Tacos are always a hit in our house, but my kids are still at the stage where those regular hard taco shells end up becoming a crumbled mess on their plates. The other day, as it was already 6:30pm and we were all starving, I was scrambling for a FAST (and easy) dinner solution, I stumbled upon a solution so simple and yet so perfect, I couldn’t believe I had never thought of it before.

Taco Bites.

All the yumminess of a taco in a handy bite-sized package. I’m probably not the first person to ever come up with this idea, but I gotta tell ya, I was pretty darn proud of myself for this one! It didn’t hurt that my family gobbled them up like they had never seen food before and I was declared the best mommy ever. As usual, I used vegetarian protein crumbles instead of ground beef, but the directions are basically the same either way!

Assemble your ingredients for the taco bites: butter, onion, vegetarian protein crumbles, taco seasoning, water, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, olives, salsa, and sour cream.

Here is what you need:

1-2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
vegetarian protein crumbles (such as Boca or Morningstar) or 1 lb. ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 bag scoop-style tortilla chips
shredded cheese
sliced olives or jalepenos
salsa
sour cream
lettuce & diced tomatoes, if desired!

Saute butter, onions, and vegetarian crumbles in a hot pan.

Step One: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large frying pan over medium-high heat; add onions & sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add protein crumbles or ground beef; cook until meat is browned. (Drain fat if necessary). Add taco seasoning & 1/2 cup of water. Cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Arrange whole scoop tortilla chips on a baking sheet.

Step Two: Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Arrange whole scoop chips on pan.

Use a teaspoon to fill each cup with taco meat mixture.

Step Three: Use a teaspoon to fill each cup with taco meat.

Sprinkle shredded cheese over taco meat then top each bite with a sliced olive.

Step Four: Sprinkle shredded cheese over taco meat, then top each bite with a sliced olive or jalepeno. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with sour cream.

Step Five:  Serve immediately with salsa, sour cream, & other toppings, if desired.

 

Taco Bites

Full taco flavor in a handy bite-sized package!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Taco Bites
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1/2 sweet onion finely diced
  • vegetarian protein crumbles such as Boca or Morningstar or 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 package taco seasoning
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 bag scoop-style tortilla chips
  • shredded cheese
  • sliced olives or jalepenos
  • salsa
  • sour cream
  • lettuce and diced tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large frying pan over medium-high heat; add onions & sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. 

  2. Add protein crumbles or ground beef; cook until meat is browned. (Drain fat if necessary). Add taco seasoning & 1/2 cup of water. Cook for 1-2 minutes more. 

  3. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Arrange whole scoop chips on pan.
  4. Use a teaspoon to fill each cup with taco meat.
  5. Sprinkle shredded cheese over taco meat, then top each bite with a sliced olive or jalepeno. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  6. Serve immediately with salsa, sour cream, & other toppings, if desired.

Need a quick appetizer recipe that's tasty too? These easy taco bites are simple, delicious Tex-Mex inspired snack perfect for any occasion!

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