Mini Taco Cups Crispy Bites (Printable)

Crispy tortilla cups filled with seasoned beef, cheese, and fresh toppings, perfect for quick meals.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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)

# How To Make:

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 it into pieces, until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes.
03 - Add diced onion to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
04 - Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper over the 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 to shape cups.
06 - Divide the beef mixture evenly among the tortilla cups. Top each with shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
07 - Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until tortillas are crisp and cheese melts.
08 - Allow taco cups to cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Add salsa, sour cream, avocado, tomato, cilantro, and jalapeños as desired. Serve warm.

# Top Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're impossibly crispy outside, warm and cheesy inside, and somehow taste fancier than the five minutes of actual work involved.
  • You can prep the filling hours ahead and assemble everything in one quick bake, making them perfect for unexpected guests.
  • Kids who turn their nose up at regular tacos suddenly become fans when the whole thing is bite-sized and hand-holdable.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step—pulling the cups out of the oven and immediately adding toppings makes everything slide around, but three minutes makes all the difference.
  • The tortilla texture depends entirely on your oven; if yours runs hot, check at 10 minutes to avoid burnt edges, and if it runs cool, you might need the full 12 or even 13 minutes.
03 -
  • If you're doubling the recipe, use two muffin tins and rotate them halfway through baking so they brown evenly.
  • The moment the cheese melts and the edges turn golden is your finish line—any longer and the tortillas can toughen, so set a timer and check at 10 minutes.
Go Back