Crispy crunch alert! Try these easy Keto taco shells on your next taco night. We thought they tasted just like real corn tacos. Only 3 ingredients, gluten free and low carb!
I am so excited to share this recipe for extra crunchy, super delicious low carb taco shells. They are SO MUCH CRISPIER than the 100 % keto cheese taco shells that are making the rounds in Ketogenic circles! Plus, they hold together WAY better. They are the perfect fast food when you are on the keto diet.
Can you eat corn taco shells on Keto?
Tortillas made from either wheat or corn contain around 45 grams of carbs per 100 grams. One small 6 inch corn tortilla comes in at 12-15 net carbs.
When you’re low carb or Keto, you would not want to eat more than one. And considering the doubtful reputation of corn (it spikes blood sugar levels and is often genetically modified), you’d better stay away altogether.
The thing is, EVERYBODY loves tacos. That’s why the low carb community came up with the genius idea to make tacos from cheese.
All you need to do is melt taco-sized circles of grated cheese – cheddar is a favourite – in the oven. As soon as they have browned and then cooled enough, you hang them over the rim of a bowl or pan. This way, the cheese cool sand firms up into a taco shape.
Cheese tacos taste good. But I have always found they are NOT CRISPY ENOUGH. Plus, they feel a bit greasy.
That’s why I came up with this awesomely crispy Keto taco shell recipe containing mozzarella cheese, coconut flour and psyllium powder. Both the coconut flour and the psyllium absorb liquid and add crunch plus a texture that similar to real corn tortillas.
How to make super crispy Keto taco shells – step by step:
1.) Put the mozzarella, psyllium powder and coconut flour into a food processor or bowl.
2.) Blend until the mixture resembles small crumbs. Blending instead of melting the mozzarella as you would in Fathead dough saves you having to roll out the dough!
3.) Draw 7 circles (15 cm / 6 inch diameter each) onto parchment paper using a prop such as a small saucepan lid. And yes – I am left-handed 🙂
4.) Using a 1/4 cup, scoop the mix into each of the circles. (ca 34 grams per circle).
5.) Spread out those crumbs!
6.) Place a parchment paper on top and flatten the Keto taco dough with your hands or with a rolling pin. Press down really well!!!
7.) ….and when it looks like this it can go in the oven!
8.) After 7 minutes the taco shells look like this – it starts to brown around the edges. The top is still light in colour, but the underside will be browned as well (see image below).
9.) Don’t wait! Pick up the shells whilst they’re still hot and place them over the rim of a large frying pan. Leave them to cool into awesomely crispy shells!
10.) Aaand done! What filling would you like in this beauty?
Tips and tricks
You have to work quickly!
As soon as the tortillas are cool enough to touch – about 10 seconds – and drape them over the pot/large bowl. If you wait too long, as soon as they cool they’ll break when you bend them.
If you don’t have a large pot or bowl, place an oven rack over the sink. Drape the tortillas between the bars of the rack so the sides hang down and form the tortilla shape.
Feel like a bit of spice?
Add 1 tsp of cumin and a pinch (or 2) of chilli to your dough. You could even use a tsp of taco seasoning!
I have not tried this myself, but you could use cheddar cheese instead of the mozzarella. Cheddar becomes more liquid than mozzarella when hot, so you may have to wait a little longer before you can lift the taco.
Can you make them in advance?
These shells are best enjoyed on the same day. That’s when they are at their crispiest.
You can store them in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for a day or a for a few days in the fridge. They will still hold your taco fillings, won’t get soggy and taste perfectly fine. However, they do lose some of their crunch.
You can even carefully reheat them in the microwave. Give them a quick blast only, because they’ll soften and will eventually stick together. I microwaved one for 10 seconds on one side, then turned it over and gave it another 5 seconds. This warmed up the taco without making it collapse.
I do not recommend freezing these taco shells.
If you want to save time, why not make your ground beef or taco meat of choice the day before instead? I find that beef dishes always taste better the day after, once the flavours have had time to mingle and develop.
Here are some more keto friendly filling ideas: How about cheese bacon & guacamole, shredded chicken or a fiesta taco salad with avocado and tomatillo salsa?
If you like Mexican food, you’d also love
- Keto low carb tortilla chips
- Superb Salmon Ceviche
- Easy Keto Taco Casserole Recipe
- Keto Mexican Breakfast Casserole
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
★ STAY IN TOUCH on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more great food and join my NEWSLETTER for the latest updates and a FREE EBOOK.★
Crispy Keto Taco Shells
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups / 225g pre-shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup / 25g coconut flour
- 2 tsp psyllium husk powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit.
- Mix all ingredients in a food processor or with an electric mixer until they resemble small crumbs.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw circles of 6 inch / 15 cm diameter on the parchment. I traced around a small saucepan lid, but you can use any round object that size.
- Scoop 1/4 cup of the taco shell mix onto each circle and spread out inside the circle.
- Place a second parchment paper on top and press down the dough with your hands or use a rolling pin. Press down well - you want it nice and compacted.
- Remove the top parchment paper and bake in the oven for 7 minutes or until the edges of each taco have browned.
- Remove from the oven and hang each taco shell over the side of a large saucepan until cooled.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and purchase a product, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Free Londoner.
Jennifer Olson says
Tonight was our first attempt at making these keto taco shells. The recipe was easy to follow and prepare. The final product tasted good; however our finished shells had several cracks throughout and the need up falling apart/cracking along the “fault lines”. We want to try making them again…any advice or troubleshooting is greatly appreciated.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Jennifer, glad you like the taco shells! It sounds like your measurements (the wet/dry ratio) were slightly off and the r. My recommendation would be to ensure all tbsp measurements are level and not heaped. And weigh the mozzarella if at all possible, it’s much more exact than using cups. Basically, a little more mozzarella compared to the amount of coconut flour and psyllium should give the elasticity you need so there’s no cracks.
Sydney says
Just made these! Came out delicious! I did change the recipe a little though, i couldnt find psyllium powder so i just used mozzerella, coconut flour and one egg and they came out amazing! I packed the mixture together really tight with my hands like meatballs and then rolled them out and they stayed together very well.
Cheryl says
I made this two days in a row. The first day I added some cumin, smoked paprika and a bit of ground red pepper then used a tortilla press to make the tortillas. I moved them to the baking sheet with a spatula and cut each into 6 pieces, leaving them together. This was my favorite way to make them of the two tries. The chips were crispy and I had to control myself so I didn’t eat the whole batch! The second try was for a taco shell. I didn’t use the tortilla press and the texture was much different. Not bad, it was a great sub for taco shells but I really liked how this recipe turned out using the tortilla press and adding some spice. I’ll try using that method as a taco shell next. Thanks for this recipe!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Thanks for detailing your tweaks!!
Vicki says
yet another great recipe Katrin. I was very dubious when pressing the mixture into circles that it was going to work but… absolutely brilliant they were perfect. thank again.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Awesome! Glad it worked out well 🙂
Carrie says
Just wondering if you could freeze the tortillas after you make them?
Katrin Nürnberger says
It’s totally possible to freeze them. I would try to freeze them flat, with parchment in between, and then warm them up straight from frozen in the oven, which would soften the mozzarella again. Then form them into the taco shells by hanging over the side of a large pot or bowl to cool
Patricia says
I am surprised no one has suggested adding a bit of corn extract (flavor). This is my plan….
But I do want to know if these fall apart after the first bite…are they THAT crispy?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Using corn extract sounds like a great idea. It’s not available over here in the UK, so I’ve never tried it. Mine did not fall apart. The trick is to press down firmly when you roll them out between parchment to really stick the ingredients together. And not make them paper-thin. Follow the instructions in the post and the video and you should be fine. Hope you’ll like it!
Stephanie says
Mine didn’t fall
Apart!
Luci Sosnowski says
I’m allergic to coconut. Will almond flour work with a little more psyllium or flax seed?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Luci, I would try 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp almond flour in place of the coconut flour.
Haley says
Do you mean 1/2 a cup of almond flour and 2 tbsp of psyllium husk?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Haley, 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp almond flour. The 2 tbsp psyllium is extra.
Cianaodh says
I read and followed the recipe to a T and mine fell apart to the point they got tossed. Any chance the moisture content in the cheese makes a difference?
Katrin Nürnberger says
What a shame! Yes, I think the type of cheese can make a difference. What kind did you use? Was your end result soggy? I’m using the regular pre-shredded (yellow-ish, dry-feeling) supermarket mozzarella. Your tacos should end up super-crisp and dry.
Amy Ford says
This recipe was amazing. I’ve went Keto a couple weeks ago and I almost gave up, until I ran across this recipe. Not only have I made some tasty tacos, I also used this for pizza crust and a pita shell for a sandwich! All were so yummy! I did add an egg white to the recipe so the “dough” was easier to roll out. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this with me! You are truly a lifesaver!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Good to know it works with an extra egg white! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sanny says
I’ve never left a review before but these were so good I had too! My husband and teen loved them as well. I did add the spices to the mixture and they didn’t taste like coconut at all. Thanks so much for a great recipe! Taco salads are good but it was nice to eat a taco again!
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad you all liked the recipe!!!
Christi Gates-Hale says
I don’t think I cooked them long enough so ours weren’t crispy. Plus, I could taste coconut but my husband could not – which is good since he doesn’t like it. I like coconut but not necessary with my tacos. Ha!
Katrin says
Hi, if you want to try them again you could add some spices to mask the coconut more – maybe garlic powder or some cumin.
Krista Hassett says
Hi there! Do you know what amount of whole psyllium husk I can use if I don’t have the powder?
Katrin says
I would try to double the amount to 4 tsp. However, maybe you can try and grind the husk down to a finer powder before you use them.
Krista says
Will do! Thanks for the quick reply.
Linda says
Can I use ground flax? I don’t have the phylum powder.
Katrin Nürnberger says
hi Linda, I think you’d have to use 2 tbsp of flax – the psyllium powder is more absorbent than flax.
Debora Gray says
LOVED these taco shells! I’m from the land of Tex-Mex (Texas,) & thought these were terrific. Can think of so many uses for them. THANKS!!!
Katrin says
Brilliant!!! Glad you liked it!
Kaia says
Hi, i dont have a food processor or a mixer. Do you think the dough would work if I melt the cheese, and mix everything?
Katrin says
Yes, essentially you’d be making a type of fathead dough. Just make sure to knead it well and then roll out really thin while warm between 2 sheets of parchment.
Cynthia Robinson says
TO: Joe S
IF THERE IS TOO MUCH WATER, THEN MORE COCONUT FLOUR WOULD ABSORB THAT… SINCE IT IS HIGHLY ABSORBANT FLOUR.
Are you grating your own mozarella, if not, the pre-packaged is coated with potato starch and that may be the differenc. I always grate my own because of the additives in pre-shredded cheese. So it may be a combonation of the two… go easy with adding the extra flour… maybe a scant tsp first… and make one at a time to test it out … adding more if necessary.
Joe S says
I tried to get this working a couple different times, I think the ratio is a bit off. when I would press them down flat, it would squeeze out liquid which made the parchment paper a little soggy and create ripples in the taco, it crumbled every time. I used a silicone baking mat for the last 2 batches which helped with that, but I think I need either more cheese or less coconut powder next time.
Katrin says
That is odd indeed. I imagine it would have something to do with the type of mozzarella you’re using – it must contain more liquid than the one I’ve used. I’m using the pre-shredded mozzarella which is quite dry.
Rich says
I’ve now made these twice and they’ve been a huge success both times! When I first made them I could hardly believe they would work. I did have to be careful when taking them from the oven and folding along the side of the bowl. But I was better the second time.
Thanks so much for this – I’m really enjoying trying out your recipes!
Karen says
Really loved these shells!
On my first try, I did experience a bit of crumbliness. My husband suggested to put in a beaten egg white to help hold it together.
My next attempt with the egg white was terrific!
I will be using these shells very often!!
Thanks for posting it!
Katrin says
That’s a good tip about the egg white, thank you. I think temperature is key in this recipe – the mozzarella is softer and will combine better with the coconut flour if it’s room temperature. That, and really pressing the tacos down well
Jacoba says
Do the shells taste like coconut because so far everything I mademade with coconut flour has a really strong coconut taste and seeing as I’m not the biggest fan of coconut I would like to know before I make them.
JJ
Katrin says
Hi, I don’t think the taste is coconutty – I think it’s quite neutral, especially if you added additional spices, and I have had a couple of people in the comments say the same – you can take a look below. However, there are some people who just HATE the taste of coconut and if you are one of them, then this recipe might not be for you. Don’t want you to be disappointed! You could always try making taco shells with the dough for my tortilla chips
Morel says
Would these work as tortillas for quesadillas?
Katrin says
I think it’s better to have slightly softer tortillas for quesadillas. These tacos get really crispy. You could try adding more mozzarella to make them more bendable.
Wendy says
I can’t wait to try these! I’ll be buying the cheese this weekend and the healthy fings. The recipe sounds easy and quick. A Q, you say to draw circles on the parchment paper…how many? I love the nutri. panel for one shell, but how many can I expect the recipe to yield?
Katrin says
The recipe makes 7 tacos, if you use the same measurements I did.
Annette Hoyt says
I have tried a lot of different low carb taco shells and these are by far the best. I added some chili powder to mine. They were perfect! Will be be my go to recipe from now on.
Susan says
I am so disappointed… I looked forward to them all week and followed directions exactly. They were dry and crumbly and fell to pieces the second I tried to scoop them up. Epic fail.
Katrin says
That is such a shame Susan! I’ve had loads of people make it with great results now, posting images on Facebook and Instagram, so I feel confident we can work out where it went wrong for you.
Firstly, it’s always best to use scales. If you use cups, it’s got to be US measuring cups and not a regular cup (I’m sorry if this is obvious to you, I did not know this myself until I started to get into cooking and baking properly).
If you are using US cups, make sure that the tops are levelled – this is especially important for coconut flour as it sounds to me that your coconut flour / mozzarella ratio was off.
For the next time make sure you pack the cup with mozzarella a bit more. Maybe use room temperature mozzarella so it’s got more of a chance to melt in the oven. Then, after you make your taco circles, really press down the “dough” with your hands to compact it.
I hope you’ll try them again. They are crispy, but they definitely should not fall apart. Let me know how you get on!
Cari Watts says
i never comment on the things i try, but these were so delicious I just had to!! WOW!!! I’m not a fan of coconut, but didn’t taste coconutty at all! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
Lynn S says
This makes great chips also. I had been planning to make these shells for dinner tonight but opted to make your Breakfast Buns to go with sloppy joes. I was still craving some guacamole tonight and wonder how this recipe would work as tortilla chips. I made the recipe as directed adding cumin and chili powder but used a teaspoon to portion out. I took them out when the edges were brown and let them sit on the sheet pan for about 5 minutes. They were crispy and very study. They had no coconut flavor at all. I had a lot left over so I place the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator, I’ll have snacks all week.
Katrin says
That’s so good to know! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Chris says
I tried these for the first time tonight. They were really good. I found that using the back of a spoon helps to press them into the shape and hold them together. Liike you said in a post above, the taste is very neutral. I like how the cheese is blended into the flour, which I will use on fathead pizza dough in the future. THANKS for the idea.
Katrin says
Hi Chris, I’m so glad they were a success. And thanks for your tip with the spoon!
Veronica says
Do the shells have a coconut taste to them?
Katrin says
I don’t think the coconut taste shines through, I think the taste is quite neutral, but then I like coconut flour. If you are one of the people who absolutely hates the taste of coconut you’d probably taste it. If you added spices you’d cover it up quite well I’d think.
Pam says
Could you use almond flour instead of coconut flour?
Katrin says
Yes, I think that would work just as well.
Katherine Bicicchi says
Haven’t tried this yet, because I am just starting on this road. One of my favorite things is avocado toast and I have been trying to figure out how I can manage that. I do have one of your bread recipes, but I wanted something lighter. This sounds like a great solution and I am going to try it right away. Can’t wait. I’ll star it, I’m sure, at mission accomplished time.
Katrin says
Hope you’ll like it Katherine. It would be nice with any filling. If you’re looking for a lighter bread recipe, you should try my Keto breakfast buns too. I think you’d like it, and you’ll get the full bread experience.
Deborah says
Result!!! This recipe is a GAME CHANGER. I loved how crispy my tacos were. Will definitely be making these again. THANK YOU
Katrin says
You’re welcome Deborah! I’m glad they went down well. I’ll be making tacos a whole lot more often now – we all went crazy for them!
Glenda says
Is there something else can I substitute for physlium powder?
Katrin says
you could try ground flax or ground chia seeds. Or add a bit more coconut flour.