Home » Recipes » Dinner » Beef Taco Cups Recipe
by Jessica Selenskyon Apr 6, 2023 (updated Feb 21, 2024) 9 comments
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Beef Taco Cups are a fun twist on your typical taco night! Not only are they incredibly healthy but they’re incredibly delicious and easy to make.
If you’re ready to get creative with taco night, this recipe is for you!
Whether you’re making them on your own or with your loved ones, it’s sure to be a blast (and delicious too).
One of my favorite things about tacos is that you can make them with your favorite toppings. Not everyone wants the same toppings on their tacos which makes this recipe perfect for all.
You can make the Taco Cups and fill them all individually depending on your taste buds.
The crispy taco cups are made out of soft tortillas. Once baked, they give that perfect taco crunch!
What are you going to fill your Beef Taco Cups with?
Main Ingredients to Make Mini Beef Tacos
- Small Flour Tortillas
- Ground Beef
- Onion
- Pepper
- Spicy or Mild Taco Seasoning
- Shredded Mexican Cheese or Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Pico De Gallo
Ways to Make the Homemade Taco Cups
- Ramekin: You can use a ramekin as seen in the photos below. Spray the ramekin with olive oil spray. Make sure it covers completely. Form the tortilla into the ramekin and press the tortilla into the sides of the dish to form a cup shape.
- Muffin Tin: You will need to use extra mini tortillas or the shells will stick up a bit out of the muffin molds. This is fine if you prefer to not trim the shells to a smaller size. Put into the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes.
- Back of Muffin Tin: Spray the back of a muffin tin with olive oil or any non-stick spray. Form the tortilla around the muffin molds. Press it firmly to form a cup shape. Put into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
How to Make the Beef Taco Cups
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. once heated. Add the diced peppers and onions to the pan
- Once translucent and slightly caramelized, add the ground beef to the skillet
- Break up the ground beef with a spatula and mix until finely ground. While the beef is cooking, let’s make the taco cups!
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and spray the bottom of a muffin pan with olive oil spray
- Take your mini tortillas and form the cups. I used the ramekin method but you can use any method mentioned above
- I suggest only making 4 at a time so that they aren’t overcrowded
- Bake for 13-15 minutes and tortillas are browned and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes
- Repeat steps 5-7 for the remaining taco cups
- By now the beef will be cooked and we can put our taco cup together!
- Take your taco cup and fill it with about a 1/4 cup of ground beef. Top with the cheese and salsa
- (Optional) Put the taco cup back in the oven for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted
- Remove from the oven and top with the shredded lettuce and any other toppings you desire!
- Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best tortillas to use for this recipe?
I suggest using any flour tortilla but my favorite tortillas to use for these taco cups are the whole wheat carb friendly ones from Trader Joe’s.
Can I use other meat than beef in this recipe?
Yes! You can use any ground meat in this recipe that you desire.
Should I put all of the taco cups together at once?
I like to fill the taco cups fresh as I eat them. If you make them all at once and have leftovers, that’s okay! See below how to store.
How can I store this?
Store empty taco cups in a Ziploc bag for up to 3 days. Store finished taco cups with filling and toppings in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Can I reheat these taco cups if there are leftovers?
You could reheat in a microwave but you won’t get that good crisp! For that crunch factor, reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes.
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5 stars (5 ratings)
Beef Taco Cups
Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Yield: 8 taco cups
Beef Taco Cups are a fun twist on your typical taco night! Not only are they incredibly healthy but they're incredibly delicious and easy to make.
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Ingredients
- 8 small tortillas
- olive oil spray
- 1 lb ground beef, or any ground meat
- 2 red peppers, diced
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 1 package taco seasoning
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese, optional
- salsa/pico de gallo, optional
- shredded lettuce, optional
Equipment
1 muffin pan optional
small ramekins
Instructions
Heat a skillet over medium heat. once heated. Add the diced peppers and onions to the pan
Once translucent and slightly caramelized, add the ground beef to the skillet
Break up the ground beef with a spatula and mix until finely ground. While the beef is cooking, let's make the taco cups!
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and spray the bottom of a muffin pan with olive oil spray
Take your mini tortillas and form the cups. I used the ramekin method but you can use any method mentioned above
I suggest only making 4 at a time so that they aren't overcrowded
Bake for 13-15 minutes and tortillas are browned and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes
Repeat steps 5-7 for the remaining taco cups
By now the beef will be cooked and we can put our taco cup together!
Take your taco cup and fill it with about a 1/4 cup of ground beef. Top with the cheese and salsa
(Optional) Put the taco cup back in the oven for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted
Remove from the oven and top with the shredded lettuce and any other toppings you desire!
Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 182kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 487mg, Potassium: 306mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1435IU, Vitamin C: 42mg, Calcium: 111mg, Iron: 2mg
Author: Jessica Selensky
Course: dinner, lunch, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: beef taco cups, healthy taco cups, healthy tacos, taco cups, taco snack
If you try this taco cup recipe, please consider leaving a rating and comment at the end of this blog post! It is incredibly helpful to my business and your fellow readers!
Dinner Lunch
9 comments Leave a comment »
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9 comments on “Beef Taco Cups Recipe”
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Jean — Reply
taco cups is a genius idea to enjoy this beef tacos, I aways just fold mine, so will do the cups too.
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feastytravels — Reply
Let me know what you think!
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Emily — Reply
I love making the shells in the muffin tin! These were a hit with my son, and the rest of the family too!
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feastytravels — Reply
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed 🙂 thank you for sharing!
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Katie — Reply
Such a fun simple recipe! Perfect for an easy snack!
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Kalin — Reply
These make for such a fun family dinner! So simple but delicious
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Sage Scott — Reply
What a fun twist for taco night! At our house, we have to make some with shredded chicken or beans only due to a red meat allergy, but they turn out just as well as beef tacos! 🙂
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feastytravels — Reply
You can definitely swap the red meat with your preferred protein source! Enjoy 🙂
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Chris — Reply
These were such an awesome, easy meal to make!! 🙂