Spooky Spider Taco Ring

Surprise family and friends on Halloween with this Spooky Spider Taco Ring. It combines classic taco flavors with flaky crescent roll dough for an eye-catching appearance. This Spider Taco Ring is sure to be a hit with kids, young and old.

Jump to:

• Quick Look at the Recipe
• Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
• Prepare the Taco Filling
• Form the Crescent Roll Taco Ring
• Make the Spider Legs
• Assemble the Spooky Spider
• PudgeFactor's Test Kitchen Tips
• Other Spooky Halloween Treats
• Recipe

Quick Look at the Recipe

• What it is: A cheesy crescent roll taco ring decorated to look like a spider
• Yield: 8 servings
• Total time: About 1 hour and 45 minutes when making taco meat from scratch
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Make-ahead option: Prepare the taco meat several days in advance, but assemble and bake right before serving
• Key technique: Bake the spider legs separately so they hold their shape and brown evenly.

Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need

• Taco Meat: Use your favorite taco meat made with one pound of ground beef or ground turkey. I've included my recipe for taco meat below for those interested. I like to mix cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese into my taco meat.

• The Spider Body: The spider body is made from store-bought refrigerated crescent roll dough.

• The Face: I used shredded lettuce, sour cream, and diced tomatoes to form the face. For the eyes, I used two sliced black olives.

Prepare the Taco Filling

Prepare the taco meat according to the recipe card or use your favorite taco meat made with one pound of ground beef or ground turkey.

Allow the cooked taco meat to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to a medium bowl and add the shredded extra-sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Stir until everything is well combined.

Form the Crescent Roll Taco Ring

1. Start by unrolling two cans of crescent roll dough and separating each can into eight triangles for a total of 16 triangles. Then, place an inverted 5-inch bowl in the center of a parchment-lined pizza stone. (I cut the parchment paper in half to easily remove it when the taco ring was done. I also put butter on the pizza stone to help hold the parchment paper in place.

2. Next, I overlap the long ends of the dough triangles around the bowl, with the pointed ends facing out, so they look like a sun!

3. After placing all the triangles, remove the small bowl from the center. Then, use a jumbo scoop to carefully place the taco/cheese mixture on the part of each triangle closest to the center. The scoop held about ⅛ cup of the taco/cheese mixture. Use a small spatula to slightly flatten the filling mounds.

4. Bring the long ends of the triangles up over the filling and tuck them under the bottom layer of the dough.

5. Bake the taco ring in a preheated 375°F oven for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Then, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

Make the Spider Legs

While the taco ring is baking, form the spider legs with the third can of crescent roll dough.

1. Separate the crescent roll dough into eight triangles. Fold the pointed end of each triangle down about an inch. Then, starting at a long end, roll the dough into a seven-inch log.

2. Form each dough log into a "V" shape and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3. Bake the spider's legs in a preheated 375°F oven for around 12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the legs from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Assemble the Spooky Spider

1. Remove the parchment paper from under the taco ring.

2. Then, fill the center of the ring with shredded lettuce.

2. Next, use a piping bag to pipe some sour cream into the center of the ring over the lettuce. I smooth the sour cream with a small offset spatula.

3. Spoon diced tomatoes next to the sour cream.

4. Finish the spider's face by adding two sliced black olives for the eyes.

5. Finally, use a small knife to cut a hole between the crescent dough pieces large enough for one end of the spider's leg to fit. I then place four legs on either side of the spider's body.

The Spooky Spider Taco Ring was show-stoppingly impressive to look at and also delicious, with its classic taco flavors and flaky crescent roll dough.

So, whether you're hosting a Halloween party or just want to add some fun to your dinner table, this festive treat will wow your family and friends. Yum!

PudgeFactor's Test Kitchen Tips

• The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape when spooned onto the crescent roll dough. If the taco meat is overly wet, it may seep from the ring during baking.
• I used my LeCreuset pizza stone for the taco ring to avoid transferring it to a cutting board later. I put some butter on the pizza stone and laid a piece of parchment paper cut in half over it. I used butter to help hold the parchment paper in place. I cut the parchment paper in half to make removing it easier once the taco ring was cooked. The one disadvantage of using the pizza stone was that it took longer to cool.  In the past, I've used a half-sheet pan lined with a silicone mat, which works well.

• This dish is best eaten when made, because the filling used for the spider's face doesn't reheat well. 

Other Spooky Halloween Treats

For other spooky Halloween treats, we have you covered:

Recipe