Touchdown Taco Cups Beef (Printable)

Mini taco cups with spiced beef, melted cheese, and fresh toppings, perfect for entertaining or snacking.

# What You Need:

→ Beef Mixture

01 - 1/2 lb lean ground beef
02 - 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 clove garlic, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
05 - 1/4 cup tomato sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Taco Cups

08 - 12 small flour tortillas (street taco size, or large tortillas cut into 4-inch rounds)
09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Toppings

11 - 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
12 - 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
13 - 1/4 cup sour cream
14 - 1/4 cup sliced green onions
15 - 1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
16 - Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or oil.
02 - Warm tortillas slightly until pliable. Press each tortilla into a muffin cup, folding edges as needed to fit snugly.
03 - In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté onions until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more until fragrant.
04 - Add ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. Drain excess fat if needed.
05 - Stir in taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Spoon beef mixture evenly into tortilla cups. Top each with a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
07 - Bake for 12–15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly, and tortilla edges are lightly golden and crispy.
08 - Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before serving.
09 - Top with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, green onions, olives, and cilantro as desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything you love about tacos in a handheld, mess free format thats actually fun to eat
  • The crispy edged tortilla cups create this perfect texture contrast with the seasoned beef inside
  • People go genuinely crazy for these and they disappear faster than you can plate them
02 -
  • Warm those tortillas first because cold ones will crack and tear when you try to shape them
  • Drain the beef really well after cooking or the bottoms of your cups will get soggy
  • Dont skip the cooling time because hot cheese needs a minute to set up so everything stays put
03 -
  • Use kitchen scissors to cut larger tortillas into perfect circles instead of struggling with a knife
  • If your tortillas keep springing out of the muffin cups, ball up some foil and press it gently on top while baking

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