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Tasty Taco Cups
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5 from 7 votes

Tasty Taco Cups

Tasty taco filling layered with melted cheese in crispy wonton wrappers makes the perfect appetizer. What’s even better is that they’re super easy to make and just as yummy made ahead of time and reheated!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cooling Time10 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Brunch, Cinco de Mayo
Cuisine: Cinco de Mayo, Mexican
Servings: 12 Tasty Taco Cups
Calories: 165kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (16-ounces) ground beef (93% lean or higher) (See Tip 1)
  • 1 package (3 Tablespoons) taco seasoning (See Tip 2)
  • 1 can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, undrained
  • ½ cup water
  • 24 wonton wrappers
  • 1 ¼ cups (5-ounces) shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (See Tip 3)
  • 2 teaspoons Vegetable oil for brushing cups before baking
  • Sour cream, sliced green onion tops and diced tomatoes for garnish, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375° F. Brush cups of regular size muffin pan with vegetable oil or spray with non-stick spray; set aside.
  • Brown and crumble ground beef in skillet over medium heat. Drain in colander; rinse well under hot water to remove as much grease as possible; drain well. Return to skillet. Over medium heat, add taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, and water. Stir to combine. Cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or until most of liquid has evaporated. Cool 10 minutes. (See Tip 4)
  • Layer taco cups in muffin cups as follows: (1) wonton wrapper; (2) 1 tablespoon meat mixture; (3) 1 tablespoon shredded cheese; (4) another wonton wrapper; (5) another tablespoon of meat mixture; (6) another tablespoon of shredded cheese. Brush top lightly with vegetable oil.
  • Bake at 375° F for 12 to 15 minutes or until wonton wrappers are golden brown.
  • Remove from oven; let cool 10 minutes. Remove from muffin pan. (See Tip 5)
  • If desired, garnish with sour cream and/or sliced green onion tops. Serve warm.
  • Yield: 12 Tasty Taco Cups.

Notes

  1. May use ground turkey in place of the ground beef. You won't be able to taste the difference. In fact, ground turkey tends to be more tender than ground beef.
  2. I like to make my own taco seasoning which is significantly better than the store-bought kind. I mix together the following: 1 ½ Tablespoons corn masa flour; 1 ½ Tablespoons chili powder; ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ½ teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon cumin; ¼ teaspoon sugar; ¼ teaspoon dried oregano.
  3. I like to use extra sharp cheddar cheese. However, you can also use sharp or regular cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, Colby Jack cheese, etc.
  4. You might think it odd that I rinse the cooked meat given that I’m probably washing away some of the taste. However, I’ve found that the Rotel tomatoes and taco seasoning provide the real taste of the meat mixture.
  5. You can make the Tasty Taco Cups ahead of time, minus the garnishing with the sour cream and/or sliced green onion tops. Reheat at 350°F for 15 minutes and garnish as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 111mg | Vitamin A: 170IU | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 1.1mg