Taco Salad in a Crispy Baked Shell

Taco Salad in a Crispy Baked Shell

Taco Salad in a Crispy Baked Shell

This is a wonderful recipe.  It is actually pretty simple, but it looks impressive.  It's always a hit with guests at our home!

First, make the Crispy Baked Taco Salad Shell Bowl and Ground Beef Taco Meat.  If refried beans are desired, I have a recipe here or canned ones can be used.

Toppings for Taco Salad can be as varied as one's imagination, however, these are our favorites in order from bottom to top:

Refried Beans
Ground Beef Taco Meat or Taco Meat (from my other blog)
Shredded cheese
Veggies of various sorts!  Radishes, cucumbers (see my article on how to keep a cucumber from being bitter, here), olives, tomatoes.  Some folks like onions, peppers, jalapenos.
Sauces like guacamole , sour cream and salsa

Pile it on and eat it with a fork.  The fun part is at the end, when the salad is all gone, the bowl can now be eaten!  Yummy :)

Enjoy!

Crispy Baked Taco Salad Shell Bowl

Crispy Baked Taco Salad Shell Bowl

This is a photo of the finished Taco Salad in a Crispy Baked Shell.

I love taco salad.  I think I know of at least three different ways to make it.  This is part of the recipe is for the baked shell bowl version of taco salad.  

Crispy Baked Taco Salad Shell Bowl

Items required for this recipe:

Burrito sized tortillas -- the largest available, but at least 8" across
Olive or coconut oil cooking oil spray
2 fairly large bowls, one of which needs to be oven safe

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.  

Place a bowl that is large enough for the tortilla to drape over the edges upside down on the work surface.  Spray both sides of a tortilla with olive oil cooking oil spray and place it on the bottom (top) of the upside- down bowl.

While the bowl is upside down with the tortilla draped over it, place the 2nd bowl atop the first one and gently press down.  The goal is to form the "bowl" with the tortilla without tearing or breaking the tortilla in the process.


Carefully turn the bowls over and remove the 1st bowl, leaving the formed tortilla inside the 2nd bowl right-side-up.

Place the bowl with the formed tortilla into the 400F oven for about 15 minutes, or until it is just becoming golden and crispy.  (If it is uncertain how hot the bowl can withstand, bake it at 350 for 20 minutes.)  Be careful -- the difference between perfection and scorch is only a minute or two.  Keep a close eye on them at the end!  I can bake 3 or 4 of these salad shells at a time in my oven.

When the shell is done baking, carefully remove it from its bowl and place it upside-down on the plate upon which it will be served.

Allow the taco salad shell bowl to cool enough to handle easily, about 5 minutes, then fill as desired.  

Baked Crispy Taco Salad Shell Bowl cooling on a plate.

This is a photo of the finished Taco Salad in a Crispy Baked Shell.