How To Make Chalupas {Super Easy Recipe} - The Tortilla Channel (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

The good news is you can easily make these taco-like shells yourself with a limited number of ingredients. It requires a little skill and it is a full meal. So, are you ready to learn how to make chalupas? Let’s get started!

What You Need For This Recipe

To make chalupas you need a limited number of ingredients that you most likely have in your fridge and kitchen cabinet. Make sure you have the following ready when you start:

• Flour – you can use all-purpose flour but also masa harina
• Milk – use regular milk or plant-based milk
• Shortening or butter
• Baking powder – to help the chalupa puff up
• Salt – to add flavor
• Vegetable oil

If you have self-raising flour in your kitchen cabinet you need even fewer ingredients and can then omit the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Note that the full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Chalupas

1. The most important part of this recipe is the dough so that is what we start with. Take a large bowl and add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Stir it thoroughly with a wooden spoon before you add the shortening or butter if you do not have butter. Mix by hand or use a fork.
3. Then it is time to pour in the milk with the flour mixture. Take the wooden spoon and combine the ingredients into a dough ball.
4. Knead the dough on a floured board into a big ball. Flatten the ball and cut it into 4 wedges for 4 big chalupas or 8 if you want small chalupas.
5. Roll the wedges in a ball and roll into a circle with a rolling pin about ¼ inch thick. Then preheat a skillet with the oil to medium-hot and test to see if the oil is hot enough and add a small piece of dough.
6. If the dough starts bubbling straight away the oil is hot enough. To make taco-shaped chalupas take a tong and carefully dip half of a chalupa circle into the hot oil.
7. When the dough is light brown, flip the chalupa bread and fry the other half of the chalupa shell. This takes about a minute to 2 minutes per side.
8. If you like tostadas you can just fry the chalupas flat. Take out of the pan and drain on a piece of paper towel.

What Is A Chalupa?

Chalupas can be mostly found in the south of Mexico and is a cross-over between tostadas and tacos. It was invented in 1895 in Mexico.

You can make them flat and round like tostada or fold and fry them like a taco that is totally up to you. A chalupa is made out of flour dough and a thicker kind of shell that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

It is almost like fried bread. Maybe that is why I like it so much because the smell and taste of anything fried make me want to eat it.

Can You Freeze Chalupa Dough?

Yes, you can freeze chalupa dough and you can also make chalupa discs and then freeze them so you can fry them when you want to serve them.

Are Chalupas Vegan?

When you make them according to the ingredient list they are not vegan but you can easily make them vegan. So yes you can make chalupas vegan.

Substitute regular butter with plant-based butter and substitute regular milk with:

• Non-sweetened almond milk,
• Rice milk
• Soy milk
• Oatmilk

Are Chalupas Gluten-Free?

Yes, if you make them with masa harina you get a gluten-free chalupa. If you use regular flour then they are not gluten-free.

So, it all depends on what type of flour you use to make these shells.

How To Store Chalupas

You have several options to store chalupas. You can either make the dough and store it or fry the chalupas and store it.

If you fry the chalupas let them cool first before storing them.

• Room temperature – when you fry the chalupas you can keep them at room temperature. Let the fried chalupas cool on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Store the chalupas in an airtight food container and serve within two days
• Refrigerator – you can make the dough and store it in the refrigerator. Put it in a bowl and cover it or store it in an airtight food container for two days. Then make the chalupas as described in the instructions
• Freezer – you can make the chalupa disc and freeze them. Put some parchment paper in between the discs to prevent sticking. Put the discs in a freezer-friendly food container and store them for up to 3 months. You can also fry them and then store them. Drain and let them cool on a paper towel before storing them in a freezer food container for up to 3 months

How To Reheat Chalupas

When you freeze the discs, you can let them thaw in the fridge but you can also fry them from frozen. Follow the instructions on how to fry chalupas.

You have several options to reheat your chalupas:

• Fried – you can reheat your chalupas in oil. Fill a cast-iron skillet with at least 1 inch of oil and heat. Put them in the oil for no more than half a minute to get them heated through
• Oven – you can also reheat them in the oven. Preheat to 375℉/190℃ and put the chalupas on a baking tray. Heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until warm
• Air Fryer – if you have an Air Fryer, you can also use it to heat them. Preheat to 350℉/175℃ for 3 minutes and heat them for 2-3 minutes or until warm

You can use the microwave to heat chalupas but most of the time the texture changes in the microwave. Chalupas can become hard or chewy.

Fill Your Chalupas With

If you make these tasty chalupas you can fill them with loads of toppings. Take a look at these options:

• Shredded chicken
• Roasted tomato salsa
• Lettuce
• Cheese
• Pork
• Ground beef
• Tomatoes
• Guacamole

You can also use our recipe for making Mexican chalupas with ground beef and vegetables.

Made a recipe please tag @thetortillachannel on INSTAGRAM, PIN on PINTEREST, and like us on FACEBOOK for more information and updates.

DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TORTILLA CHANNEL NEWSLETTER FOR FREE TO RECEIVE NEW RECIPE NOTIFICATIONS IN YOUR INBOX!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Privacy Policy for more information.