Crisp, freshly fried corn tortilla tacos are a breeze in the air fryer! These AIR FRYER TACOS will take taco night to a whole new level!
Taco Tuesday, Taco Thursday, Taco Saturday, every day should be a taco day in my opinion. And if we’re having tacos for all three meals, all seven days a week? Cool by me. 😉
And I don’t think I am alone in that. We all love our tacos! They are easy to cook, easy to season just the way you want them, and easy to eat whether at a table or on the go. They are perfect for our busy lives!
I’m never going to turn down a hard taco with the corn shell that breaks apart the minute you try to remove it from the box…but there are certainly better ways to make hard or crunchy tacos!
Homemade fried tacos are basically the gold standard of tacos, in my opinion. The shell is freshly fried and crispy and the cheese is nice and melty.
Ingredient Notes:
Ground Beef – I like to use lean beef in tacos. You can use any ground meat though…turkey and chicken work well!
Taco Seasoning– You can use a packet of your favorite taco seasoning or you can make your own taco seasoning!
Corn Tortillas – You’ll want to purchase the soft corn tortillas. We prefer yellow corn tortillas, but white will also work.
How to make:
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- Cook the beef– Add the beef to a medium skillet and cook until it is browned. Crumble the beef as you go. Drain the grease and then stir in your taco seasoning and a bit of water.
- Fill the tacos– Place four tortillas on a plate and top them with a damp paper towel and microwave them. This will help them be more pliable and not crack apart as you try to fill them. Fill each tortilla with a bit of beef and cheese then fold in half.
- Fry the tacos – Spritz your air fryer basket with oil spray and place the tacos in your air fryer basket. Spritz the tacos with oil spray also. If you don’t have a mister to spritz these, just brush the oil on your basket and your tacos. Cook for six minutes at 400 degrees F. If they don’t feel crisp don’t worry, they will get crisper as they cool down.
- Repeat– Continue these steps until you’ve cooked all 12 tacos. You can keep the cooked tacos warm in a low oven or just let everyone dig in as they’re coming out of the air fryer.
FAQ:
We place our fried tacos in a zip top bag in the refrigerator. They’ll last for 4-5 days this way.
Pop them back in the air fryer at 300 degrees until warm. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
What are the best taco toppings for fried tacos?
We fill our tacos with beef and cheese before frying and then set out small bowls for everyone to use to top their tacos as they wish.
A few of our favorite taco toppings include:
- Shredded Lettuce
- Diced Tomatoes
- Diced Onion
- Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Guacamole
- Taco Sauce
- Restaurant Style Salsa
- Sour Cream
More Mexican recipes you might like:
Let us know your opinion!
We’d love to hear what you think of this recipe! Leave a comment and star rating down below! And don’t forget to pin and share!
Air Fryer Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- Lettuce tomatoes, red onion, for topping
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a medium skillet over medium heat and crumble the beef as it cooks.
- Drain the grease and stir in the taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water. Continue cooking on medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Place 4 tortillas on a microwave safe plate and top with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 20 seconds.
- Fill each tortilla with a few tablespoons of beef and cheese and fold to close.
- Spritz your air fryer basket with oil spray and place tacos in the basket in a single layer. We’re able to fit 4 tacos in our basket at a time. Spritz with oil spray.
- Cook at 400 for 6 minutes. Tortillas will crisp further after they are removed from the air fryer.
- Repeat steps 3 through 6 for remaining tacos, keeping tacos warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batches.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Valerie Lane says
I didn’t know you could eat corn tortillas on a low carb way of eating
Karly Campbell says
I’m not sure what you’re referring to. Corn tortillas aren’t considered low carb.
David Mason says
Helpful info!
Nikki says
I love the idea but these just did not work out for me. I warmed the tortillas in the microwave and they were very pliable. I filled with beans, cheese and meat. Folded in half. I sprayed each side of the tortilla and cooked as directed. They came apart at the tops, some busted at the fold. I tried a toothpick on the next batch and same thing the tortilla ripped through the toothpick. The meat got extra crispy and half the shells were “raw”.
Amy says
Could I also make this on the oven?
My combo toaster oven/air fryer is so small.
Karly says
We’ve never tried these in the oven, only the air fryer or frying in a bit of oil on the stove. They may work in the oven though!
Bonnie says
The tacos are yummy good…!!!
Karly says
Thanks, Bonnie!
Kimberly says
Can you use floor tortilla instead of corn? Thank you
Karly says
Hi Kimberly! I’m sure you could use flour tortillas, but I’m not sure how long they’ll need.
jodi says
Perfect. Yes the shells are a little uneven and don’t really stay shut when you bake them, but they tasted awesome and I probably will maket these as a regular now.
Ashlie says
Made these tonight! Perfect! Thank you
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Jenna says
How do you keep them from opening while cooking?
Karly says
We haven’t had an issue with it. Just make sure you warm the tortillas first, so they are pliable, and they hold their shape fine for us with the warm meat inside. You could use toothpicks if you’re having hard time though.
Stephanie says
When I try to fold mine before frying they split where I fold them. Any suggestions?
Karly says
Did you microwave them? That always does the trick for me. If they’re still splitting, you might need to microwave a bit longer.
Wanda F LeBeau says
I LOVE AIRFRYING, AM MAKING THESE TACOS TONIGHT. LOOK SO EASY& GOOD, THANK YOU
Karly says
Hope you love them, Wanda!