Taco Cups with Ground Turkey

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Taco Cups with ground turkey, salsa, taco seasoning and cheese are easy to make and work as a fun appetizer or main meal with rice or a salad. You need just a few ingredients and 30 minutes to pull them together!

If you’re looking to change up your taco game, you need to try these taco cups! They’re made with mini tortillas instead of wonton wrappers and they’re surprisingly simple to make. You can change up the fillings and toppings, making them an easy and tasty addition to your next taco night!

We love them served with cashew queso or jalapeño dip and topped with all the taco fixins’!

Overhead view of taco cups arranged on a round plate with toppings surrounding it.

Why you’ll love these taco cups

You only need 5 basic ingredients and 30 minutes.
They’re on the healthier side, made with ground turkey instead of ground beef.
They can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a main meal.
You can change them up with different fillings and toppings.
They’re less messy than traditional tacos, which makes them easier to serve.

Details on the ingredients

Mini tortillas – You’ll need a pack of 12 mini flour tortillas. The ones I used measured about 4.5 inches in diameter.

Ground turkey – One pound of lean ground turkey is the perfect amount to fill 12 cups. You can also use ground chicken if that’s your preference.

Salsa – You can use homemade or store-bought salsa. Just make sure it’s chunky and not watery. I used a reduced sodium salsa since the taco seasoning tends to be a bit salty, but feel free to use regular salsa. I also used medium, which has a little kick. You can go with a milder salsa if you prefer.

Taco seasoning – I used reduced sodium taco seasoning and I only used one tablespoon. Feel free to use regular seasoning or even a homemade version (here’s a homemade taco seasoning I’ve tried before) and use more if you like a lot of taco flavour.

Cheese – I normally use light cheese, but when it comes to a melty taco topping, full fat cheese is best. I used a tex mex blend here, but feel free to use cheddar, mozzarella or even habanero for some extra heat.

Toppings – There are so many topping options. I offer lots of suggestions in a separate section below!

How to make taco cups with tortillas

Preheat your oven to 400F.
Add the ground turkey to a greased skillet and cook over medium heat until almost browned.
Stir in the salsa and taco seasoning and continue cooking until the turkey is no longer pink and any liquid from the salsa has been cooked off.
Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and line each muffin cavity with a mini tortilla to form a cup.
Divide the turkey mixture into each cup and top with cheese.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the edges of the tortillas have browned.
Serve immediately with desired toppings.

Toppings for taco cups

There are so many topping options. Here are a few we love:

Guacamole, sour cream and salsa
Chopped romaine lettuce and tomatoes
Queso or jalapeño dip
Chipotle dip
Chopped green onions, red onions and cilantro
Chopped green and red peppers
Jalapeño peppers
Extra cheese

An assortment of taco toppings arranged in individual bowls.

Recipe variations

You can make these taco cups with ground chicken or ground beef. Just keep in mind that ground beef is greasier so make sure to use extra lean and drain off any excess grease before filling the cups.

In place of some of the ground turkey filling, add some cooked rice, black beans and corn.

Instead of salsa, stir half a cup of green chilies into the ground turkey.

While frying the ground turkey, add some chopped peppers and onions. For an extra kick, add some chopped jalapeños.

Instead of flour tortillas, try using corn tortillas or wonton wrappers.

Frequently asked questions

What size tortillas should you use for taco cups?

I used mini tortillas that were 4.5 inches in diameter and they fit perfectly into the muffin cups. Slightly smaller or larger tortillas will work too, just make sure they can form cups in the muffin pan. If you can only find larger tortillas, just trim them down to a smaller size.

What size muffin pan do you use for taco cups?

You should use a standard size 12-cup muffin pan for this recipe. You don’t want to use mini muffin pans as they will be too small for the tortillas.

Can you make taco cups in advance?

These taco cups can be made in about 30 minutes, but if you want to save yourself some time, you can cook the turkey mixture in advance, and then just reheat it before filling the cups and baking them.

How do you reheat taco cups?

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and warm them in the oven on 400F for about 5 minutes, or until just heated through and crispy around the edges.

Up close and overhead view of taco cups on a white plate.

Additional recipe tips

Be careful not to over bake the taco cups as the bottoms may burn or brown too much.
Generously grease your muffin pan to ensure the taco cups lift out easily and don’t stick to the bottom.
This recipe was tested in a lighter coloured muffin pan. In my experience, food browns faster in darker pans so if you’re using a darker muffin pan, just keep an eye on the taco cups to ensure they don’t brown too much.
Make sure you use a chunky salsa. A watery salsa might make the bottom of your taco cups soggy. If your turkey mixture looks too watery from the salsa, carefully drain off the excess liquid.
I only added a little bit of cheese to the tops of the cups. Feel free to add more if you like your tacos extra cheesy!

Up close view of mini taco cups with toppings, arranged on a plate.

Other taco recipes to try

Air Fryer Fish Tacos with jalapeño slaw and pineapple salsa
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos with apples and cranberries
Spicy Tofu Scramble Breakfast Tacos

If you make these taco cups I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.

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