Mini Taco Cups - I Heart Naptime (2024)

Layers of crispy wonton wrappers, seasoned taco meat with chili beans, melted cheese and a flavorful salsa ranch dressing. These mini taco cups are the perfect Mexican appetizerfor your next party!

These are a fun twist on traditional ground beef tacos and would be perfect for taco Tuesday or any other night, too!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy.

Mini Taco Cups

I needed an easy appetizer last weekend and these wonton taco cups were screaming my name. Not only do they have classic Mexican flavors, but they are perfectly bite-sized and delicious. They hold their shape wonderfully and are easy to eat with your hands.

These taco cups start with a base of crispy wonton wrappers and are filled with a mixture of browned ground beef and chili beans cooked in a flavorful taco seasoning. They’re then finished off with shredded cheddar cheese and baked in the oven until golden and melty.

Cooking Tips

• Spray the pan. Make sure to generously spray the bottom of each muffin cup with nonstick cooking spray before adding the wonton wrappers. The last thing you want is for the wontons to get stuck to the pan!
• Cookie scoop. Use a small cookie scoop (or Tablespoon) to scoop the meat mixture and cheese into each taco cup. This way each cup has the same amount and you won’t accidentally overfill (or underfill) any of them.
• Wonton wrappers. Because most wonton wrappers are refrigerated in order to keep them moist, it’s important to not keep them out on the counter for too long or they can dry up and become less pliable. When preparing the taco cups, I like to keep the wonton wrappers covered with a damp paper towel.
• Freshly grated cheese. The key to perfectly melted and gooey cheese is grating it yourself! The pre-shredded bags have extra additivities that keep it from fully melting, so I’d recommend grating a block of cheddar cheese with a cheese grater for best results.

Taco Cup Variations

• Wontons: If you can’t find wonton wrappers, flour tortillas would make a great substitution. Simply cut the tortillas into quarters, then press two of the pieces into the bottom of the muffin pan to form a cup. Then add the filling on top.
• Meat: To lighten it up, feel free to use ground turkey instead of beef. These would taste delicious made with shredded chickenas well.
• Filling: You can bulk up the filling a bit more by adding in corn, diced veggies or white rice.
• Sauce: Any type of creamy sauce tastes delicious on top. I love salsa ranch, but a cilantro lime crema or even just plain sour cream also works great.
• Spice: If you like heat, feel free to mix some red pepper flakes, hot sauce or chopped jalapenos into the filling.

Toppings

To finish off these mini taco cups, add on a few of your favorite toppings before serving. We also love to add a side of Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice.

• Sliced avocado or guacamole
• Diced tomatoes or pico de gallo
• Shredded lettuce
• Green onions
• Black olives
• Sour cream
• Avocado lime dressing
• Sliced jalapenos
• Cilantro

More Mexican Appetizers

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!