Secret-Ingredient Homemade Paleo Taco Shells (grain free & 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!

paleo taco shells on a white plate with taco meat, lettuce, and tomatoes

Recently, our family has been going more grain-free. As such, we’ve been eating more recipes like Grain-Free Bibimbap, Grain-Free Tortillas, Focaccia Flax Bread, and Grain-Free Sushi. Now I’m thrilled to have these Paleo Taco Shells from Jennifer at Predominantly Paleo to add to our list.  They’re even AIP (autoimmune protocol) Taco Shells, for those of you on the AIP Diet. You’ll never guess the ingredient she uses to make them.  I sure wouldn’t have! Are you going grain-free, or at least reducing grains in your diet?  Or maybe you’re on a corn-free diet?  Then this post is for you.}

Ever notice those big giant freaky looking banana-like creatures in the produce section?

Yes! The plantains!

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About Plantains

Plantains always seemed a little mysterious.

Do you eat them while 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. The green plantains often resemble 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 little counterparts.

Paleo Taco Shells

When giving up grain, certain foods become MUCH trickier in trying to create, like TACOS!

To our benefit, plantains have a perfect starchy disposition while naturally being void of inflammatory grains like corn.

Score!

This plantain taco shell takes a little extra work but makes an incredible substitute for those avoiding grains and dairy.

Grain-free taco shells in the oven
Paleo Taco Shells Baking in the Oven

These paleo taco shells are just fabulous and work with so many special diets.

They are dairy-free, corn-free, egg-free, and even AIP.

taco shells with text overlay saying paleo/aip taco shells grain-free, vegan and gluten-free

Of course, you are going to need Taco Seasoning for your Taco Shells, right?  So here is our favorite Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe and here is my AIP Taco Seasoning. They are both sure to please.

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 and cut the carb content, but you might have to boil them first with the peel on to soften them. 

Secret-Ingredient Homemade Taco Shells (grain free & vegan)

Unbelievable Corn-Free Paleo Taco Shells. Grain-free & vegan. You won’t believe what they’re made of!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: AIP, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free
Keyword: Paleo Taco Shells
Servings: 7 shells
Calories: 232kcal

Ingredients

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

The somewhat sweet flavor of the ripe plantains goes really well with the savory fillings. 
However, if you’d prefer non-sweet shells, you can use unripe plantains, but you might have to boil them first with the peel on to soften them. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1shell | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 865IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg | Net Carbs: 23g

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.

For more grain-free recipes like this, see my Grain-Free Tortillas and Plaintain Cake Tostadas.

Have you worked with plantains before?
Wanna give it a shot?

Jennifer from Predominantly Paleo

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. Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

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35 Comments

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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?

    1. 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/

    2. 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.

  5. 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.

    1. 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?

  6. 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!!

  7. I love this recipe. Next time will try w/all green, as this time did one green and two ripe and they were sweet. Excellet for breakfast tacos w/ a green spinach cilantro avocado salsa, eggs, and more plain spinach and avocado and TJ’s Hatch salsa. Yum! Plus I got a lot of shells, probably a dozen though I didn’t count. top and bottom racks were full of ’em hangin’!

  8. I am diabetic and love tacos thought about trying this but when I looked I found out plantains have 57 get of carbs. I try to stay under 40 a day. Is there a certain type that may be better.

    1. Greg,
      I believe the greener they are the less sugar they have, but you may need to verify this. You might consider using less plantain and making it thinner like a tostada if you want to cut back on carbs. Good luck!

    2. In some of the articles I’ve read they claim green bananas and plantains are undigestable starch so doesn’t spike insulin. I don’t know though. Its worth it to me to try it and see how it impacts my blood sugar (by testing it) because I don’t see myself going the rest of my lifetime without eating hard shell tacos or nachos.

  9. Genius!!!!! While I usual just make taco salads out of convenience, it would be nice to change it up sometimes and these look so easy I am definitely going to give them a try! I never would have thought to use plantains as the base. Great idea. Pinning now! Stopped over from Real Food Wednesday.

    1. Lauren you could try making these large enough to be a shell for your salads too! Hope you like them!

  10. Hi Adrienne,
    This recipe is amazing. I made bread with plantains once and liked it- I have 6 plantains in my refrigerator right now that I was too lazy to use. I can’t wait to try this recipe with the crock pot refried beans I’m making today.. visiting from real food Wednesday blog carnival. I just subscribed.

    1. I have not used grapeseed oil for these in particular. You could try. Coconut oil is another possibility or even olive oil. Good luck!

  11. Wow, what a good idea! I bet they would work well cut up into nacho chips too! I might just try that!

  12. What a creative recipe! I’ve never bought or tasted a plantain before but I got some this week to make plantain rice! I cant wait to try your taco shells too!!!

    Have a great day!
    -Cassidy

      1. Do you know exactly how many shells you got? “about 6 to 8” do you mean sometimes when you make this recipe you get 6, and other times you get 8?

        We have 3 plantain trees in our yard and we would mash them up and fry them (similar to hashbrowns) but we have Chinese plantains, which are a lot smaller than regular bananas, not bigger.

        We can go to the market or the produce stands along the streets, to buy the bigger ones if we want. The smaller Chinese ones are almost as sweet as bananas, but the locals here in Panama just salt them and fry them.