Mini Taco Cups Crispy Bite-Sized (Print)

Bite-sized crispy taco cups loaded with seasoned meat, cheese, and fresh toppings for a flavorful dish.

# Components:

→ 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 - Heat oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
02 - Place ground beef in a skillet over medium heat and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in diced onion and cook 2 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
04 - Incorporate chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and cook for an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat.
05 - Press each tortilla round into the muffin tin cups, folding edges to form a cup shape.
06 - Distribute the seasoned beef evenly inside each tortilla cup and sprinkle with shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until tortillas are crisp and cheese has melted.
08 - Allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with salsa, sour cream, diced avocado, tomato, cilantro, and jalapeño slices as desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're bite-sized and crispy, making them perfect for eating with your hands at parties or standing up at your kitchen counter.
  • Once you master the tortilla-pressing technique, you'll make these every other week because they're genuinely this easy.
  • The cheese gets melty and golden in just 10 minutes, and everything stays contained in those edible cups.
02 -
  • If you skip the cooling time and try to eat them straight from the oven, the tortilla will be too floppy and the cheese will be lava-hot; those 3 to 5 minutes make an enormous difference in structural integrity.
  • Wet ingredients like salsa should go on right before eating because they'll soften the tortilla if they sit for more than a few minutes, but you can make the cups hours ahead and assemble them at the last moment.
03 -
  • The most common mistake is using tortillas that are too cold and dry—let them sit out for 5 minutes before pressing them into the muffin tin so they don't crack at the edges.
  • If you find your cheese is browning too quickly while the tortillas are still pale, tent the whole tin loosely with foil for the first 5 minutes, then uncover for the final stretch.
Back