What Are Taco shells and How Can I Use Them?

Taco shells rewards a little know-how: how to choose them, cook them, store them, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 30 recipes to cook with them.

Key Points

Corn tortillas folded into a U and fried crisp, sold pre-formed in a box.
Fill with a hot, drained layer first so cold toppings do not soften the shell.
Warm 5 to 7 minutes at 350°F (175°C) before filling to restore crispness.
Overfilling or wet filling cracks the shell; keep portions modest and drained.
Sealed they keep for months; re-crisp softened shells in a hot oven.

What are taco shells?

Taco shells are corn tortillas that have been folded into a U and fried crisp, so they hold their shape on the plate. They come pre-formed in a box, ready to fill straight from the shelf, and they shatter into that signature crunch when you bite down.

The shell is just fried corn, which is why it tastes of toasted masa and snaps instead of bending.

That hard, brittle structure is the whole appeal. It is also the source of every headache with them.

Using Taco Shells

Filling is the main event. Spoon in a layer of warm protein first, like the seasoned ground beef in Beef Tacos or the chilled crab in Crab Tacos.

Pile the cold toppings of lettuce and cheese on top of that hot layer, so they never sit against the shell long enough to soften it.

They work for far more than ground beef. Three-Bean Tacos load them with a meatless filling, and the playful Spaghetti Tacos spoon saucy pasta straight into the crisp shell.

Crush them and a second life opens up. Broken shells become a crunchy coating for chicken, which is exactly the trick behind Crunchy Taco Chip Chicken, and the crumbs scatter over a taco salad for texture.

Warm the shells before filling. Five to seven minutes in a 350°F (175°C) oven, standing upright or laid on their sides, drives off the boxed staleness and makes them noticeably crisper and more fragrant.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Hard corn shells love bold, juicy Tex-Mex fillings: spiced beef or turkey, refried beans, sharp cheddar, and shredded lettuce, topped with diced tomato and a spoon of salsa or sour cream.

The toasted-corn flavor stands up to a heavy hit of chili powder and cumin where a soft flour tortilla would fade.

The biggest mistake is the shell cracking the second you bite. It happens because the shell was overfilled or the wet filling soaked through. Keep portions modest and put the driest, hottest layer against the shell.

The second mistake is filling cold shells from the box. Straight from the package they taste flat and crack more easily, so the quick oven warm-up is worth the few minutes every time.

A third trap is sauce pooling at the bottom. Drain taco meat well before it goes in, since standing liquid turns the lower curve to mush before the table is even set.

Substitutes

Soft corn or flour tortillas are the obvious swap when you want a taco that folds instead of shatters. You lose the crunch and gain a pliable wrap that will not crack, which many cooks actually prefer for messy fillings.

Tostada shells, which are flat fried corn rounds, carry the same toppings open-faced when you have no U-shaped shells. A folded soft corn tortilla pan-fried until crisp makes a homemade hard shell with better flavor than the box.

For the crushed-shell coating or salad-topper job, plain tortilla chips or corn chips stand in directly, since they are the same fried corn in a different shape.

Buying and Storage

Boxed taco shells live in the Mexican-foods aisle, sold a dozen or so to a box, sometimes flat-bottomed so they can stand on the plate. Give the box a gentle shake; if it rattles with loose pieces, too many are already broken.

Unopened, they keep for months in the cupboard because they are fully fried and dry. Still check the printed date, since the corn oil in them eventually goes stale and tastes flat.

Once the box is open, fold the inner bag tightly or move the shells to an airtight container, and keep them away from humidity, which is what turns a crisp shell chewy.

If they have softened, do not toss them. A few minutes in a hot oven crisps them right back up, the same warm-up you would give them before filling anyway.