Air Fryer Taco Shells

I have got to show you how to make homemade taco shells quick! If you like to cook from scratch this couldn’t be easier. You can fill them with all sorts of things for dinner and kids just love them. Just one of our easy air fryer recipes even my teens can make.

You literally just need small corn tortillas to make these. Hot air does all the work for you inside the forms. If you want homemade tostadas this will work too, just leave them flat inside the basket.

If you’re looking for a few of the best air fryer Mexican recipes, this one tops the list. New to this way? Don’t worry, we will walk you thru it step by step as well as making air fryer ground beef to fill them with.

Ninja Air Fryer Taco Shells

It doesn’t matter what brand you might have at home. With the Ninja Foodi air fryer you would use the air crisp setting and the lid that is attached. You can make your own flour versions of these and make air fryer tortillas yourself too. Those are great for soft tacos. Cut these corn versions into smaller pieces to make homemade chips too.

What do you need to make homemade taco shells?

We typically just make 2-4 of these at a time but you can do as many as you like with a package of small corn tortillas. I think these work better with this thicker type but have made flour at times.

Olive oil spray can crisp them more if you want them really hard. You just need a light bit and I recommend that you buy the 4 taco rack linked below. If you wanted to make tostadas you wouldn’t need the racks, nor would you for tortilla chips in air fryer.

Ready for an awesome taco Tuesday this week? Skip the store bought package that always has at least one broken inside and make homemade air fryer shells this way. You will taste and feel the difference. It only takes a few extra minutes to make so well worth it to eat from scratch.

How Long to Cook Corn Tortillas to Make Taco Shells in Air Fryer

You are going to need about 5 minutes to shape it properly into a shell in order to hold meat, cheese and lettuce inside. In order to crisp it you will want some olive oil (or avocado oil) which helps make them crispy and keep their shape.

Homemade Tacos Shells without Mold

What if you don’t want to buy any other accessories? You could use aluminum foil wadded up into a wide piece to form these too. You just need to keep the two sides open enough to stuff the meat and cabbage inside. Just lay it in the basket on it’s side with the foil “bar” in the middle to shape.

It is best to do these one at a time. Just leave on the parchment as each cools and place another piece in with your next shell. This is how to make rotel tacos after you have these made.

Cheese Taco Shells in Air Fryer (Option)

If you wanted keto shells instead you could do that. You will need a piece of parchment paper for this one. Shred about 2 cups of cheddar cheese and preheat machine to 380 F for 5 minutes. Place parchment paper inside basket

Spread about 1/2 cup of cheese on to the paper and spread out so it’s in a circular shape without a lot of bare spots in between. Air fry for about 1-2 minutes or until it is melted and lightly brown

Remove basket and allow to cool about 1 minute or enough where it is slightly hardening but soft enough to bend into shape Bend into a taco shape and hold until it hardens or set a piece of foil in the middle until it’s hard.

Then fill with meat as you wish. Drizzle empanada dipping sauce over the top for added YUM. I have other options too using just this machine like

Can you cook taco shells with meat inside?

Now you can do this another way. If you already have the meat you want to fill these with already cooked you can fill, fold tortilla over and set into your machine that way. As it heats the shell will get hard and reheat the ingredients inside at the same time. The shell will somewhat curl around and hold everything in this way.

You can jump to recipe and print recipe below and get started. Let us know what your favorite fillings are!

Other easy air fryer recipes you’ll love

If you want a breaded option, air fry fried shrimp will probably be your favorite. If you want to wrap it all up tight and crisp the outside like a air fryer chimichanga, follow these directions instead.

How to save leftovers

If you made too many but hate to throw them away, no problem. Just remember that air is the enemy when it comes to keeping them crispy and fresh. Think of them as tortilla chips. You want to suck as much air out of the bag you place them in or they’ll start to get stale fast.

What can you make with leftover taco shells?

You can reuse as is with filling the next day or break into pieces and use as chips with dip as a snack later on. I hate wasting any food so if you’re like me you’ll appreciate this tip. I like small freezer bags personally because they are a lot thicker than sandwich bags and things stay fresh longer to me.