Crunchy Tacos!

 I thought I would share how I make crunchy hard shell tacos without the store bought taco shells. I know it is super convenient to use premade taco shells but trust me, they taste so much better when you fry them up yourself! First things first, you will need some corn tortillas that have been warmed up so they are soft, otherwise the tortilla will rip when you fold it up. I use my comal to warm up my tortillas. 

You can also just put the tortillas between two paper towels and pop them in the microwave for 30 or so seconds. The goal is to get them soft and pliable. Then you warm up some oil in a pan, canola, corn, or lard will do. Once the oil is hot  you use some metal tongs and a fork to put one side of the tortilla in the oil to crisp. Folding it in half,  like this...

Then you flip it over and put the other side in the oil. Like this...

You do this for each taco shell. I know it is a bit time consuming but in my opinion worth it. Once I get the taco shells nice and crunchy I place them in a strainer that sits upon a plate and has been lined with paper towels so the oil is soaked up. Like this...

Finally, it's time to fill those crunchy shells. When I make crunchy taco shells I always fill them with a ground beef mixture that has been cooked with onion and tomato and seasoned with garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. I top them with shredded lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream.