How to make chalupa shells
This easy tutorial will tell you everything you need to know about how to make chalupa shells.
Servings: 5 chalupa shells
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup masa harina
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil (for frying, add more if you are using a large pan so that the pan has a 1 inch layer of oil)
Instructions
- Combine the water, masa harina, and 1 tsp vegetable oil to form the dough for your chalupa shells. Split the dough into 5 equal parts and roll the dough into small balls.
- Prepare to press the dough. Clear a large flat surface and grab a gallon sized bag. Cut open the edge of the gallon bag on one of the sides that is adjacent to the opening. Put one ball of dough in the middle of the gallon bag. If you have a tortilla press, you should go grab it. If you, you should grab a large flat object like a cutting board or a book that you can use to press your balls into tortillas.
- Press the dough with your tortilla press setup. You should keep the dough a little thicker when you are making chalupas compared to when you are making standard tortillas. Aim for between 1/2 a centimeter and 1 centimeter in thickness.
- Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat. Slowly lower a tortilla into the vegetable oil. Do this carefully so the hot oil does not splash. Cook the tortilla flat like this for 30 seconds. We start out by cooking the tortilla flat like this for 2 reasons. First, it allows the full tortilla to inflate with air bubbles to get the puffy chalupa texture we are looking for. Second, it helps the dough gain in a little more structure so that it will not fall apart when you fold it.
- Fold the tortilla into a taco shape and hold it there for 30 seconds. Many people suggest using tongs to fold the chalupa, but I find that tongs can rip off pieces of the chalupa. I prefer to fold the chalupa using a large spoon then come in after with tongs to hold it in place.
- By now, the chalupa should be able to maintain its shape. Remove the tongs and let the chalupa fry for 30 seconds more on each side. If you like your chalupas extra crispy, you can fry them for 60 seconds on each side instead of 30.
- Use tongs to transfer the chalupa to a paper towel. Salt the chalupa.
