Easy Crunchy Taco Cups Recipe | gritsandpinecones.com (2024)

Fun, quick, easy to make, and delicious to boot, these versatile, kid-approved, crunchy taco cups with wontons are made with yummy ground turkey, taco seasonings, and melty cheese.

Crunchy taco cups are made in a regular-size muffin pan, and are great for “Taco Tuesday.” They can also be served as an easy weeknight entrée, a quick snack, or as an appetizer for a Cinco de Mayo party. They are so good, they will literally fly off the plate.

I topped mine with Pico de Gallo and sour cream, but the sky is the limit and anything that you find in regular tacos goes. Think tomato, mango or pineapple salsa, guacamole or cut up avocado, cheese, black olives, shredded lettuce, the list goes on and on.

Here’s why you will love this recipe:

1. You can easily customize it for your family or guests’ tastes or even set up a taco cup bar with various toppings. You could also make the taco cups in a mini-muffin pan and have bite-size mini cups.
2. Of course, baked wonton taco cups with their crispy wonton shells instead of tortillas are not authentic Mexican food, but I won’t tell if you won’t, and after all, isn’t the bottom line how they taste?
3. Speaking of taste, I made these bite-size morsels with ground turkey instead of ground beef, which saves almost 40 calories per cup, and, quite honestly, you can’t tell the difference. Feel free, however, to substitute ground beef for the turkey.

Here’s what’s in the recipe:

Ground turkey, a can of diced tomatoes and green chilis, taco seasoning, wonton wrappers, Mexican cheese blend, and vegetable oil. Garnishes are optional, but sour cream, salsa, sliced jalapenos, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce are all good choices.

How to make Easy Crunchy Taco Cups:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a regular size muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Add the ground turkey to a large skillet over medium heat. Use a potato masher or fork to break up the meat into small pieces. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the turkey is cooked and just starting to brown.

Drain any fat from the pan. Add ⅓ cup of water, the can of tomatoes and green chilies, and thepackage of taco seasoning mix. Mix well and continue to cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Place a wonton wrapper in each muffin cup, and gently press down into the cup.

Add one tablespoon of the ground turkey mixture and one tablespoon of cheese. Top with another wonton wrapper, then another tablespoon of the ground turkey mixture and another tablespoon of cheese. Repeat this process for all muffin cups.

Use a pastry brush and lightly brush the top of each taco cup with vegetable or olive oil.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the wonton wrappers are golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and let cool for ten minutes. Use a fork to lift the taco cups from the muffin pan and serve immediately.

Optional: garnish with sour cream, cheese, shredded lettuce, salsa, pico de gallo, etc.

More Cinco de Mayo recipes:

If you are like me and love southwesternor Mexican dishes or are planning a Cinco de Mayo menu, you might also like these popular recipes: Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa, Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey Lime Dressing, Jack’s Ultimate Frozen Margaritas, and this roundup of 31 Cinco de Mayo Recipes You will Love.

★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

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📋 Recipe:

*The inspiration for this recipe comes courtesy of my sister Chula and her blog, Pudge Factor.