Is It Really A Good Idea To Make Hard Shell Tacos In Your Toaster?

You may not see hard shell tacos in Mexican restaurants much, because they were invented in the U.S. — specifically in San Bernardino, California, in in 1937 by Lucia and Salvador Rodriguez — but that satisfying crunch is nice. But did you know that you can make them yourself at home? One viral food hack suggests that if you fold a flour or corn tortilla in half and then stick it into the toaster, it'll transform from a soft shell to a hard shell — which will be crispy enough to hold its shape when you scoop in your fillings. Just be sure to set the toaster slightly lower than what you'd use for toast. 

Toasting your tortilla shells isn't a bad idea at all, but it may take some trial and error. There are lots of factors to consider. For one, does the tortilla fit in your toaster, or is it too large? If it doesn't fit, the tortilla might end up in the wrong shape because it folded in on itself. How do your toaster's settings work with different tortillas? If you over-toast them, you might end up cracking the shells before you even add any beef or flank steak to your tacos. Be ready to sacrifice a few tortillas while you experiment.

Keep in mind that — unlike buying hard shells — you're going to brown and possibly burn the tortillas when you toast them, so watch for smoke coming out of your toaster. If you have a smaller toaster, then a large tortilla might bunch up, so cut off the edges off the tortilla until it no longer takes any finessing to stick the folded tortilla in smoothly. Corn tortillas are often smaller than flour tortillas, but they aren't always as sturdy and they'll crack more easily if you load in too many ingredients. Toasting the corn tortilla only makes it more brittle, so make sure to double-check the bottom of the shell when you remove it from the toaster (and watch your fingers, because it'll be hot).

There are other drawbacks as well. A folded tortilla won't give you the proper hard shell shape with a perfectly flat bottom. For that, you will need to buy pre-made hard shells or go get lunch at Taco Bell instead. Even if Taco Ball never succeeded in Mexico, it's the king of hard shells in the U.S. — for better or worse.