Mini Taco Cups (Printable)

Crispy taco cups baked with seasoned beef, melty cheese, and fresh toppings, perfect for easy entertaining.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 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 it apart, until no longer pink, about 4–5 minutes.
03 - Add diced onion to the skillet and cook until softened for 2 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
04 - Mix in chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 more minute, then remove from heat.
05 - Press each tortilla round firmly into muffin tin cups, folding edges as necessary to create a cup shape.
06 - Divide the cooked meat mixture evenly among the tortilla cups. Sprinkle shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses on top.
07 - Place muffin tin in the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes until the tortillas are crisp and cheese has melted.
08 - Let cups cool for 3–5 minutes. Add salsa, sour cream, diced avocado, tomato, chopped cilantro, and jalapeño slices as desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're crispy on the outside, soft where it matters, and every bit as satisfying as a full-size taco without the structural chaos.
  • Once you master the technique, you can prep these in under an hour, making them perfect for weeknight shortcuts or last-minute entertaining.
  • The beauty is in how forgiving they are—swap proteins, skip toppings, load them however you want.
02 -
  • Don't skip that 3–5 minute cooling time—it's when the tortillas set into proper crispness, and you won't have them fall apart when you top them.
  • If your tortillas are too large, cutting them precisely matters more than you'd think; uneven sizes bake unevenly, and nobody wants a soggy taco cup.
  • The beef mixture should be seasoned boldly because it gets its heat turned down by cheese and cool toppings—taste it on its own before you assemble everything.
03 -
  • If you want extra heat, stir a splash of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne into the beef mixture itself—the flavor distributes evenly rather than being scattered across the top.
  • Pair these with a crisp Mexican lager or a margarita and you've got something that feels like you spent the whole afternoon cooking.
Go Back