Mini Taco Cups Delight (Printable View)

Crispy taco cups with seasoned beef, melted cheese, and fresh toppings for easy crowd-pleasing bites.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Meat

01 - 9 oz ground beef (or ground turkey/chicken)

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

02 - 1 small onion, finely diced
03 - 1 garlic clove, minced

→ Seasonings

04 - 1 tsp chili powder
05 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
06 - 1/2 tsp paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Base & Dairy

09 - 12 small flour tortillas (street taco size, or cut larger tortillas into 4-inch rounds)
10 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Toppings (optional)

12 - 1/2 cup salsa
13 - 1/4 cup sour cream
14 - 1 small avocado, diced
15 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
16 - 1 small tomato, diced
17 - Jalapeño slices (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
02 - Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes.
03 - Add diced onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
04 - Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper over the meat mixture. Stir well and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
05 - Press each tortilla round firmly into the muffin tin cups, folding edges as needed to create a cup shape.
06 - Divide the beef mixture evenly among the tortilla cups. Top each with shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tortillas are crisp and cheese is melted.
08 - Let the taco cups cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with salsa, sour cream, diced avocado, tomato, cilantro, and jalapeño slices as desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • They're impossibly easy to make but look elegant enough to serve at dinner parties.
  • You can prep everything ahead and bake them fresh when guests arrive.
  • Everyone gets their own custom toppings, so even picky eaters leave happy.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the cups for those few minutes—they're still soft when hot and will fall apart if you try to remove them too soon.
  • The tortillas crisp up more in the three to five minutes after baking than they do in the oven itself, so that rest time is crucial.
03 -
  • Use a combination of two cheeses instead of just one—the Monterey Jack adds creaminess that straight cheddar can't achieve on its own.
  • Don't skip the five-minute rest after baking; the tortillas crisp up dramatically during that time and become sturdy enough to handle.
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