Who doesn't like tacos?
Seriously… who? I’ve certainly never met anyone who doesn’t LOVE tacos.
These taco wonton cups are a perfect party appetizer for any taco lovers (like me and most of the population)! The crunchy wonton wrappers serve as perfect “mini taco shells” to put all of your favorite toppings in. Plus, they are a perfect appetizer size- just two to three bites.
Whether you’re looking for an appetizer for game day, a big party, or just your next Taco Tuesday- give this recipe a try!
RECIPE: Taco Wonton Cups
A Note Before You Begin:
The following recipe calls for one pound of ground beef, which will easily make 48 of these taco cup appetizers. I always start with one pound of ground beef and many times make only two dozen of these cups. Then I use the leftover meat for tacos or nachos – or simply freeze the excess seasoned meat for future use. It does freeze very well and is always nice to have on hand.
I use only 1 to 2 teaspoons (max!) of meat in each little wonton cup, but of course, you can choose to use more or less filling depending on your taste. Just remember these are designed to be two-bite mini appetizers and you need to leave ample room for the yummy toppings!
Taco Meat
If you are a fan of tacos, then you likely already have a signature ground beef taco meat recipe you enjoy. Use that in these little cups if you’d like! If not, here is a very simple “starter” taco meat recipe…
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
- 1 packet of taco (1 oz.) seasoning of your choice- this Ortega one (on Amazon) is my favorite.
- 1 can of black beans (15 oz.)
- 1/2 cup of shredded Mexican blend or Chihuahua cheese
Instructions:
1. Brown 1 lb. of ground beef in a skillet. Drain off any excess fat.
2. Add the sweet onion, about a 3/4 cup water, and the taco seasoning. Cook on medium/low heat until the onion is starting to soften. Stir frequently so the meat does not scorch.
3. Drain and rinse the black beans before adding them to the meat. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes on low to warm the beans and finish cooking the onion. Again, stir frequently as the meat mixture cooks.
4. Add cheese to the top of the meat mixture- do not mix in. Put a lid on, turn the heat off, and allow the cheese to melt.
P.S. Check back on the blog to see my favorite taco meat recipe soon!
Wonton Cups
Ingredients:
- 48 regular wonton wrappers
- Cooking spray
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 360 degrees.
2. Spray a regular cupcake pan with cooking spray and place one wonton wrapper in each cup to create a bowl-like shape. Lightly spray the wrappers with cooking spray again.
3. Bake the wonton cups for 6 to 6 1/2 minutes. The tops of the cups should be golden brown when they are done. The wonton wrappers will kind of shrink while baking, which is why these cups end up being a great appetizer or “mini” size.
Assembling the Taco Cups
Let’s assemble these taco cups!
1. Start with 1 to 2 teaspoons (again, 2 teaspoons maximum) of your taco meat.
2. Add toppings of your choice! My favorites are:
- Queso sauce- my favorite is Gordo’s with jalapeno.
- Avocado- either fresh diced or fresh guacamole.
- Shredded cheese- either a Mexican blend or Chihuahua.
- A sour cream and hot sauce mixture- I take about a 1/4 cup of sour cream and mix in my favorite hot sauce to taste, like the Chipotle hot sauce from Cholula on Amazon. I also like to add diced chipotle peppers on Amazon as well.
- Lettuce- chopped up or shredded.
- Chopped cilantro- I love cilantro!
- Salsa- either homemade or jarred, your choice.
- Taco sauce- you should definitely check out this great Cholula gift set on Amazon. I love their taco sauces.
Ta-da! Now you have a tasty taco appetizer perfect for any gathering.
Let me know how you like these taco bites down below!
Check back in for my favorite taco meat recipe, coming soon! You can also check out more yummy recipes like this one here.