Taco Cups (4 Ingredients)

Name: Taco Cups (4 Ingredients!)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef; 2 tablespoons taco seasoning; 1 1/2 cups shredded Colby Jack or pepper Jack cheese; 1 16-16.3oz can jumbo southern homestyle buttermilk biscuits

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With only a few simple ingredients, everyone in the family will be raving about these easy, make-ahead, hand-held 4 Ingredient Taco Cups! They’re the perfect appetizer to serve to a crowd and not as messy as regular tacos. Ready in 30 minutes, we set out a toppings bar for guests to customize!

Reader Review: “These taco cups are so tasty and easy to make – a new family favorite!” – Liza

A biscuit crust cup filled with cheesy taco meat and topped with pico de gallo.

It doesn’t get much easier than a recipe with 4 Ingredients and 10 minutes to prep! These fun and super yummy easy taco cups are a fun twist on traditional tacos and the perfect weeknight dinner or hand-held entertaining treat! I mean, who doesn’t like the flavors of tacos?

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Many moons ago, I was a Pampered Chef consultant and often made these with leftover taco meat from the Taco Ring that I would showcase at parties. I love them because they reheat well, can be made ahead of time and they’re flat-out delicious!

You’ll transform taco night with these flavorful taco biscuit cups! Take them to the next level with Fresh Pico de Gallo or 4-Ingredient Guacamole! They’re a guaranteed crowd favorite and one the whole family will love!

Reader Review: “These were fantastic and super easy! My kids each ate 3-4! Only thing I modified was I added homemade taco seasoning instead of premade. Will definitely be making these again!” – Margaret

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Like This Recipe

Easy and Fun Dinner: Taco cups are easy to make and assemble, requiring minimal preparation and cooking time.
Mexican-inspired Flavors: Everyone loves a dish with the flavors of tacos! The seasoned, cheesy meat and buttery crust combined with your favorite toppings is a guaranteed hit! These cheesy taco cups are fun to customize with different toppings! They’re kid and adult-approved!
Perfect and Mess-Free Appetizer: Serve this easy appetizer at a party and there won’t be one left! They’re the perfect finger food for game day, a birthday party, holiday, or any special occasion.
Quick Dinner and Convenient: You can make the filling or the whole dish ahead of time so that they’re ready to pop in the oven at the end of a busy day!

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below

Lean Ground Beef: Provides protein, substance and absorbs the flavors of the taco seasoning.
Taco Seasoning: Provides seasoning and depth of flavor to the ground beef, giving it a delicious Mexican-inspired flavor profile
Shredded Cheese: Melts into the taco cups, creating a gooey and cheesy texture. It also helps hold the ingredients together.
Refrigerated Biscuit Dough: Convenient and ready-to-use dough, it forms the base and outer layer of the taco cups, creating a crispy and flaky crust.

Tools You’ll Need

How to Make Taco Cups

First, make the taco cup filling while the oven preheats to 375°F. Crumble and cook ground beef in a large skillet on medium high heat until no longer pink. Drain or blot off any excess grease.

Ground beef being crumbled and cooked in a skillet

Stir in taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons of water. Simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and fold in cheese until it’s melted and a cohesive mix.

Ground beef and shredded cheese being mixed into a skillet

Butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray a 12-cup muffin pan. Split 6 of the biscuits horizontally by gently peeling them apart at the middle layer. Using a tamper tool, press one of the biscuit halves in each of the muffin tins so that it covers the bottom up at the sides and forms a cup shape. Alternatively, flatten the biscuit halves with your fingers on a flat surface so that they become 4 inches in diameter, and then press them into the muffin tins.

Biscuit dough pressed into a muffin pan as a crust base

Fill each muffin tin with 3-4 tablespoons of the prepared taco filling. Bake in the preheated oven 14-16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the biscuits are golden brown.

Using a scoop to fill biscuit dough crust with taco mix

Gently run a knife around the edge of each biscuit to loosen, then transfer to a serving tray. Optional, serve with toppings.

What to Serve with Taco Biscuit Cups

Your favorite taco toppings can transform the flavors of these easy Taco Cups! Here are some treat toppers and sides:

Perfect Guacamole or 4-Ingredient Guacamole
Fresh Pico de Gallo
Creamy Chipotle Sauce: subtly spicy, sweet, and a little bit tangy
Dollop of Sour Cream
Hot Sauce
Taco Sauce
Copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa
Salsa
Shredded Lettuce
Chopped Onion
Green Onions
Queso
Sliced Olives
Tortilla Chips

Expert Tips

Swap the Beef: Ground chicken or ground turkey can be substituted for ground beef.
Cheese Options: Most shredded cheese will work for this recipe. Besides Pepper Jack and Colby Jack, cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend works great too!
Dough Options: You can also use an 8oz can of crescent roll dough rolled out and cut into squares instead of biscuit dough.
Wonton Taco Cups: You can also use 24 wonton wrappers for these cups. First layer, place one wrapper in each prepared tin. For the 2nd layer, add 1-2 tablespoons of the filling in each. Add another wonton wrapper, then the remaining filling. These Chicken Wonton Cups are perfect for meal prep and an easy and delicious go-to weeknight dinner!
Homemade taco seasoning. A packet of taco seasoning works great, but if you prefer a homemade version, simply mix together these ingredients and adjust to your preference: 1 tbsp chili powder, ½ tbsp ground cumin, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper.
One Bite Taco Cups: Want to make this taco appetizer in a smaller size? Use 24 cup mini muffin pans instead of the standard size muffin tin. You’ll need 2-10 count (7.5 ounce each) refrigerated biscuit dough containers. Split the biscuits in half and tamper in greased mini muffin tins. Make the same filling, fill the cups and bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes. This recipe makes 40 little taco cups.

Storage

Allow the taco cups to cool completely after baking. Place in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate up to 3-4 days.

Alternatively, you can freeze the biscuit cups for longer storage. To freeze them, follow the same steps as above and then place the container or bag in the freezer. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. To use them, simply thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat them in the oven or microwave.

These are a meal prep dream! You can fully prepare them up to 12 hours in advance. Simply cover the pan with cling or press wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute some of the meat with beans?

Of course! You can substitute equal portions of the meat with drained and rinsed pinto beans or black beans.

Can I add other ingredients to the meat mixture?

Absolutely! You can add beans as noted above. You can also substitute or add olives, drained rotel tomatoes, drained chopped green chiles, or jalapeños.

Can other doughs be used instead of biscuit dough?

Yes! You can use an 8oz can of crescent roll dough rolled out and cut into squares instead of biscuit dough. You can also use 24 wonton wrappers. For these, place one wrapper in each prepared tin, add 1-2 tablespoons of the filling in each, add another wonton wrapper, then the remaining filling.

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