Making taco shell bowls in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to create crispy, crunchy taco bowls for taco night. Air fryers provide a convenient hands-off approach to getting deliciously crisped tortilla bowls ready in just minutes. With minimal effort, you can whip up homemade taco bowls that are healthier and taste better than store-bought options.
What is a Taco Shell Bowl?
A taco shell bowl is a crispy, fried tortilla shaped into a bowl or cup shape to serve tacos in. Rather than serving tacos on soft tortillas or hard taco shells, the taco fillings are piled into the fried tortilla bowl.
Taco shell bowls provide a fun way to serve and eat tacos. Their unique shape allows you to load up all the toppings so every bite includes flavorsome fillings. The crispy fried bowls also hold up well to juicy taco fillings without getting soggy.
Benefits of Making Taco Shell Bowls in an Air Fryer
Here are some of the benefits of using an air fryer to make crispy taco shell bowls:
- Quick cooking time – Air fryers cook foods much faster than conventional ovens. Taco bowls take only about 5-10 minutes to bake in an air fryer.
- Crispy texture – The circulating hot air in an air fryer crisps up the tortillas nicely.
- Holds shape – Air frying helps set the shape of the taco bowl so it stays upright when filled.
- No flipping required – The air fryer heats food from all sides, so you don’t need to flip the shells during cooking.
- Less oil needed – Only a small amount of oil is needed to brush the tortilla before air frying. Much less than frying.
- Healthier – Air frying uses less oil than traditional frying, so the taco bowls are lower in fat and calories.
- Simple cleanup – With minimal oil, cleanup of the air fryer basket after cooking is easy.
- Convenient – Let the air fryer do the work while you prep other taco fillings and toppings.
The enclosed heating environment of the air fryer circulates hot air around food to produce a crispy, fried texture without submerging foods in oil. This makes it the ideal small appliance for achieving perfect taco bowls.
Ingredients
Making air fryer taco bowls only requires a handful of ingredients:
- Corn or flour tortillas – 6 to 8-inch size works best
- Oil – Any neutral tasting oil like canola, vegetable, avocado, etc.
- Salt
- Taco seasoning
You can keep the taco bowls plain and simple with just these ingredients or add extras like:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper
Seasonings like these can help boost the flavor of the shells before air frying. But you can also keep the tortillas plain and season your taco fillings instead.
Equipment Needed
These basic kitchen tools will help make air fried taco bowls:
- Air fryer – Any size air fryer will work.
- Cooking spray or brush – For coating the tortillas with oil before air frying.
- Bowl – For tossing tortillas with oil and seasonings.
- Aluminum foil – To ease removal of the taco bowls after cooking.
- Oven mitt or towel – To remove the hot air fryer basket.
- Spoon or tongs – For shaping the tortillas into taco bowl shapes.
How to Make Air Fryer Taco Shell Bowls
Making taco bowls in an air fryer takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish. Follow these simple steps:
- Preheat air fryer to 370°F.
- Lightly brush both sides of corn or flour tortillas with oil. Use about 1 tsp per tortilla.
- Optional: Sprinkle tortillas with salt, taco seasoning, and any other desired spices.
- Working one at a time, drape tortillas over an oven-safe bowl, pressing down slightly to form a u-shape.
- Place shaped tortillas into the preheated air fryer basket, overlapping edges as needed to fit.
- Air fry for 4-8 minutes until lightly browned and crispy.
- Remove from air fryer and place on a foil-lined plate or pan.
- Gently press down on the tortilla bowls to help set their shape.
- Let cool for 2-5 minutes before carefully removing foil.
- Fill taco bowls with desired taco toppings and serve.
The exact air frying time will vary based on the size and thickness of the tortillas used. Start checking at 4 minutes for thinner flour or white corn tortillas. Thicker yellow or blue corn tortillas may need up to 8 minutes.
Let the shells cool for just a couple minutes before handling so they hold their shape better. Then load them up with your favorite taco fixings!
Tips for Making Perfect Air Fryer Taco Bowls
Here are some tips and tricks to help you nail air fried taco shells every time:
- Don’t overfill the basket – Air needs to circulate freely, so avoid cramming in too many tortillas at once.
- Brush lightly with oil – Just a small amount of oil is needed to crisp the tortillas in the air fryer.
- Use foil – Lining the air fryer pan or a plate with foil helps remove the cooked taco bowls easily.
- Work in batches – Cook 3-4 tortilla shells at a time for the best results.
- Don’t flip – Let the air fryer heat do the work of crisping both sides.
- Shape over bowls – Drape tortillas over an oven-safe bowl to help shape them before air frying.
- Set the shape – Gently pressing down after cooking helps the shells hold their form when filled.
- Let cool slightly – Allow shells to cool for 2-5 minutes before handling so they don’t break.
Customize Your Taco Shell Bowls
The great thing about DIY taco shells is that you can customize them to suit your preferences. Try out different ways to make your air fried taco bowls unique:
- Flavored oils – Use olive oil or avocado oil for more flavor.
- Seasonings – Sprinkle or brush on spices like garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper.
- Cheese – Add shredded cheese like cheddar, Monterey jack, or Mexican-style blends into the bowls after air frying.
- Refried beans – Spread refried beans on the interior of the taco bowl before cooking for extra thickness and nutrition.
- Cut shapes – Use cookie cutters or kitchen shears to cut tortillas into fun shapes before draping over bowls.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors by adding ranch powder, lime juice, jalapeños, etc. The options are endless for customizing air fried taco shells!
What to Serve in Taco Shell Bowls
Now comes the best part – filling up the taco bowls! Almost any typical taco filling will work great served in the crispy fried tortilla shells. Here are some tasty ideas:
- Ground beef or turkey
- Shredded chicken
- Carnitas
- Chorizo
- Fish
- Shrimp
- Steak
- Barbacoa
- Refried or black beans
- Spanish rice
- Corn
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Avocado
- Cheese
- Salsa and hot sauce
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
Practically any taco fillings, toppings, condiments, and more can be piled high in your homemade taco shell bowls! Chicken, steak, carnitas, and barbacoa are especially delicious in these crispy shells.
For the easiest dinner ever, take a rotisserie chicken and shred the meat. Heat your desired taco toppings and fillings while the taco bowls cook in the air fryer. Top the crispy shells with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, cheese, and other favorite taco garnishes.
Substitute Ingredients
Don’t have all the ingredients on hand? Here are some simple ingredient swaps:
| Ingredient | Substitution |
|---|---|
| Corn tortillas | Flour tortillas or tostadas |
| Canola oil | Vegetable, olive, avocado, grapeseed oil |
| Taco seasoning | Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano |
| Cheddar cheese | Monterey jack, Mexican blend, queso fresco |
Don’t let a missing ingredient stop you from whipping up crunchy homemade taco bowls. There are plenty of substitutions that can work just as well!
Air Fryer Taco Bowl Recipes
Here are a few flavorful recipes to try using your air fried taco shell bowls:
Baja Fish Taco Bowls
Spice up your taco bowls with crisp fried fish, tangy lime slaw, and creamy sriracha sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
chicken fajita taco bowls
Sizzling chicken, peppers, and onions meets all the taco fixings in these satisfying bowls. Finish with a squeeze of lime.
carne asada taco bowls
Sliced steak marinated in lime, garlic, and spices is a stellar filling for air fried tortilla bowls. Load up on toppings like guac, pico, and salsa.
Buffalo chicken taco bowls
Crunchy air fried shells hold spicy and tangy Buffalo chicken, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and blue cheese or ranch dressing.
Air Fryer Taco Bowl FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about making taco bowls in an air fryer:
Can you use store bought taco shells?
Yes, you can use store-bought hard taco shells in the air fryer. Spray or brush the shells with oil before air frying 3-5 minutes until warmed through and lightly crisped.
How long do air fried taco bowls last?
Taco bowls made in the air fryer will stay fresh for about 5 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat leftover shells in the air fryer or oven until crispy.
Can you prepare taco bowls ahead of time?
Yes, you can make taco shells in advance. Allow shells to cool completely after air frying, then place in an airtight container or zip top bag. They will keep for 4-5 days stored at room temperature.
Can you freeze air fried taco shells?
The crispy air fried taco bowls do not freeze well. For best results, prepare only the number needed for each meal.
Do you need to use oil?
Brushing the tortillas with a small amount of oil before air frying helps them turn out crispy on the outside. You can try making them oil-free but they may not get quite as crunchy.
Conclusion
Air frying makes it so easy to achieve perfectly crisped and crunchy taco bowls at home with little effort. Simply brush tortillas with oil, shape into bowls, and air fry until golden brown. Top with your favorite meats, toppings, and taco fixings for a fun and tasty taco night!