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Homemade taco salad shells are a delicious and easy version of deep-fried bowls. These crispy baked tortilla bowls can be made ahead of time and don’t require any special equipment.

multiple taco salad shells on a wooden board set up for a taco bar.
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Nobody orders a taco salad at a restaurant for the salad. We all know we’re in it for that delicious crispy taco bowl.

Now you can skip that sub-par taco salad, and make your own crunchy tortilla bowls at home.

These DIY taco bowls are baked, not fried. They’re so fun for taco bar night at home, and you can make them without any special equipment. You’ll simply need a plate, baking sheet, and a few oven-safe soup bowls.

I love to fill my homemade taco bowls with Instant Pot cilantro lime rice, shredded cabbage, Instant Pot chicken tacos, canned beans, and chipotle southwest sauce.

How to store

Storing leftovers: all the taco shells to fully cool before storing them in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Reheating leftovers: these taco bowls are fantastic served at room temp, but if you want to reheat them, pop them back into a 350˚F oven for 3-4 minutes.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

  • I recommend using burrito-sized tortillas.
  • Double-check that the bowls you plan to use are marked as “oven-safe”.
  • You can use corn tortillas for a gluten-free version, but the taco bowls will be much smaller. You should also microwave the tortillas for 15 seconds to make them pliable before dipping them in the water/oil mixture.
a crunchy taco salad bowl on a plate.
4.84 from 6 ratings

Homemade Baked Taco Salad Shells (20 Min)

Servings: 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 17 minutes
a fork in a baked tortilla bowl
Homemade taco salad shells are a delicious and easy version of deep-fried bowls. These crispy baked tortilla bowls can be made ahead of time and don't require any special equipment.

Ingredients 

  • 3 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil {divided}
  • 4 flour tortillas {burrito size}
  • olive oil spray

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425˚F.
  • Place 4 shallow bowls with the opening facing up on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray the bowls lightly with olive oil.
    olive oil spray
  • Place oil and water in a shallow dish. 
    2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp water
  • Dip each tortilla in the water and oil mixture, coating each side. Allow the excess to drip back into the dish. 
    4 flour tortillas
  • Place each tortilla into a bowl, and "mold" it into a bowl shape.
  • Bake for 8-12 minutes depending on how crispy you like your shell.

Notes

  1. For best results, use burrito-sized tortillas.
  2. To prep: Allow them to fully cool and then store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tortilla bowlCalories: 152kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 207mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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About Sarah Cook

I'm here to help you make easy, seasonal, and no-fuss recipes for yourself and your family.

Whether it's a quick one-pot dinner or if I am teaching you how to can and preserve local produce, you can consider me your elder millennial grandma

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4.84 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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