Sometimes you just want a taco that has a crunch with every bite, and theseHomemade Hard Corn Taco Shellswill bring all your crunchy, crispy taco dreams to life.

an overhead shot of a pan filled with crispy corn tortilla shells.

While the traditional soft corn tortilla version of housing a taco is a staple in our home, sometimes it’s fun to mix things up and go with the crunchy, hard shell option. Plus, these Homemade Hard Corn Taco Shells are a cinch to make, and they’re 10-times better than the bagged version you can get at the store. Loaded up with shredded chicken,barbacoa, and ground beef, these shells will keep everyone coming back for more!

Hard taco shells take a regular taco meal and turn it into a party in your home and your mouth. You heard it here first. Give these a try next time you have friends over or are in charge of a dish at a get together for your kids’ friends.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These taco shells come together in just 30 minutes.
Taco shells make a delicious, sturdy vessel to carry all your favorite meats, cheeses, andsalsas!
You can easily fry and store your taco shells ahead of time.

Recipe Ingredients

Corn Tortillas—White or yellow will work. Feel free to get whatever size you’d like!
Canola Oil—For frying.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities

How to Make Corn Taco Shells

Fill the bottom of a medium sized skillet with oil and heat it on the stove over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, use a pair of tongs to place a tortilla in the oil and then fold it over on itself to form a shell.
Allow the half of the tortilla in the oil to cook until golden brown and then repeat with the other half of the tortilla shell.
Allow your shells to cool on a plate lined with paper towels and repeat with the rest of your tortillas.

What are hard taco shells made of?

These hard corn taco shells could not be simpler to make at home! The only food items you need are your favorite brand of store-bought corn tortillas and canola, corn, or vegetable oil.

Can hard taco shells be frozen?

For the sake of maintaining the architecture of a crunchy hard shell taco and saving freezer space, I don’t recommend freezing your shells. They can be hard to reheat from frozen and will lose their delicious crunch.. After making your hard corn taco shells, they should last up to a week on the counter. But, like with most fried foods, eating it fresh is always the best option.

Can you make homemade hard taco shells with flour tortillas?

Definitely! Some people like the taste and texture of flour tortillas over corn, and more power to you! The consistency might be a little different than the corn taco shells (chewier), but still delicious nonetheless.

an overhead shot of corn tortilla shells filled with shredded chicken, cheese, and other taco toppings.

Expert Tips

In addition to using canola oil, you can also usevegetable or corn oil. The main thing to remember is thatyou want to use a high heat oil.
Feel free to use yellow or white corn tortillas in this recipe, they both work great.
Make sure that your oil isnice and hot before adding your tortilla shell. I like to give my oil about 10 minutes to heat up. You can alsocheck the temperature of the oil with a thermometer. it should be at about 350°F.
Another easy way to check your oil is bysticking the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. If bubbles form around the wood then you are good to go!
If you have any shells that break or crack then don’t worry! You can still serve them on the side astortilla chips.

How to Store Your Taco Shells

I usually like to try and only make as many taco shells as we are going to use for dinner. However, if you are making a bigger batch or just have some leftovers, you can store them on the counter for up to a week. We like to keep them in an airtight plastic container so they don’t get crushed by anything.