How to Fry Tortillas
Fry 8-inch corn tortillas in hot oil until blistered and crisp to make homemade taco shells.
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Tongs
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
Ingredients
- corn oilor vegetable oil
- 8 8-inchcorn tortillas
Instructions
Instructions
- Pour corn oil or vegetable oil into a large skillet—enough for the tortilla to float slightly—and heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F or a small scrap of tortilla sizzles immediately when added.
- Using tongs, carefully lower one 8-inch corn tortilla into the hot oil and fry until it is blistering but still soft, about 10–15 seconds.
- Flip the tortilla with the tongs, then immediately fold it in half and hold or pinch the edges to form a taco shell shape.
- Continue frying the folded tortilla, turning as needed, until the shell is crisp and golden all over, about 15–30 seconds longer.
- Transfer the finished shell to a plate and loosely tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Repeat steps 2–4 with the remaining tortillas.
Notes
Best oil for frying:If you are frying corn tortillas, corn oil is the best choice. You can also use basic vegetable oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, or sunflower seed oil. You want a neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point.
Make sure the oil is hot enough.Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil accurately. If you don’t have one, wet the tip of your finger with water and dripjust onedrop of water into the oil. If it sputters and crackles, the oil is ready.
But not too hot.Cooking with oil can be tricky. If the oil starts smoking, that means you’ve passed the point and should let the oil cool down a bit.
Don’t crowd the pot.Too many chips or tortillas in the oil cools the oil down and prevents things from getting super crispy. It’s better to work slowly than rush.
Add more oil as you go.Depending on how many tortillas you’re cooking, you may need to add more oil. Just let the oil heat up again before adding more tortillas.
Paper towels are your friend.Paper towels really soak up extra oil (and extra calories) so feel free to break them out. When I make chips, I’ll layer them between batches of fried chips as I work. Not into paper towels? I keep a stack of clean wash clothes in my kitchen in my kitchen just for situations like this. Use them, then wash them!
Seasoning and salt.Once the tortillas are crispy, salt and season them while they’re still warm. Use a coarse salt or any other seasoning you like. A sprinkle ofchili seasoning, a squirt of lime juice, or maybe even a dusting ofhomemade fajita seasoning.
Shelf life:Use what you make right away, or all your hard work may become chewy (humidity causes the chewiness). You can store them in a paper bag folded over and kept out at room temperature. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven to crisp them up again.
Make sure the oil is hot enough.Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil accurately. If you don’t have one, wet the tip of your finger with water and dripjust onedrop of water into the oil. If it sputters and crackles, the oil is ready.
But not too hot.Cooking with oil can be tricky. If the oil starts smoking, that means you’ve passed the point and should let the oil cool down a bit.
Don’t crowd the pot.Too many chips or tortillas in the oil cools the oil down and prevents things from getting super crispy. It’s better to work slowly than rush.
Add more oil as you go.Depending on how many tortillas you’re cooking, you may need to add more oil. Just let the oil heat up again before adding more tortillas.
Paper towels are your friend.Paper towels really soak up extra oil (and extra calories) so feel free to break them out. When I make chips, I’ll layer them between batches of fried chips as I work. Not into paper towels? I keep a stack of clean wash clothes in my kitchen in my kitchen just for situations like this. Use them, then wash them!
Seasoning and salt.Once the tortillas are crispy, salt and season them while they’re still warm. Use a coarse salt or any other seasoning you like. A sprinkle ofchili seasoning, a squirt of lime juice, or maybe even a dusting ofhomemade fajita seasoning.
Shelf life:Use what you make right away, or all your hard work may become chewy (humidity causes the chewiness). You can store them in a paper bag folded over and kept out at room temperature. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven to crisp them up again.