Touchdown Taco Cups Ground Beef (Printable View)

Bite-sized seasoned beef cups with cheese and fresh toppings, ideal for casual gatherings and snacking.

# What You Need:

→ Meat Filling

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
05 - 1/3 cup water

→ Taco Cups

06 - 12 small flour tortillas (6-inch)
07 - Cooking spray or vegetable oil

→ Toppings

08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
09 - 1/2 cup sour cream
10 - 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
11 - 1/4 cup sliced green onions
12 - 1/4 cup sliced black olives
13 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14 - 1 small jalapeño, sliced

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or oil.
02 - Stack flour tortillas and warm in the microwave for 15–20 seconds to soften. Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut out circles and gently press each into a muffin cup, forming a shell.
03 - In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef and onion until browned, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Add garlic, taco seasoning, and water. Stir well and simmer for 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
05 - Spoon an even amount of beef mixture into each tortilla cup. Top each with shredded cheddar cheese.
06 - Bake for 10–12 minutes until cheese is melted and edges of tortillas are golden.
07 - Let cool slightly, then top with sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, olives, cilantro, and jalapeños as desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything you love about tacos but in a perfectly poppable handheld form
  • The cheese gets wonderfully bubbly and golden while the tortilla edges turn satisfyingly crisp
  • They reheat surprisingly well if you somehow end up with leftovers
02 -
  • Warming the tortillas is not optional, cold tortillas crack every single time when you try to mold them
  • Do not overfill the cups or the cheese spills over and burns onto your muffin tin
  • Let them cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes or they fall apart when you try to remove them
03 -
  • Use a shot glass to press the tortillas into the muffin cups if your fingers are too big
  • Double the recipe because these disappear faster than you expect

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