Making Taco shells at home easier than you think. These taco shells are made with whole wheat flour and gram flour. The recipe is pretty simple and beginner recipe you can start with 😉
The idea of making our very own taco shells at home comes after a random search on the internet. I was actually looking for some sauces and I got this idea. As I am a beginner, I thought to make my very own easy version of taco shells.
Tacos facts
What is a taco? It is a Traditional Mexican dish where hand size of wheat or corn tortilla topped with a filling.
Taco is considered as an old Mexican recipe where people of mexico ate Tacos filled with small fish. Taco shells can be hard or soft. You can choose either hard or soft taco shell base recipe for your tacos.
Soft and hard taco shells
It is believed that the oldest and most widely consumed form of taco shell is “soft shell”. Most of the time taco shells are made from corn flour.
Hard taco shells can be made by frying shells until crisp golden brown. In some variations, Taco shells are made from all purpose flour too.
Ingredients
Okay, folks, This recipe has some personal touch. I didn’t use corn flour here(the traditional taco shell recipe is coming shortly). Ingredients listed below.
Flour – I used whole wheat flour and gram flour to make these tacos.
Seasoning – Salt and red pepper powder. I like the hint of spices in my recipes so I added a pinch of red chili powder in the dough. You can completely avoid it.
Water – To make the dough.
How to make taco shells from scratch?
dough and taco shell preparation,
First thing first, transfer both the flours in a bowl. Add salt and red pepper powder. Roughly mix.
Now, add water as required and prepare a soft dough.
spread some oil and knead the dough for 2 mins.
Keep the dough aside for 10 minutes. This dough needs to be set before using it.
Take out the dough from the bowl ad knead it again for 2 minutes. Dough should be soft and elasticity.
take a small portion of the dough and flatten it to a medium thin circle.
using a cutter, cut into a medium circle. This way you will get same size circles for your taco shells.
keep them aside.
cooking taco shells,
Method – 1 bake your taco shells
preheat your oven on 200°C or 392°F for 15 minutes.
take your cupcake pan and flip it over.
spray the pan with oil or cooking spray. Place taco shells carefully on the pan. Drizzle some oil over the taco shells.
bake taco shells for 15 minutes. If you want crispier shells than bake it for 20 minutes.
once baked, remove the shells from the pan and cool down completely. Use as required.
Method -2 cooking on stove top
This method will give soft taco shells.
heat pan. once the pan is hot, place taco shells on the pan.
cook both side on medium flame.
cool it down and use as required.
How to store taco shells?
these taco shells can stay fresh up to 3 days when stored in a refrigerator. Cool taco shells properly and store them in an airtight container. For the soft taco shells, you can use zip lock bags. I have not tried freezing taco shells yet so can not tell how this recipe work after freezing taco shells.
Taco topping suggestions
- classic guacamole – Very convenient and easy taco topping.
- canned beans, sour cream and avocado – again a very easy topping for your tacos. Add some cooked beans, sour cream and sliced avocado along with your regular salt, pepper and other seasoning.
More easy how-to’s on the blog,
- Easy spring roll sheets – an easy homemade fix to make crispy spring rolls.
- Cook chickpeas in instant pot – without soaking
- No yeast pizza dough – pizza dough when you don’t have yeast.
- Make schezwan sauce – easiest schezwan sauce
- Red curry masala paste – Indian curry base.
Easy taco shells recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup gram flour
- salt to taste
- a pinch of red chili powder
- ½ cup water, to prepare dough
- 1 tablespoon oil, to drizlles on taco shells
- 1 teaspoon oil, to knead the dough
tools
- rolling pin
- medium size round cutter
- cupcake baking pan
Instructions
dough and taco shell preparation,
- First thing first, transfer both the flours in a bowl. Add salt and red pepper powder. Roughly mix.1 cup whole wheat flour, ¼ cup gram flour, salt to taste, a pinch of red chili powder
- Now, add water as required and prepare a soft dough.½ cup water
- spread some oil and knead the dough for 2 mins. Keep the dough aside for 10 minutes. This dough needs to be set before using it.1 teaspoon oil
- Take out the dough from the bowl ad knead it again for 2 minutes. dough should be soft and elasticity.
- take a small portion of the dough and flatten it to a medium thin circle.
- using a cutter, cut into a medium circle. This way you will get same size circles for your taco shells.
- keep them aside.
cooking taco shells, Method – 1 bake your taco shells
- Preheat your oven on 200°C or 392°F for 15 minutes.
- take your cupcake pan and flip it over.
- spray the pan with oil or cooking spray. Place taco shells carefully on the pan. Drizzle some oil over the taco shells.
- bake taco shells for 15 minutes. If you want a crispier shells than bake it for 20 minute
- once baked, remove the shells from the pan and cool down completely. use as required.
Method -2 cooking on stove top
- This method will give soft taco shells.
- heat pan. once the pan is hot, place taco shells on the pan.
- cook both side on medium flame.
- cool it down and use as required.
We very rarely use taco shells, but you might have just convinced us to start using them more often!
Love your idea of baking them in between the muffin tin slots. Great way to keep their shape. We can imagine stuffing these shells with lots of goodies and not just Mexican fare.
Priya, I’ve used gram flour for making besan ki roti, but it never occurred to me to use it in tortillas. A brilliant idea and great tip for using the cup cake pan.
Fun dish! I make a lot of soft tacos, but like your recipe for shells. Will have to give this a try — thanks.
This is so cool! I’ve seen plenty of recipes for homemade corn tortillas, but for some reason, never flour-based ones, and certainly not of the crunchy variety. I stopped eating them because store-bought options are always stale and bland. I’d sure love to give it another shot with these recipe on my side!
Priya
You have taken making tacos using wheat flour with besan to next level. All healthy.