Easy Hard Shell Tacos Recipe – you can your very own Hard Taco Shells Grande style using large tortillas. So easy to make

It’s so much fun to make your own hard taco shells.

Just a few steps and you can have the perfect hard taco shells that are huge and sturdy!

Top Angle View Homemade Taco Shells Grande on a Cooling Rack with 1 Green Apple, 1 Lime and 1 Pomegranate in the Background

Tips for making hard shell tacos

– Make sure you use fresh tortillas or newly opened tortilla packages.  If they are dried or stale, they will not turn crispy when baked

– Don’t wet the tortillas themselves before putting them in the microwave.  Use wet paper towels instead.

– Make sure you keep the rack away from others when you bring it out of the oven.  I have burn marks on my hand made from accidentally touching the oven rack.  The scars take a long time to heal

Can I store hard taco shells?

– Yes, you can absolutely store these taco shells for future use.

– Once they have cooled down, wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in a cool, dry place.

–  Store them in containers that will let them stay upright.  This way, they will retain their shape when you use them

– Reheat in the oven if you are using a stored hard taco shell.  Do not microwave.

I have decided that I am going to start every new year with a Mexican Dish. Last year, my first recipe was Vegetarian Enchiladas and it was so much fun to make and create.

This year, I am dedicating the first full week of 2015 to all Mexican-themed recipes, starting with making hard taco shells at home

Not only are they easy to make, but they are also healthier than the store-bought version.

Overhead View of 3 Homemade Taco Shells Grande on a Cooling Rack with 1 Green Apple, 1 Lime and 1 Pomogranate Next to it

My biggest issue with tacos is that they are too small! When I found the large tortillas, it was the best day ever.  Now, I could make GRANDE style taco shells.

Also, I love the grande ones because I can make hard taco bowls with them and serve my Mexican street corn in it.

The small taco shells always limit the number of ingredients you can add to them.  With the grande tacos, the possibilities are endless.

They are really sturdy and can hold a whole lot of ingredients!  Plus they are so easy to work with.

Front View of the Side of 1 Hard Taco Shell on a Cooling Rack with Pomegranate, Green Apple, Lime and 2 Taco Shells in the Background

Whether you are a fan of vegan tacos, vegetarian tacos and everything else, these grande hard taco shells recipe is the tastiest recipe you will come across.

For this recipe, I love using my favorite wraps (affiliate link) La Banderitas have amazing whole wheat tortillas.  They have only 130 calories with only 4g of protein.

The hard shell tacos come out very sturdy and can hold A WHOLE lot of ingredients.  I have a great vegan taco recipe coming this week that uses these tacos.  There are pomegranates involved in that recipe…..

Overhead View of 3 Homemade Taco Shells Grande on a Cooling Rack with 1 Lime in the Middle

Quick and Easy Taco Shells

It only took 25 minutes to make these hard taco shells.  I didn’t have to watch them while they are turning into shells.  I took this time to return some emails and even put in a load of laundry.

Making these shells put me in the mood for some Mexican Elote! So, while the shells were forming in the oven, I put aside whole corn on the cobs to cook on the side and devoured it later!

Overhead View Homemade Taco Shells Grande on a Cooling Rack with 1 Green Apple, 1 Lime and 1 Pomegranate on the Side

Do you agree that hard taco shells should be GRANDE?

How to make Hard Shell Tacos

Oven View of 2 Done Tortillas Hung Upside Down in the Rails of Oven Racks

Hard Shell Tacos

Rini
An Easy way to make hard shell tacos at home.  All you need is cooking spray and large tortillas
4.99 from 103 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 3 Taco Shells
Calories 90 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 275 degrees
  • Take both paper towels and moisten them
  • Place the first moist paper towel on a cutting board
  • Stack the 3 tortillas on top of each other ( you can stack up to 5 tortillas)
  • Cover the top with the second moist paper towels
  • Fold the sides
  • Microwave for 30 seconds
  • Remove them from the microwave and discard the paper towels
  • Spray each taco with cooking spray. Make sure you coat the tortilla well
  • On the top rack of your oven, drape the tortilla over two ridges. Do the same for the other two.
  • Place the rack in the oven and be sure to put a tray below the taco shells. There will be oil dripping from the tortillas
  • Leave the tortillas in the oven for about 20 minutes or until you start seeing the tortilla turn brown.
  • Remove the rack and allow the tortillas to cool for about 10 minutes
  • Fill the hard taco shells with all kinds of ingredients

Nutrition

Serving: 3Taco ShellsCalories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSodium: 205mgPotassium: 45mgSugar: 1gCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg
Keyword can you make taco shells at home, how to make hard taco shells?
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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26 Comments

  1. I just started this recipe, but I’m concerned about where I’m supposed to pull a 300 degree rack from the oven and let it rest. It isn’t a cookie rack, I need like 3” of clearing. Am I the only one thinking this…?

    1. You can wait for the oven to cool first. Also, you can use oven mitts. That’s what I do. I let the oven to cool for a few minutes and then use oven mints to remove the rach. Alternatively, you can remove just the hard taco shells and put them on a separate rack that wasn’t in the oven.

    2. Use a couple of tall cans and suspend the rack between them.

      Re La Banderita tortillas, they’re the best national brand I’ve found. The corn are delicious and keep a long time in the fridge, and the homestyle flour torts are fabulous! I have both on hand so I’m going to try this recipe using both tonight. Thank you!

  2. I need your wisdom. I have tried baked taco shells draped over the oven rack and the problem I is that halves of the shell close together making it impossible to fill without the shell breaking. How did you keep your shells from collapsing? And, I have had problems with the shell falling apart early in the baking process resulting in a pile of shell halves collecting beneath the rack.

    1. Thank you, Maggie. First, I think if you lightly oil the tortilla before you hang it on the rack would be helpful. Also, I used a big tortilla and it was whole wheat. Whole wheat tends to be a little more sturdy. Maybe use 3 rods to drape the tortilla instead of the two I used? Let me know how it goes. Feel free to use the contact me form and we can discus it further via email. Thank you so much for your question.

  3. Hi these look amazing!! Only thought was – when I take them out of the oven still on the rack where do I put hot rack so that the tacos are still ‘dangling’?

  4. Hello!
    hope you are having a wonderful day!

    i have a few questions..
    1) can i store uncooked tortilla in the oven or is it necessary to cook them on the pan then freeze?
    2) can i freeze uncooked tortillas and directly bake them in the oven after thawing?

    the questions might seem lame, but hey! im a beginner 🙂

    1. Hello Miss Makki,

      1) You can store them in the oven, but, I wouldn’t keep them for more than a week. They will get stale the longer they stay out
      2) I don’t think you need to freeze tortillas. As long as you keep them in an air-tight bag, they will last about 6 months. I have tortillas that I bought back in Nov ’17 and they are still good. Keep them in a ziploc bag or in their original, unopened package in the fridge in the cheese section or where it is the least cold. This way, they can last for months.

    1. Thank you, Judith. Yes, they can be made in advance. You can store them by wrapping them in aluminum foil and store in a cool dry place. Alternatively, You can freeze them, but, there is one thing. Do not thaw them when you are ready to use. Remove them from their freezer bag and place them directly into a pre-heated oven. Place them the same position and heat them up for about 15 min or until they are completely defrosted and hard.