Tiny Tacos

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

55 mins

Additional Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 40 mins

Servings:

Yield:

60 tiny tacos

Jump to Nutrition Facts

If you think regular tacos are fun to eat, just wait until you try these delicious and adorable tiny tacos. They might be about the same size as the ones at a certain fast food chain, but that's where the similarities end: These are filled with cheese and taco beef and not some gray-brown mystery meat. Also, these tacos are fried crisp in a pan (and not packed into a container to steam and get soggy in a "cheese" sauce). There are other differences as well, but those first two should be enough.

There is just something about eating miniaturized food that brings a certain type of joy. I joked about people wanting to feel like a giant in the video, but maybe there's actually something to that. Or maybe it's just that tiny food is so darn cute. Whatever it is, people really do seem to enjoy these kinds of things.

The only down side? They're generally harder to make than the full-sized versions. I'm not going to say these are just as easy as regular tacos, since they are not — but with this method, they don't take that much extra time and effort. Plus, the results are well worth it. Just be sure to add a pinch of cheese on top of your beef before the oven and folding step, so they stick together easier than mine did. So, no matter what taco meat you decide to use, I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

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Ingredients

For the Taco Beef:

1 tablespoon olive oil
⅓ cup finely diced onion
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
2 pinches cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons tomato paste
½ cup water
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers

For the Tiny Tacos:

15 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed

Directions

Add oil, onion, and ground beef to a cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add salt, chili powder, cumin, chipotle, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne. Break beef apart with a spatula to mix in spices; cook until browned and crumbled into very small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and water and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until most of the liquid has reduced, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in jalapeno peppers and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust seasoning.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Stack up 2 or 3 corn tortillas at a time and use a 2-inch round pastry cutter to cut 4 small circles out of each stack, making 60 total. Place circles in a single layer, 1/2 inch apart, on sheet pans.
Mix Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses together. Top each tortilla circle with cheese, using the pastry cutter to keep it from spilling onto the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese. Top each with about 1 teaspoon taco beef and another teaspoon cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Carefully fold each tortilla in half, being careful not to press out the filling. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 20 minutes.
Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as necessary, pan-fry tacos until crispy and heated through and the edges are a bit caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

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Chef's Notes:

Use any taco filling you like in place of ground beef, just chop it up really small.

The tortilla scraps can be used to make chilaquiles.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

300	Calories
18g	Fat
19g	Carbs
16g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 10
Calories 300
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 18g	23%
Saturated Fat 8g	40%
Cholesterol 50mg	17%
Sodium 193mg	8%
Total Carbohydrate 19g	7%
Dietary Fiber 3g	11%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 16g	31%
Vitamin C 2mg	2%
Calcium 208mg	16%
Iron 2mg	10%
Potassium 231mg	5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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