Homemade Tostada Shells (Fried or Baked)

Are you on the tostada bandwagon yet? If you love hard-shell tacos, you are going to love these. Our family has fallen pretty hard for tostadas recently, which meant we were buying bag after bag of pre-made shells. The problem? We were never really happy with the store-bought ones, so we finally decided to just make them ourselves.

The great news is that homemade tostada shells are ridiculously easy to make on the stove or in the oven using your favorite corn tortillas. If you’ve made our homemade tortilla chips, the method below will look very familiar!

Key Ingredients

• Tortillas: We use corn tortillas, either a high-quality store-bought brand or homemade (here’s our homemade corn tortilla recipe if you’d like to see how easy they are to make). If you are using store-bought, look for a brand with visible speckles and a bit of texture.
• Oil: You can bake or fry these. Either way, you will need oil. For baked tostada shells, brush a little olive oil or avocado oil on each side of the tortillas. For fried, use a neutral oil like safflower or vegetable oil.
• Salt (optional): Just as the shells come out of the oven (or oil if frying), sprinkle them lightly with salt.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Tostada Shells

First, decide whether you want to bake or fry them. We prefer the lighter, crispier texture of fried, but the baked version is easy, uses less oil, and still makes shells that are way better than store-bought. Below, I’ll show you how to make tostada shells both ways.

Here’s how to make crispy, fried tostada shells at home: First, grab a medium, deep saucepan that’s just wide enough to fit a tortilla (like the one shown in our photos). Pour a neutral oil into the saucepan until it’s ½ to 1 inch deep. Using a smaller pan means you’ll use much less oil, which keeps this process so much easier!

Heat the oil to about 350°F over medium to medium-high heat. We like to test the temperature by dropping a tiny piece of tortilla into the oil. If it sizzles and bubbles right away, it is ready. Slide in one tortilla and cook, carefully flipping once, until puffed, golden, and crisp.

Transfer to a wire rack, lightly sprinkle with salt, then move on to the next tortilla. Each one only takes about 1 minute in the oil.

Here’s how to make tostada shells in the oven: While frying makes the shells a bit lighter and crispier, baked tostada shells are still excellent. Grab a baking sheet and lay down 3 to 4 tortillas so they do not overlap. Lightly brush both sides with oil, then slide into a preheated 375°F oven.

Bake for 5 minutes, flip, and bake until crisp (about 5 more minutes). Transfer them to a wire rack and lightly season with salt.

Once you have your shells, top them with your favorite taco toppings! We love a layer of refried beans, taco meat, and then pile on all of our favorite toppings like sour cream, pico de gallo, and guacamole.

Homemade Tostada Shells (Fried or Baked)

• PREP
• COOK
• TOTAL

For the best homemade tostada shells, fry them. The recipe includes details for fried and baked tostadas. The baked shells are excellent, but they will not be as light or crispy as the traditionally fried shells. The recipe calls for 6 corn tortillas, but you can increase or decrease this amount based on how many shells you would like to make.

For the best flavor, look for tortillas made using nixtamalized corn. Nixtamalization is a traditional process where dried corn is soaked in water with slaked lime (also called cal). Not all store-bought tortillas use this method, which is why the flavor of corn tortillas can vary from brand to brand. Look for the words “nixtamal” or “nixtamalized” on the packaging. You can also look at the list of ingredients (it should be short and have the words “lime” or “cal.”)

You Will Need

6 corn tortillas, see homemade corn tortillas

Neutral, high-heat cooking oil (1 cup for fried, 2 tablespoons for baked)

Sea salt to taste

Directions

• Fried Shells

1Place a wire rack over a sheet of paper towels and set it nearby.

2Add enough oil to a medium, high-sided saucepan or cast-iron skillet until it is about ½ inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (180°C).

3Slide one tortilla into the oil and use a slotted spoon or tongs to gently press it down. Cook for about 30 seconds, flip, and then cook for another 30 seconds, or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to the wire rack and immediately sprinkle lightly with salt (if using). Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

• Baked Shells

1Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lay the tortillas across two baking sheets, being careful not to let them overlap.

2Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with oil. Bake for 5 minutes, carefully flip them (rotating the baking sheets at the same time to encourage even baking), then bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. As they come out of the oven, lightly season each shell with salt.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

• Storing: These shells are best the day they are made. If you have leftovers, let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag at room temperature for an extra day or two.
• If you don’t have a thermometer: Test the oil by dropping a small piece of tortilla into the pan. It should immediately sizzle and bubble. If it browns instantly, the oil is too hot—just remove the pan from the heat to let it cool slightly before continuing.
• Convection oven: If using a convection setting, reduce the cooking temperature by 25°F and check the shells a few minutes early. (Some ovens do this automatically, so check your manual if you aren’t sure!)
• Air fryer tostada shells: Air fry lightly oiled tortillas in a single layer at 350°F (180°C) until golden brown and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Watch them as they cook so they don’t over-brown.
• Nutrition notes: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. The values shown are for baked tostada shells.