Crispy All Cheese Taco Shells Recipes

CHEDDAR CHEESE TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wrap a yardstick or ruler with aluminum foil and suspend it between two 28-ounce cans.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded Cheddar on the baking sheet to form a circle 6 inches in diameter. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of cheese, making 2 circles. Bake the first batch until the cheese melts and turns light brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Using a spatula, transfer the cheese circles to the suspended yardstick and drape them over to form taco shells. Let them hang until firm, then carefully remove. Repeat with the remaining cheese.
• Fill the shells with your favorite taco fillings.

CRISPY CHEESE TACO SHELLS (LOW CARB KETO TACO SHELLS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place one rack in the upper third and the other rack in the lower third of the oven. Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper. I like to trace 3, 6-inch circles on each parchment, so my shells are the same size. (Flip the parchment over so you don't get pencil or pen on the cheese.)
• Measure 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) of shredded cheese per circle and spread evenly to the edges of the circle.
• Bake for 5 minutes and swap the positions of the baking sheets. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until little holes have appeared in the surface of the cheese and the edges begin to brown.
• Remove from the oven and blot with a paper towel before removing to wooden spoons or spatulas suspended by glasses to shape taco shells. (I now use a taco shaper which I have linked to in the post and it is much easier to shape the shells.) Leave on the pans to cool flat for chalupa or tostada shells.
• Cool completely and store in an air-tight container on the counter for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
• * Make sure to use ONLY pre-shredded cheddar cheese from a bag like Kraft brand. This never sticks to the parchment. I tried a mixed blend of Mexican cheese and it stuck a little and didn't get crispy. ALSO, if the cheese isn't cooked enough, it will stick. Make sure it starts to turn evenly browned - not dark, but not bright orange any more.
• 1 carb per shell.

TACO SHELLS AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Stir in the diced tomatoes and chiles, hot water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes, then remove to a bowl (it will still be a little juicy).
• In the same pan over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the milk and cook until hot and bubbling. Add the processed cheese and cook, stirring, until melted. Do the same with the Cheddar jack. Pour in the cooked pasta, add the taco meat and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, thinning with a splash of milk if needed. Stir in the cilantro.
• Top each serving with some sour cream and salsa if desired.

HARD TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Heat about 1 inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Use tongs to place one tortilla at a time into the oil. It should start to sizzle right away. Cook for about 15 seconds, then flip over and fold the shell in half, holding in place with the tongs until crispy, about 15 seconds. You may need a little practice at first. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with salt while still hot. Use for tacos right away, or they may become chewy. Leftovers may be heated in the oven for crisping.

ULTIMATE CHEWY TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat in a 12 inch skillet.
• Once the oil is rippling, drop in the tortilla and flip immediately to ensure even coating of the oil on both sides.
• After about 30 seconds, bubbles will begin to form on the top. ( I usually break these with my tongs).
• Check the underside for desired crispiness, flip.
• Once the other side begins to brown/crisp, fold the tortilla into a taco shape, and contiue to cook for about 30 seconds longer.
• Drain on paper towels.

CRISP TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed, straight-sided skillet, heat 1 inch vegetable oil over medium until it registers 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Add a corn tortilla and fry 15 seconds per side.
• Fold tortilla in half, pressing one side to bottom of skillet and holding other side up with tongs. Cook until crisp and golden, 15 to 30 seconds. Flip and repeat, pressing other side into oil.
• Drain on paper towels. Repeat to make as many shells as you like; a good rule of thumb is 2 tacos per person.

LOW-CARB KETO CHEESE TACO SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Wrap the handle of a wooden spoon with aluminum foil. Balance between 2 tall cans.
• Spread Cheddar cheese on the prepared baking sheets into four 6-inch circles placed 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese melts and is lightly brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Lift with a spatula and drape over the wrapped wooden handle; cool until set, about 10 minutes.