I am a taco salad junkie and with the crispy homemade taco shells, these are like ordering it from a restaurant. I am all about the restaurant-quality easy weeknight meals at home and this is exactly that! In fact, that is exactly why I came up with this recipe. I was having such a taste for a taco salad in that crispy homemade taco shell from my favorite Mexican spot. I was tasting it for days and there was no time to get over there to order one. Then I thought, wait, you can make it! So, here we go…
How did I get the shell right?
In the testing of this recipe I tried many different ways of creating that amazingly crispy homemade taco shell. I figured most of the Mexican restaurants I had ever had them in were frying them. Yet, I also realized to just straight fry them, you need to have a proper frying molding to get that awesome shape. I also thought, if you’re going to make them at home, might as well make them a little healthier than deep fried. Don’t get me wrong, I deep fry at home, but this seemed like a good opportunity to make it a little healthier.
So, I was back to the drawing board. Something that would give me a crispy texture on the outside and that fluffy, puffy texture from the iconic taco shell bowl. I had to use some type of oil to get it crisp enough. That was how I settled on the two-cook method. I would lightly coat them in the oil in a pan on the stove to also bring out some of those beautiful bubbles you want in the shell. Then I would form them, using a bowl and finish them in the oven for a crispy, not too fried texture. BOOM, it worked! Not only did it remind me exactly of my favorite Mexican spot. But dare I say it, it was even better!
Flour or Corn?
This is the age-old question I feel like when it comes to Mexican food. I truly believe each has it’s place. I like corn tortillas for some preparations and I like flour for others. This crispy homemade taco shell begs for flour tortillas. You can only get that crispy, fluffy, puffy restaurant-quality shell for your taco salad using a flour tortilla. Sorry all you corn tortilla only fans! You need the flour ones for this.
Size wise, I prefer the Fajita size shell for these. You can also do the burrito size for a larger one. I used the fajita size and it was perfect for the salads for my family. Even my kids enjoyed these and they were not too big for them to finish. Yet, not too small where my husband and I needed more. Yet, if you want a larger shell, use the burrito size, no judgement!
Filling Options
We have talked to much about the shell, I didn’t want to leave out the amazing taco salad inside of it! The possibilities here are truly endless. This taco salad with crispy homemade taco shells can be made with any filling. I love mine to be classic and simple, but you can let your imagination run wild here. Basically anything you can put into a taco, can become a taco salad inside this amazing crispy shell.
For this particular recipe, I kept it classic and simple. I made ground beef taco meat, shredded romaine lettuce, pico de gallo, diced avocado, shredded cheddare cheese and black olives. The only thing I did doctor up a bit from a regular classic taco was the “dressing”. Instead of just adding sour cream, I made a quick dressing. I used sour cream, lime juice, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper. It slightly thinned the sour cream to more evenly distribute it over the salad and it gave it even more of a tanginess to cut the richness of everything else.
Other fillings that I think would be amazing in here is to add some rice and/or beans. You can do chicken tinga, Carne asada, grilled shrimp or even fajita style veggies. Adding in corn salsa or spicy tomato salsa would be great. Have fun, get creative, that is what cooking is all about. Use this recipe as a base and expand from there.
Chef’s Tips
The biggest tip I can give you here is about the shells. Make sure that the shells you get are fresh. This will make a huge difference in your end product. You will get that puffy, fluffy, crispy shell that you want. Also, use canola or vegetable oil for this. You want a clear, not flavored oil. Olive oil will alter the final taste. Use a small amount just to coat the bottom of the pan, you don’t want them swimming in oil or even shallow frying. They will crisp too much and you will not be able to mold them.
Use a small bowl than you think you need to mold them. They come out better with a bowl smaller than the shell because the top will pull out and give you that shell you want. You only need to bake them for about 12 minutes. These will crisp up more as they cool. Add in the classic recipe I give you here or feel free to get creative. The whole family will love these and will not believe you made them! ENJOY!
These are the bowls I like to use to mold them, but you can use glass measuring cups too
Here are some of my other favorite recipes to use as fillings for your salads
Grilling season is coming soon!!
Taco Salad with Crispy Homemade Taco Shells
Ingredients
- Crispy Homemade Taco Shells
- 4 large flour tortillas 10-inch diameter
- 2 Tbsp extra light olive oil canola oil or any high heat cooking oil, plus more as needed
- kosher salt optional for sprinkling
- Filling for Classic Taco Salad
- 1 lb lean ground beef 90/10
- 3 Tbsp Taco Seasoning or 1 packet, I love the taco bell low sodium packet
- 3/4 cups water
- 1 head of romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 cup pico de gallo or to taste-I make my own, but you can buy it too
- 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese shredded- I like to shred my own
- tortilla chips on the side
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 lime cut into wedges to serve, optional
- Ingredients for Tac Salad Dressing:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Set your oven-safe bowls over a baking sheet and have a ladle ready or something that can be used to push the tortilla into the mold.
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (350˚F on a thermometer), add the tortilla and lightly toast on the first side for 30-45 seconds. Flip and fry for 30-45 seconds on the second side. The tortilla should be a deep golden brown in spots and start to puff.
- Immediately remove with tongs and place over an oven-safe bowl. Use a ladle or a smaller bowl to shape the tortilla to fit into the bowl. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.
- Once the tortillas are shaped into the bowls, set the bowls on a baking sheet and bake at 350˚F for about 12-14 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Remove from molds and cool on a wire rack then serve. Make the taco salad filling while the shells bake up
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown your beef. When there is no pink left on the meat, spoon out all of the excess fat then add taco seasoning and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until it’s lightly warm or room temperature.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the dressing ingredients and stir to combine. Refrigerate and let the flavors meld while you prepare your toppings.
- Chop lettuce and place into serving bowls (serves 6 as a side salad or 4 as a main course). Divide ground beef between the bowls over the lettuce.
- Add remaining toppings as desired then garnish with cilantro drizzle with the dressing and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the salad and tortilla chips on the side. ENJOY!
