The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
Taco night, minus the shells that crack and the pile of dishes after. These crunchy nacho taco cups use Nacho Cheese Doritos as the bowl. Press the chips into a muffin tin, spoon in seasoned beef, cover it all with cheddar, bake until the edges crisp up.
That’s it. One skillet, one tin.
Why These Nacho Taco Cups Work
The Doritos are already seasoned. Salty, cheesy, a little tangy. So the shell has flavor before the beef even goes in, and you skip the whole “season the tortilla” step.
Drain the beef. Grease runs straight into the chip walls and turns them soft, and you can’t fix that after baking.
Cheese goes on top, not underneath. It melts over the filling like a lid and keeps the moisture off the chips.
And the bake is short on purpose. The chips are already cooked. Ten to twelve minutes is just enough to melt the cheese and toast the edges. Go longer and the seasoning on the chips scorches, which tastes bitter fast.
What You Need
For the cups and filling:
- 1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For the toppings:
- 1 cup chopped lettuce
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Green onions
- Salsa (optional, serve on the side)
How to Make Nacho Taco Cups
- Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a muffin tin well, every cup, up the sides too.
- Cook the ground beef in a skillet until browned. Drain the fat. Stir in the taco seasoning.
- Press Doritos chips against the bottom and sides of each muffin cup to build little bowls.
- Spoon the taco meat into each cup and cover with the cheddar.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are crisp.
- Let the cups sit in the tin for 2 minutes. Lift them out, then finish with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and green onions.
Appetizer • Tex-Mex
Crunchy Nacho Taco Cups
Nacho Cheese Doritos pressed into a muffin tin, filled with seasoned taco beef and cheddar, and baked until crisp. One skillet, one tin, almost no dishes. Makes 12 cups.
Ingredients 9 items
- Cups and Filling
- Toppings
Instructions 6 steps
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1
Heat the oven
Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a muffin tin well, every cup and up the sides too.
-
2
Cook the beef
Cook the ground beef in a skillet until browned. Drain the fat, then stir in the taco seasoning.
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3
Build the chip cups
Press Doritos chips against the bottom and sides of each muffin cup to build little bowls.
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4
Fill and top with cheese
Spoon the taco meat into each cup and cover with the cheddar.
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5
Bake
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are crisp.
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6
Rest and serve
Let the cups sit in the tin for 2 minutes, then lift them out. Finish with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and green onions.
Tips & Substitutions
Rest the cups in the tin for 2 minutes before lifting so they hold together.
Patch any gaps in the chip walls with broken chips before adding the meat.
Serve salsa on the side so the cups stay crispy.
Ground turkey or shredded chicken work in place of beef.
Nutrition Facts
190 kcal / serving
Protein10g
Carbs9g
Fat12g
Fiber1g
My Tips
Wait the 2 minutes before lifting. Straight out of the oven they fall apart. Rested, they hold.
Gaps in the chip wall? Break a few chips into pieces and patch the holes before the meat goes in.
Salsa goes on the side. Spoon it inside and the chips soften before anyone takes a bite.
Don’t pile the toppings on until you’re serving. Lettuce wilts against hot cheese.
Variations
Ground turkey or shredded chicken work the same way as the beef. Season the same, drain the same.
Pepper jack instead of cheddar adds a little heat. Worth doing.
Cool Ranch Doritos? Skip. The ranch flavor fights the taco seasoning and the whole cup tastes confused.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Cook the taco meat up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. That part is easy.
Don’t build the cups ahead. Pressed chips sitting with meat go soft, and baking won’t bring the crunch back. Assemble right before the oven.
Leftovers aren’t great. If you have some, 5 minutes in a 350°F oven helps, but they won’t be what they were.
FAQ
What can I use instead of Doritos for nacho taco cups?
Tortilla chips work, but Nacho Cheese Doritos are my pick because they’re already seasoned. Plain chips need extra salt or a heavier hand with the taco seasoning.
Why are my taco cups falling apart?
Usually one of three things: you lifted them out too soon, the chips weren’t pressed firmly into the tin, or there were gaps in the walls. Rest them 2 minutes in the tin, press harder, and patch holes with broken chips.
Do I really need to grease the muffin tin?
Yes.
Can I use ground turkey?
Yes. Brown it, drain it, and stir in the taco seasoning exactly like the beef.
Can I freeze nacho taco cups?
No. The chips go soft. Freeze the cooked taco meat instead, then thaw it and build the cups fresh.
Final Thoughts
Set them on a board next to a bowl of salsa and something cold with lime in it. Everyone grabs one with their hands, nobody needs a plate, and the tin is the only thing left to wash.
