Secret-Ingredient Grain-free Taco Shells (Paleo, AIP, and Vegan)
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Are you grain-free, but love tacos? You will love these Paleo Taco Shells. They're made with just a few simple ingredients and taste amazing!
If you've been trying to avoid grains, and are in need of some new recipes to add to your recipe box, these Grain-free Taco Shells are going to be a game changer.
They're made with a “secret ingredient” that you might not have cooked with much, and they work for most any special diet since they're paleo, AIP, gluten-free, and even vegan.
So what are they made of?
About Plantains
Ever notice those big giant freaky-looking banana-like creatures in the produce section?
Yes! The plantains!
You might have thought these same questions when seeing plantains in the store:
- Do you eat plantains when they're still green?
- Are they supposed to be so black like that if they aren't green?
- When are plantains ripe?
And so on.
As it turns out, plantains are quite versatile and can wear many hats in the kitchen.
You can steam plantains, fry them into chips, or mash them up for baby food, just like other bananas. What makes them different is that the green ones are much starchier, and much less sweet. Green plantains almost have the flavor of potatoes when cooked at this stage.
Once ripened, plantains can become VERY dark, much darker in fact than smaller bananas we peel and eat.
Once blackened, they become much sweeter, though not as sweet as their mini counterparts.
Paleo Taco Shells
When giving up grain, certain foods become MUCH trickier in trying to create, like tacos.
Thankfully, plantains have a perfect starchy disposition while naturally being void of inflammatory grains like corn.
Score!
To be fair, these plantain taco shells take a little extra work but they're an incredible substitute for those avoiding grains and dairy.
Of course, you are going to need Taco Seasoning for your Taco Shells, right? This Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe and AIP Taco Seasoning are both the perfect recipes to use with these shells.
Recipe Notes
- The somewhat sweet flavor of the ripe plantains goes really well with the savory fillings. You can use unripe plantains to avoid that sweetness (if you prefer shells that aren't that sweet) and reduce the carb content, but you might have to boil them first with the peel on to soften them.
More Grain-free Recipes You'll Love
- Paleo Pizza Crust – so good, we've eaten it without toppings!
- Grain-free Tortillas – super tasty.
Paleo Taco Shells (grain free & vegan)
Ingredients
- 3 ripe plantains
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic sea salt (more if desired)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional – you can use more if you like)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 (if your oven runs hot, you might need to lower just slightly)
- Combine all ingredients in blender until they are pureed. If using green plantains you will need a more heavy-duty blender or processor for this.)
- On a parchment lined baking sheet space out sizable scoops of the puree (you can use an ice cream scoop)
- Using the back of a spoon (or an oiled hand) spread out each scoop into a flat circle; mine were each out the size of my hand spread out (flat)
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the “tortilla” becomes solid yet flexible
- Remove baking sheet from oven and wait a minute for “tortillas” to slightly cool
- Next “hang” each tortilla by folding it over the baking rack directly (see photo below)
- Bake like this for another 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. The center might be slightly more chewy depending on thickness and cooking time.
- Remove from oven and prop them open while they cool slightly. If they cool closed, they are harder to fill with taco fixins. Alternatively, you can also use this taco oven rack!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Have you worked with plantains before?
Wanna give it a shot?
Jennifer of Predominantly Paleo is a wife and mother of 3 in pursuit of better health for her family. After being gluten-free for 4 years, and having many health issues, there was still too much processed “food” in her pantry. Jennifer began feeding her family more meals from WHOLE foods and fewer from boxes. Her recipes are predominantly paleo, meaning they are free of grain, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. But she does make allowances for a few treats and sweets. She believes food can be medicine when used appropriately and that a few changes now can mean huge benefits later.
I’ve made these three times. The 1st and 2nd time they were great! Crispy and delicious- really worth the work! The 3rd time they all fell through the oven rack – they were not the same consistency. I think you have to have just the right size and ripeness of plantains to get these to work.
You can also cut back on the oil which lkely was too much if you used really ripe plantains which are much softer. Sorry you had a negative experience, they actually can turn out quite crsipy after initally baked into tortillas and then baked again. Perhaps they needed to be a little thinner as well.
Hi, I had the same issue as Angie. I wasn’t bothered by the taste (it tasted a lot of banana) but I couldn’t get them to be crispy. The recipe made 7 large tacos for me (circumference of my hand spread out). It was an extremely oily recipe 🙁 my tacos also ended up burned in places..
The issue might have been the plantains. I used very ripe plantains (yellow with black spots) which tasted rather sweet. My Philipino helper who fries plantains for chips back home told me that only unripe plantains were used for frying as the ripe ones would be mushy once cooked. Perhaps this recipe only works with unripe plantains, as it seems to me that it’s pretty much frying the plantains in oil, only done in the oven. Also, we have very high humidity here, don’t know if that contributed to anything..
Too oily for me and wasn’t crispy. Won’t be repeating it, sorry.
I will ask the author to check in and respond. Thanks for commenting.
Can you please explain the whole “grain free” theory? Grains are very important to the body (whole grains that is). It was learned quickly after carb free/low carb diets that whole grains are very much needed. That was the defining line really came out regarding a grain versus a whole grain. There are many whole grains that are gluten free. I understand that wheat issue (my daughter is allergic to wheat). But with the importance of keeping whole grains in her diet, I use other flours (learning that is). I actually have wasted so much money trying to find something she will eat, just to be disappointed. We have gone back to wheat because I have no other answers. Can you (or anyone) tell me what piece of information I’m missing with the paleo (I think it is) that is free of all whole grains? Am I confused about that?
The issue appears to be that grains cause inflammation and that the healthy carbs can be gotten from other sources. I try to almost follow the Autoimmune Paleo diet now and my son is on GAPS. They are both grain free. For the same reasons. I need to do more reading but perhaps this will get us both going: https://www.grainfreeliving.com/whygo/
A lot of people (my self included) also have blood sugar or metabolic issues. Any grain makes my blood sugar reading go too high. I have tried to make grains work for me, but they don’t, so I’ve cut them out.
I tried making these and, I’m sorry, but it was too sweet and had a texture like taffy…not crunchy like taco shells. It might have been because the directions don’t specify how much batter to use for each shell…my first batch was crunchy on the edges but too thin and burned in spots, weak in other spots. The second batch was thicker, but felt like taffy in my mouth (even after cooling). Even if you could figure out the correct measuring cup for each shell, it would still be too sweet for me. Sorry.
Hi there. Sorry you had issues. I will see if the author could help. Do you mean the yucca is just too sweet for you?
Ok, thanks!!
Hi Jennifer!
Going to try this yummiest out today! Quick question…if I wanted to make more…how can are they to be stored? Thanks again!!
I think they should freeze well but I will check w/ Jennifer!
They should freeze well, yes! I’d keep them foil wrapped in an airtight container.