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!
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
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 that I had crunchy taco shells again! And, not just crunchy taco shells. But, healthy taco shells that are baked, crispy, and stand up! Life is good.
How To Make Crispy 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 two spaces? Because it creates a nice little flat bottom so that 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 them out.
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!
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 healthy 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 of 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!
Crunchy Baked Taco Shells
- Total Time15 minutes
- Yield4 taco shells 1x
- DietVegan
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!
Ingredients
- 4 corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 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.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the shells start to turn golden brownish. But, be careful and don’t let them burn.
- Remove from the oven and stuff them with whatever fillings you like. But, really my Cauliflower Mushroom Walnut Taco Meat is perfect!
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:
- Prep Time: 5 mins.
- Cook Time: 10 mins.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
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so easy to make! and a great alternative instead of frying them, the bottoms are great for standing up on their own, and holding a ton of toppings! 10/10
I’ve tried this method before, helps to zap tortillas in microwave…also use some cooking spray to coat…it really helps. Toasted shells are kind of bland and crack so easy, and it is a big tradeoff with taste…like a lot of healthy recipes.
Want taco salad but have no tortilla chips. going to do this with the tortillas I have. Thrilled I don’t have to use
oil, etc – less messy!
Thanks so much! They turned out just like I wanted them to!
This is genius, it works so well they stand and no fat, I I toast them in my toaster oven . I dpmt [rejeat, just leave some extra time. Thank you.
I’ve always had trouble dealing with corn tortillas, they don’t bend well for me. Do I need to dip them in liquid or anyting, or just take them straight out of the package and onto the oven racks?
Hi, Lillian! I know your pain, but if you just take them straight out of the pack and stick them on the oven race, they bend as the bake.
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.
Brilliant idea, Shane ! They taste so not greasy !
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!
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!!
That’s awesome, Lyn! So glad you enjoyed them:)
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 —
Wo, thanks so much!
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!
That is awesome! Thanks for reaching out.
Why not take the rack out of the oven before preheating it and then when you put it back in you will burn yourself?
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
You could use flour, but the won’t come out as crunchy.
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!
Me too.
Sadly an ad comes just on top of the list of ingredients. I do like your recipes and how you write
Thank you!
How can I print recipe w/o ads? When I x them out, another appears, sometimes covering text.
Hmmm, that’s interesting. Sorry about that. I’ll check and see what’s going on.
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.
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.
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!
Hope you enjoy them.
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!
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!!!
How can I get your recipes
Right now they’re all on the blog. If you sign up here, you can get the notifications every time they’re posted.
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What a brilliant idea! So enjoy your recipes and humor. You are the bestur
Thanks, Lisa!