Crispy Baked Tortilla Bowls

20-Minute Super Crispy Baked Tortilla Bowls

One of our favorite things about eating restaurant taco salad is the crunchy tortilla bowl. Traditionally, though, restaurant-style tortilla salad bowls are made by deep frying large flour tortillas in a bowl-shaped frying basket until crisp, puffy, and bubbly. Unfortunately, they’re also loaded with excess fat and calories. Luckily, it turns out you can make crispy baked tortilla bowls at home with a fraction of the oil.

These edible bowls are still super crispy without needing a deep fryer. Instead, just a quick brushing/spray of oil is all you need (technically, even that is optional) to bake super crunchy flour tortilla bowls perfect for homemade vegan taco salad and to upgrade all kinds of meals with crispy, crunchy deliciousness.

You can even make them ahead, ready to impress at your next taco night, on Cinco de Mayo, and at other parties and gatherings, alongside crowd-pleasing favorites like roasted chili corn salsa, vegan chilaquiles, and vegan pupusas.

The Ingredients

You can use corn tortillas, though they’re smaller and require heating (wrapped in a damp paper towel for 30-40 seconds in the microwave) before ‘molding’ them to avoid tearing.

Make sweet homemade tortilla bowls using sugar & cinnamon instead of garlic & salt.

How to Make Crispy Baked Tortilla Bowls

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions!

For less mess, do this step over a piece of parchment paper. You could also use cooking spray/oil spray.

Step 3: Then, place the bowls on the middle shelf in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to fully cool down. Once fully cooled, fill with your favorite fillings, and enjoy!

It will be a little soft directly from the oven, but it steams in the bowl if you leave it there. So transferring it to the rack is best for airflow as it cools and hardens.

FAQs for Crispy Bake Tortilla Bowls

Top Recipe Tips

• Use a fairly deep bowl: Shallow, wide bowls won’t help the flour tortilla bowls hold their shape while they bake. For the best results, use an oven-safe deep bowl.
• Fold the tortilla carefully: To fit it into the bowl, you’ll need to fold the edges. Be careful, though, as it can tear if done in a hurry.
• Leave them to cool: They will harden as they cool. They must also be thoroughly cool if you want to store any for later. Otherwise, steam keeps them from hardening.
• Experiment with flavors: Replace or add to the garlic powder with other options like smoked paprika, ground cumin, taco seasoning, lime juice, Italian seasoning, etc. You can also experiment with flavored tortillas, like spinach or beet tortillas.
• For the crispiest tortilla bowls: Pan-fry them with a little oil for 30-40 seconds per side to allow them to puff up, form bubbles, and turn golden brown in spots before carefully pressing them into the bowl and baking.

What to Eat in Tortilla Bowls?

Although we originally wanted to learn how to make tortilla bowls for taco salad, you can choose from plenty of filling options to create delicious meals.

• As tortilla salad bowls (with vegan taco salad, Southwest quinoa salad, lentil tabbouleh, etc.)
• Spanish rice bowl (with easy vegan Mexican rice, frijoles de la olla, fajita vegetables like bell peppers, onion, corn, and zucchini, and protein topped with avocado and a Mexican avocado crema)
• Breakfast burrito bowl (with the best vegan tofu scramble, healthy patatas gravas, mango salsa, vegan cheese, vegan refried beans)
• Taco bowl (with a base of shredded lettuce and all your favorite taco toppings – like these vegan black bean tacos, tofu tacos, roasted veggie tacos, etc.)
• Edible chili bowl (like for this vegan bean chili or cozy quinoa and sweet potato chili)
• With dips (especially something like a vegan Spanish layered bean dip)
• Tofu Bolognese (and rice)
• Or edible soup bowl (with chunky or thick soups – like sopa de fideo or lentil potato soup)
• Mediterranean mezze bowl (i.e., with this easy hummus recipe, baba ghanoush, healthy baked falafel, fresh veggies – like cucumber and tomatoes, olives, and other dips/sauces)

Storage Instructions

Like homemade tortilla chips, allow the flour tortilla bowls to cool completely, as steam will cause early spoilage. Then, place them in a paper towel-lined container or Ziplock/Stasher bag and store them in a cool, dry location at room temperature for 2-3 days.

If they start getting a little soft but still smell/taste fine, you can pop them back in the oven for several minutes to re-crisp.