Many Mexican restaurants serve taco salads in basket-shaped taco shells they create by frying flour tortillas. A taco salad must have a taco shell for an authentic taco taste. Replicate that taco salad taste at home by making your own taco shell baskets either in the oven or by deep-frying your tortilla into the same shapes that your favorite Mexican restaurant creates. Using taco shell baskets for your salad also makes clean-up a breeze, since you eat the salad and the bowl, leaving only a fork to wash.
Deep Fry
Step 1
Fill your deep fryer with enough vegetable oil to completely submerge your single taco shell wire frying basket or taco salad press.
Step 2
Heat the oil in your deep fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3
Float an 8- to 12-inch flour tortilla on top of the hot oil. Immediately center the taco salad press over the tortilla and push it down, submerging the entire tortilla beneath the surface of the oil. Use a single taco shell wire frying basket to mold the tortilla before submerging it into the oil as an option. Lay the tortilla into the bottom half of the basket, and press the top of the basket into the tortilla, creating a bowl shape.
Step 4
Hold the flour tortilla in the hot oil for about 30 seconds, or until the edges of the basket appear crispy and lightly browned.
Step 5
Remove the press or basket from the hot oil. Drain the taco shell basket on paper towels.
Baked
Step 1
Spray both sides of 8- to 12-inch flour tortillas with nonstick cooking spray, or lightly brush both sides with olive oil with a pastry brush.
Step 2
Press the tortillas into metal taco salad baking bowls or oven-safe metal or glass bowls to create the taco basket shape.
Step 3
Set the bowls onto a baking sheet. Place the sheet into an oven preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4
Bake the taco shell baskets for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the baskets appear crispy and golden brown.
Step 5
Remove the taco shell baskets from the oven. Allow the baskets to cool for two or three minutes before filling.
Things You'll Need
- Deep fryer
- Vegetable oil
- Single taco shell wire fry basket
- Taco salad press
- 8- to 12-inch flour tortillas
- Paper towels
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Olive oil
- Pastry brush
- Metal taco salad baking bowls
- Oven-safe metal or glass bowls
- Baking sheet
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