Easy Taco Salad Cups

from 54 votes

Skip the forks in favor of your fingers with a party-friendly recipe for Easy Taco Salad Cups.

Easy Taco Salad Cups on a wood serving plate with hot sauce and guacamole in background

I often gravitate toward the miniature version of traditionally not-so-miniature foods. Add to the fact that they’re made in a muffin tin and I pretty much can’t resist mini/tiny/bite-size iterations of everything from Oatmeal Cups and Egg Muffins to Cheesecake Brownie Bites and Pizza Pockets.

Miniaturize it and make it in a muffin tin and I am sold!

Muffin tin with baked wonton wrapper cups

Easy Taco Salad Cups take a page out of my all-time fave appetizer playbook: swap tortilla shells for wonton cups.

The wontons provide the party-perfect size for serving, while also maintaining that necessary crunch of a classic taco bowl.

Taco salad cups with ground beef and shredded cheeses

I’ve opted for ground beef with taco seasoning, cheese, and a dollop of guac and salsa, but you could fill up these handheld snacks with any taco fillings, including carnitas (this quick Instant Pot recipe is my go-to), carne asada or ground turkey.

Best of all, you can make the taco cups a day in advance and prepare all of your fillings then assemble them right before serving. It’s a party in your mouth and in your hand!

Homemade taco salad cups topped with guacamole and salsa on wood serving plate

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Appetizer

Easy Taco Salad Cups

Skip the forks in favor of your fingers with a party-friendly recipe for Easy Taco Salad Cups.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.99 from 54 votes
Easy Taco Salad Cups on a wood serving plate with hot sauce and guacamole in background
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 cups

Ingredients 

  • 12 wonton wrappers
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup ground beef or turkey
  • 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
  • 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 cup finely shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought guacamole
  • 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought salsa
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
  • Arrange the wonton wrappers in a 12-cup muffin pan then spray them lightly with cooking spray. 
  • Bake the wonton cups for 5 minutes then remove them from the oven and set them aside. 
  • Add the vegetable oil to a medium sauté pan set over medium-low heat. Add the ground meat and cook it, breaking it apart with a spatula, until it is browned and cooked through. Add the taco seasoning and stir to combine then remove the pan from the heat.
  • Assemble the taco cups by diving the ground meat evenly among the wonton cups. Top the ground beef with the shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and a dollop of guacamole, salsa and sour cream then serve. 

Kelly's Note:

  • I know ⅓ cup ground meat may not seem like enough to fill 12 muffin tin cups, I promise it's the perfect quantity!
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 162mg, Potassium: 123mg, Fiber: 1g, Vitamin A: 160IU, Vitamin C: 1.4mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 0.5mg

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Comments

    1. Hi Jennifer! You can keep the cups and fillings separate, so warm up the meat (cover the container with foil to keep warm) then assemble them once you arrive!

    1. Hi Betty! It depends on if you’re having these as an appetizer or an entrée. Usually I aim for 2 per person.

  1. 5 stars
    These Taco Salad Cups were definitely a hit at a neighborhood Mexican themed party last night. They were easy to make, looked festive on a white platter, disappeared quickly and garnered lots of compliments!! We made them exactly like the recipe but added a tiny sprinkle of Cayenne Pepper on top for color and just a pinch more heat.

    Next month we will go to an annual Christmas party that we take an appetizer to. Thank you for helping us to already have a plan for what to take! We have a few vegetarian friends, so next time we will make some with black beans and some with ground beef so everyone can enjoy them.

      1. Hi, Donna! You can crisp the shells a day or two in advance and the recipe should still turn out great!

    1. Hi Pat! You can check the refrigerated section at most major grocery stores. Phyllo cups would definitely be a good substitute if needed!

    2. I buy them all the time and they are in the produce department. I make cream cheese wontons and all sorts of stuffings with them. Good luck!

  2. Great and simple recipe. I would suggest skipping the vegetable oil if you are using ground beef for this recipe. The ground beef is going to make its own oil so skip this if you want to cut the fat and calories. :-)

  3. 5 stars
    Love, love, love these for family game night! I serve with guacamole & chips & cajun corn slices or fried corn. Thanks!

  4. I couldn’t see all of it or print it because all of the ads covered the recipe. Please put up a print icon.

    1. I’m sorry you had that experience, Joline. There’s a print icon on the right side of the recipe card.

  5. 5 stars
    I’ve become the hit of the family get togethers with these Mini taco salad bites! My grandkids love them and my grown kids love them! I make mine with organic won ton wrappers which they are all I could find. But I can’t tell the difference, spray both sides of the won ton to make it crispy. I thank you for sharing this.

    1. Woohoo! This is what I love to read, Dana! I’m thrilled you and your family have been enjoying the recipe. :)

      1. Wanting to make these for our “First Fiesta”… just wanted to know what brand/size of wonton wrappers you used? Thanks in advance!

  6. Please explain futher about how you can make ahead of time, Just the cups, or the meat mixture also?

    1. Hi Kathleen! You can make the taco cups (store in an airtight container at room temp) and prepare all of your fillings (store in airtight containers in the fridge) then reheat the meat and assemble them right before serving.

  7. Have you ever tried with any other meat like carnitas maybe? And how does the bottom hold up with the liquid from the meat?

    1. That would work great! My carnitas are crispy so the liquid wouldn’t make the shell soggy, but it depends on what recipe you use.

  8. These look awesome as well as easy..could the wrappers be cooked, placed in an airtight container, and filled later..we are glampers and I’m always looking for easy, different options..

    1. Great question because i was wondering the same! I hate using the RV oven so wanted to make ahead of time and was curious if it would work!

  9. I think there is a mistake in the ingredient list. It only calls for 1/3 cup of ground beef? Is it suppose to be a pound? Then 1/3 cup beef added to each cup?

    1. Hi Jamie! The proportions are correct. This recipe has been tested multiple times. :) You’ll see how the taco cups shrink when baked and you want enough room for cheese and toppings without them overflowing!

      1. Hi Brianna! You can find wonton wrappers in the refrigerator section of most major grocery stores.

  10. 5 stars
    Awesome easy recipe! I added a small dab of refried beans before putting the ground beef in and used chopped avocado instead of guacamole ( mostly because I had one to use up). My wontons were not crispy however- not sure why? I used a silicone muffin pan- would that affect the crunch? I sprayed them but that actually seemed to make bottom soggy.

    1. Hi Priscilla! Yes, a silicone muffin pan would definitely cause the wonton wrappers to become soggy and not crunchy. Silicone is a poor heat-conductor and baked goods tend to brown very little, if at all when baked in them.

    1. Hi Mae – I’ve never made this recipe using different types of wrappers so I can’t say with certainty how the taco salad cups would turn out.

      1. Why not use mini Mexican corn tortillas. That’s a lot more authentic than wonton wrapper. Just stay w/evocó and proceed as recipe states.

  11. Just wondering if you need to add water to the taco seasoning, or is the small amount of grease from the meat sufficient? Drain the grease? I just want to get it right the first time!

    Sue

  12. I made this recipe for a clam bake – used a whole pack of won ton wraps (53) , ground turkey, mixed the salsa & guac in along w taco seasoning. Layered the baked won tons first w chopped lettuce, dollop of sour cream & then meat mixture. Topped w cheese. I will melt cheese once I get to the clam bake. They look good, mixture tastes great. A bit time consuming but worth it.

    1. Hi Debbie – I’m not aware of any store-bought wonton wrappers that are gluten-free so unfortunately I can’t suggest a substitute.

    2. We live a very gluten free & carb wise life in my family…you could try a gluten free or carb wise tortilla. You would have to cut them to fit the muffin tin but you would get 3-6 shells out of each tortilla, depending on the size.

  13. Hi I live in the uk and have been making your recipes I just had to drop a message to say how good they are and how easy to make (had to buy cups for measurements as we don’t use those measurements) but really like you food

      1. 5 stars
        I live in Canada and I made the Easy Taco Salad cups and every one Loved them so I will be making them for a Christmas. Snack I love all your recipe thank you so much

  14. Trying to “make ahead” as much as possible for a baby shower. Considering combining all of the filling ingredients for more of a cold taco salad idea. Has anyone done this? Tips?

    1. Hi Melissa! You can make the taco cups a day in advance and prepare all of your fillings then assemble them right before serving.

    1. Hi Bonnie – I recommend you make the taco cups (store in an airtight container at room temp) and prepare all of your fillings (store in airtight containers in the fridge) then reheat the meat and assemble them right before serving.

  15. 5 stars
    I made these and they were awesome! However, not all of my wontons stayed open all the way and weren’t as crispy as I wanted. So, the next batch I turned the muffin tin over and sprayed both sides of the wonton and laid them over the “bump”( I don’t know what to call it) and then baked them…this time they stayed open and were very crispy. But your idea of using a wonton is genius and they made great appetizers for our party

  16. The recipe says to put the wonton wrappers in the tin and then spray them with cooking spray? Wouldn’t it be the other way around?

    1. Hi Amy! Lightly spraying the wonton wrappers with cooking spray helps them to turn golden brown as they bake. :)

    1. Hi there! I used a regular-sized muffin pan for this recipe, not a mini one so you’ll need 12 wonton wrappers.

  17. 5 stars
    Absolutely loved these! Was going to give it only 4 Stars but the fault was mine…I didn’t put enuf taco seasoning in the meat. Oh (and don’t you just hate these kinda people) I added like 5 to 6 pinto beans (good for you – legumes?!?) on top of the meat and an olive slice on top of it all. These were really great! I will be doing them again!

  18. I plan to make this recipe. If you make the cups in advance, how do you keep them fresh and how long will they keep before getting soggy?

  19. 5 stars
    This was a great recipe! I had to improvise because my grocery store didn’t have wonton wraps – I used fully cooked phyllo shells and they worked well too ❤️

  20. WOW these are so perfect for an afternoon tea or lunch with friends . I have made the wonton cups before but never filled them with salad. This is a must try in the New Year. Thank you for the idea .

    1. Absolutely, Barb! You can make the taco cups a day in advance and prepare all of your fillings then assemble them right before serving.

  21. Looking forward to making these, but the recipe calls for 1/3 cup of ground beef. That can’t be correct. Even 1/3 lb. of gr. beef doesn’t seem to be enough to fill 12 muffin cups.

    1. Hi Sandy – The proportions are correct. This recipe has been tested multiple times. :) You’ll see how the taco cups shrink when baked and you want enough room for cheese and toppings without them overflowing!

  22. I never used wontons, but I have small size flour tortillas in the cupboard. Would that work if they’re cut to fit my muffin cups; or are they too thick?

    1. Hi Shelly – I’ve never tried that so I can’t say for certainty what the results would be. Sorry I can’t be of more help!

  23. Hi Kelly. Love this. I used the soft tortillas and just cut them to fit the mini muffin tins. Worked just as good.

  24. 5 stars
    I’ve made these before, and they are great! However, I use the mini filo shells that are bite size, and you don’t even need a muffin pan, or mess with the won ton wrappers, and they stand up on their own beautifully. Just bake them for a few minutes beforehand (not necessary, but I do it anyway), add the (hot) filling, and sprinkle the tops with thinly sliced green onion stems and extra cheese. It’s the perfect bite-size appetizer. You might want to make extra, as I guarantee you there won’t be any left over!

  25. These look great! I wanted to confirm that these are made in regular muffin tins, not mini muffin tins. Right?

  26. Trying this one today! One question. When I initially looked at this recipe, I thought they were in mini muffin tins. Now I see the recipe says muffin tins. You use regular size tins, right? Thanks! I think they will be a hit at our cocktail group tonight!

  27. 5 stars
    Hi Kelly,
    I just made this over the weekend, wonton wrappers seemed small so I used egg roll wraps and just had a bit more crunch. Was a huge hit- delicious and presentation was amazing. Thank you so much!

  28. I am excited to try this.. how fun. But I do have a question- because I have three family members with Celiac disease and have to eat gluten free..can you tell me how I could do this with soft corn tortillas? I could cut them down with a round cookie cutter – and put in a cupcake tin..but would I need to put oil on them before baking to make them crisp or what/

    1. Hi Trudy! You can following the recipe as is, although you may need to adjust the bake time, and I’d also recommend greasing your muffin pan with cooking spray. Looking forward to hearing your results!

  29. Hi Kelly,

    Do you really only use 1/3 cup of ground meat for this recipe? To this you would add two teaspoons of taco seasoning to make 12 cups. Something doesn’t seem right?

    1. Hi Joanne – Yes, the proportions are correct! This recipe has been tested multiple times. :) You’ll see how the taco cups tray shrink when baked and you want enough room for cheese and toppings without them overflowing!