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beef taco cup in muffin tin
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5 from 5 votes

Easy Beef Taco Cups

These crunchy Beef Taco Cups are a fun twist on taco night, or a delicious party appetizer!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time14 minutes
Total Time34 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: homemade tacos
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 238kcal
Author: The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

Taco cups

  • 1 lb. ground beef (I like to use 85/15)
  • 1 packet taco seasoning or 2-3 Tbsp of homemade seasoning
  • 2/3 cup reduced sodium beef broth or water
  • 1/4 cup picante sauce we use mild or medium
  • 24 wonton wrappers
  • 1/2 cup refried beans
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese

Topping options

  • pico de gallo or diced tomatoes
  • minced fresh cilantro
  • avocado cilantro sauce (recipe below in notes section)

Instructions

Prepare

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and set out a 12 cup muffin pan.

Make meat mixture

  • Brown ground beef in a large skillet over MED HIGH heat, crumbling as it cooks, for about 4-5 minutes (or until cooked through), then drain.
  • Reduce heat to MED. Return beef to skillet and add taco seasoning, stirring to combine. Add broth and picante sauce, stir, then simmer until thick, about 7-10 minutes.

Assemble taco cups

  • If desired, warm refried beans in the microwave or on the stovetop. This will make the beans a bit more spreadable, but is optional.
  • Lightly spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, then line with wonton wrappers (2 wrappers in each well, wrappers offset from each other).
  • Add a dollop of refried beans to the bottom of each cup, then top with some of the meat mixture. Top with a sprinkle of Mexican cheese.

Bake

  • Bake in preheated oven for 12-16 minutes, until cheese is melted and wontons are golden brown.

Serve

  • Serve hot, topped with desired toppings.

Notes

  1. Recipe makes 12 taco cups and can easily be doubled (just use two muffin pans).
  2. These taco cups are topped with Copycat Chuy's Creamy Jalapeño Dip, but can also be topped using the cream sauce detailed below.
  3. I like to use a small cookie scoop to portion the meat, but you can use a spoon or fork.

Avocado Cilantro Cream Sauce

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 avocado, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1 lime
  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender, and process until smooth and creamy.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 606mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 464IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 2mg