This recipe is so incredibly simple that I feel a little bit bad about even calling it a recipe. So let’s just say that we’re going over how to make your own tostada shells at home in the oven, okay? I love tostadas as an easy weeknight dinner solution where everyone in the family can top them to their heart’s content. I love tacos in the same application, for that matter, but tostadas feel a little more unique and are irresistibly crunchy and oh, they only take ten minutes.

You might be thinking, I can just buy tostada shells in the store. So why would I make them? I have plenty of reasons.

One. I find that storebought tostada shells always taste a little stale, a little cardboardy, if you will. These have a delicate crunch with real corn flavor. You can’t beat that!

Two. What if you have corn tortillas in your fridge but you really want something crispy? You make these. Ten minutes to crunchiness. A pefection solution.

So, how do you make them? In the oven! While most restaurants deep fry their shells, you can get wonderfully crispy results at home by baking. You just lay your tortillas out on a foil-lined baking sheet so they aren’t touching, and then spray each side with oil, and sprinkle them with a bit of salt. You can use any kind of cooking spray, but I like an olive oil spray best here.

Bake for five minutes at high heat, flip, and bake for five more. Voila, crispy tostada shells!

I honestly find this much easier than heating up tortillas one by one and it’s certainly much easier than trying to pan fry my own crispy taco shells. We love to top them with beans, shredded chicken, salsa, lettuce, cheese, and a little sour cream but the beauty of these is that you can top them any way your heart desires. Enjoy!