Fiber: 3 g
    • Protein: 2 g
    • Cholesterol:

    Keywords: tacos, vegan, plant-based, baked, low-fat, taco shells

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joanie

      September 13, 2021 at 7:37 pm

      Excellent idea!! I had a lot of leftovers I needed to use up so I decided to make tacos out of it all. I took my homemade corn tortillas and your refried bean & soy curl pepper steak recipes along with some sriracha and some Kite Hill plain yogurt mixed with just a tad bit of maple syrup. OMG!! It was sooo good. Love your recipes. You’re the best! Thanks for all that you do.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Dyan Paladino

      May 20, 2021 at 8:58 pm

      Brilliant idea, Shane ! They taste so not greasy !

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Steve

      April 22, 2021 at 12:34 pm

      TIP: Zap your corn tortillas in the microwave (with a little cup of water alongside to keep them moist and pliable) before draping them over your oven grates. This will allow them to drape loosely and crisp up to a perfect taco shell shape.

      Great way to make healthier crispy taco shells!

      ★★★★

      Reply
    4. Lyn

      January 28, 2021 at 7:22 pm

      Oh my gosh. This was awesome!!! I didn’t believe the tortillas would bend over the oven rack rails, but decided to give it a whirl and lo and behold!!! Simply drape them and the fold themselves over! Great crisp and easy peasy!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 30, 2021 at 8:12 pm

        That’s awesome, Lyn! So glad you enjoyed them:)

        Reply
    5. Nehemiah

      October 16, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      Second time I have made these. They are so good. Grew up using the boxed kind, and there is no comparison — these are the best. Thank you for the “recipe” and the instructions. We have tried several of your recipes so far, and they are great. The onion ring recipe was all you said it would be. Again, thank you for the work you put into this blog so that all of us can be healthier. Blessings —

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        October 16, 2020 at 1:59 pm

        Wo, thanks so much!

        Reply
    6. Amanda

      June 27, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      Hey Shane. This just made my whole night. I really dislike corn tortillas and I could actually eat them this way. And how super simple. Thanks buddy!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        June 27, 2020 at 7:02 pm

        That is awesome! Thanks for reaching out.

        Reply
    7. Steve

      June 17, 2020 at 4:09 pm

      Why not take the rack out of the oven before preheating it and then when you put it back in you will burn yourself?

      Reply
    8. Brie

      June 02, 2020 at 8:58 am

      Thank you for this!!! Making these tonight for taco Tuesday! We always have flour tortillas in the house, and not often corn. Do you think flour will work for this as well?
      Thanks again!
      -Brie

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        June 02, 2020 at 9:49 am

        You could use flour, but the won’t come out as crunchy.

        Reply
    9. Erin

      February 06, 2020 at 2:48 pm

      Haha I found this article so funny because I thought I was a genius the first time I did it too. Only difference was I draped them over the grill grates one night. I was heating up bbq shredded pork on my grill pan and grilling sliced pineapple and tacos just came to mind. I’m sure these would work with a grilled cauliflower taco! Either way this method makes taco night less messy. I’m not the biggest fan of crunchy/hard taco shells they just taste like a tortilla chip and flour tortillas are so limp and everything fall outs. Thanks for sharing!

      ★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        February 06, 2020 at 4:10 pm

        Me too.

        Reply
    10. B Rao

      January 09, 2020 at 4:58 am

      Sadly an ad comes just on top of the list of ingredients. I do like your recipes and how you write

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 09, 2020 at 2:09 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    11. Jcb

      December 15, 2019 at 11:07 am

      How can I print recipe w/o ads? When I x them out, another appears, sometimes covering text.

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        December 15, 2019 at 2:35 pm

        Hmmm, that’s interesting. Sorry about that. I’ll check and see what’s going on.

        Reply
    12. Kitcat

      November 09, 2019 at 7:34 pm

      Thanks for this recipe and oven shells. I did see this same oven tip for crispy baked taco shells on another blog approx., 10 years ago. Because these search engines have their own “search results ranking” system, coupled with paid ads that PAY to increase clicks on one website vs another, viewers will only SEE WHAT SHOWS UP on this UNFAIR “pay-to-play,” search result SYSTEM.

      I was looking for a way to lower the calories and still enjoy crispy shells. After reading several reviews using either the oven’s own rack vs a specially designed metal taco baking stand. It seems many people say you do get CRISPY shells BUT there is STILL a LACKING OF TASTE, because there is NO OIL. I guess there is always a trade off.

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        November 10, 2019 at 9:38 am

        Hey, and welcome! Yes, there’s always a period of our taste buds “rebooting.” But, it’s totally worth it:) Thanks for reaching out and I hope you get to try some of the recipes. Blessings.

        Reply
    13. Peg Cochran

      August 23, 2019 at 4:10 pm

      Planning to make these tonight! One idea–remove the oven rack while the oven is preheating, arrange shells and put rack back in. I’ll have to see if that works!

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        August 24, 2019 at 1:12 am

        Hope you enjoy them.

        Reply
    14. tehodler

      June 08, 2019 at 8:49 am

      I find the corn tortillas become way too hard using this method but I’ve only begun experimenting. A light coat of oil helps but I haven’t found the best way to apply it. I bought an aluminum oil sprayer but so far, it emits a stream of oil not a spray most times. I love your blog!

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        June 08, 2019 at 9:22 am

        So glad you like the blog. Thanks!!! Try cooking them not as long as every appliance is different. Let me know how it goes. Thanks!!!

        Reply
    15. Mary

      March 10, 2019 at 11:55 am

      How can I get your recipes

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        March 10, 2019 at 11:58 am

        Right now they’re all on the blog. If you sign up here, you can get the notifications every time they’re posted.

        https://shaneandsimple.com/subscribe/

        Reply
    16. Lisa

      January 12, 2019 at 4:21 pm

      What a brilliant idea! So enjoy your recipes and humor. You are the bestur

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 12, 2019 at 4:53 pm

        Thanks, Lisa!

        Reply

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