One Hot Oven

You are here: Home / Appetizers & Snacks / Mini Chicken Taco Cups

Mini Chicken Taco Cups

By 40 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
454Shares

I’m going to let you in on a secret.  Are you ready? Here goes…We don’t do Taco Night in my house.

What? you gasp.  You don’t have Taco Night Tuesdays?

No, you misunderstand.  We don’t do Taco Night.  We do Taco Nights.  Taco Night Tuesday, Taco Night Wednesday, Taco Night Thursday…you get the picture. One of our absolute favorite recipes to make is Mini Chicken Taco Cups.

Mexican apapetizers

Taco Night Rules

When you’re eating as many tacos as my family is, there are two things to keep in mind:

  • Keep your recipes simple, yet tasty
  • Keep things interesting

These Mini Chicken Taco Cups are the perfect answer!  They have all the flavor of a taco in a neat, bite-size morsel.  Perfectly seasoned beans and chicken, melty Cotija cheese, and a bold kick of flavor from your favorite salsa on top.  These mini taco cups also come together in an hour, and if you use a rotisserie chicken even less; that is why we make these all the time.

You can customize these savory bites

Yes, there are always options!

  • You can mix and match the toppings and the spiciness to your liking. 
  • Salsa or Picante sauce – just use your favorite and then you choose mild, medium or spicy for a bold experience
  • Not into chicken, add seasoned shredded beef or pork, both are delicious
  • Leave out the guac or cilantro if those aren’t your thing or go crazy and add more
  • Let’s talk shredded cheese on top, go with sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese

As you start planning your next Tuesday night dinner party (hint: you’re serving tacos and you don’t actually need to invite any guests), add these items to your grocery list and you’ve got all you need for the perfect bite-size appetizer.  Or dinner. Or dessert.  Can you eat tacos for dessert? Why not.

Grocery List

  • Salsa
  • Refried beans
  • Tortillas
  • Chicken-  (rotisserie chicken is great for this)
  • Spices – use your favorite Mexican spices like cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, corriander
  • Cotija cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Guacamole
  • Cilantro (for garnish)

How to make Mini Taco Cups with Tortillas

Step 1. The easiest way to make the taco cups is to cut small size rounds from 11″ flour tortillas.  To cut 5″ round tortillas I use a plastic container as a cutter.  Nothing fancy, but it works, so just look around your kitchen.

Cutting small round tortillas from larger tortilla

Step 2. Place a 1/2 tsp. of olive oil in the bottom of each cup of a muffin pan and press in the tortilla circles, then bake for 5-7 minutes.  This helps crisp up the tortilla before you put the filling inside.

Step 3. Prepare the chicken by poaching for 10-12 minutes then shred into small pieces. Mix in your favorite Mexican seasonings like a sprinkle of chili powder and coriander plus salt and pepper to taste. You can definitely be creative here with all kinds of seasonings.

Step 4. In a small bowl add the refried beans and mix in 2 tablespoons of the salsa plus cumin and garlic powder.

A muffin pan with baked tortilla cups with chicken and salsa

Step 5. Next fill each cup with the seasoned refried beans, shredded chicken, and Cotija cheese.

Steps to making taco cups

Step 6. Bake the cups for 5-7 minutes. While they are baking prepare your toppings.  My favorites are salsa, sour cream,  guacamole, and a sprinkling of cilantro.  All the great flavors you will find in a taco.

baked tortilla cups ready for toppings

Step 7. Once the bites are done remove from the muffin pan and add your toppings and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro, then put all these crispy taco cups on a platter and serve.

baked chicken bites

Simple, tasty, and definitely not your average taco.  Your Taco Tuesdays are about to get a lot more interesting.

Pin for later when you need a taco night idea or even a mini taco appetizer recipe 

More bite-sized appetizers from One Hot Oven

Savory Mini Swiss Cheese Quiches

Cotswold Cheese Crackers

Pears, Asiago Cheese & Cranberry Puff Pastry Bites

Fiesta On!

A tray of baked Mini Chicken Taco Cups
Print Pin
4.89 from 27 votes

Mini Chicken Taco Cups

These Mini Chicken Taco Cups make a tasty appetizer, snack or a light dinner. The crispy taco shell holds a delicious chicken filling full of spicy refried beans, and melted Cotija cheese.
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword bite-sized taco cups, how to make taco cups, how to make tacos, mini taco cups
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12
Calories 110kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Taco Cups

Poaching Chicken for Shredding

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preparing the taco filling

  • Preheat oven to 425 °. Use a 12 cup standard muffin pan.
  • With a 5" round cutter, cut 3-4 rounds from the tortillas
  • Place a 1/4 tsp. of olive oil in the bottom of each muffin-pan cup. Press the tortilla into the cup. Bake the tortillas for 5-7 minutes until golden brown
  • Place the shredded chicken a bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons of salsa.
  • Mix the refried beans, with 2 tablespoons of salsa, cumin, and garlic powder.

Assembling the Taco Cups

  • Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the refried bean filling in the bottom of each taco shell. Next place 1 tablespoon of shredded chicken and top with Cotija cheese crumbles.
  • Bake the taco cups for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Garnishing the Taco Cups

  • Top each taco cup with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and cilantro.

Poaching Chicken for Shredding

  • In a large pot place the chicken in the bottom and season with cumin, salt and pepper.
  • Cover the chicken with 1" of water
  • Put the pot on the stove and bring to a gentle boil. Next, turn the heat down so the water comes to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes. The temperature should register 165°
  • When done remove the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Shred the chicken by using two forks to pull the meat apart. If the shreds are too long for your recipe you can dice the chicken.

Notes

Leftover rotisserie chicken works well for the shredded chicken.
This recipe is easily adaptable to using shredded beef, carnitas, or seasoned hamburger.
The toppings and seasonings can be adjusted to your liking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco cup | Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.2g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 145mg

Add a simple Mexican Corn Salad to the taco night menu for a tasty and colorful side dish.

Mexican corn salad

 

Mini Chicken Tacos Cups

No matter what night it is, make sure to celebrate with great food.

Jere’

 

454Shares

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Capri

    5 stars
    The tacos are absolutely perfect for a bite-sized appetizer! I love the way they come out so beautifully! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  4. Marthana Sharp

    5 stars
    Wow, these are the best appetizer I have made in ages. Next time I am doubling the batch, they were so good. My kids asked for more.

    Reply

  6. Ramona

    5 stars
    A perfect appealing recipe especially for a party – easy and delicious. I will definitely save this recipe. Gorgeous idea, thanks for sharing 😉

    Reply

  9. Amy Chung

    5 stars
    Such a great idea! I find tacos so messy and more stuff always ends up on my plate than in my mouth! Taco cups will definitely make it so much easier to eat. Love this recipe!

    Reply

  21. Erika

    5 stars
    These are adorable and an awesome addition to taco Tuesday. They are also a perfect little appetizer or party treat!

    Reply

  23. Adriana

    5 stars
    How cute are these I enjoy Pace salsa too perfect idea for a taco party at home. Now I need some taco bites I am hungry!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.