Creepy Taco Cups: Our Top 8 Frightful Bites

Why Make These Creepy Taco Cups

You will love making these Creepy Taco Cups. They are fun for everyone. They are great for parties or movie nights. They are also easy to make. You can change them how you like. Each cup is a perfect size. They also taste great with all the usual taco flavors in a new, fun way.

How to Make Creepy Taco Cups

Making Creepy Taco Cups involves three main parts: making the crispy taco shells, cooking the tasty filling, and then putting everything together with fun toppings. You will use a muffin tin to shape the tortillas into cups.

Ingredients of Creepy Taco Cups

Here is what you need to make your Creepy Taco Cups:

For the Taco Shells

• Small to medium soft flour tortillas
• Olive oil or cooking spray

For the Spooky Filling

• Ground beef or turkey
• Taco seasoning
• One onion, finely diced
• Garlic, minced
• One can (diced tomatoes with green chilies)
• One can black beans, rinsed and drained
• Corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
• Water or broth

For Creepy Toppings (Optional)

• Shredded lettuce
• Shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a blend)
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Salsa
• Guacamole or diced avocado
• Sliced black olives
• Jalapeño slices
• Fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions of Creepy Taco Cups

Follow these steps to make your Creepy Taco Cups:

Preparing the Taco Shells

1. Preheat Oven: Get your oven hot.
2. Prepare Tortillas: Lightly spray or brush tortillas with oil.
3. Forming the Cups: Gently press tortillas into muffin tin cups.
4. Bake Until Crispy: Bake them until they are golden and firm.

Cooking the Spooky Filling

1. Brown the Meat: Cook ground meat in a pan until it is no longer pink. Drain any extra fat.
2. Sauté Aromatics: Add onion and garlic to the pan. Cook until they are soft.
3. Season & Simmer: Stir in taco seasoning, diced tomatoes with green chilies, black beans, corn, and water/broth. Let it start to bubble.
4. Cook Until Thickened: Turn down the heat. Cook until most of the liquid is gone and the mix is full of flavor.

Assembling Your Creepy Taco Cups

1. Spoon Filling: Fill each crispy taco cup with the cooked meat mixture.
2. Add Cheese (Optional): Put a little shredded cheese on top.
3. Return to Oven (Optional): Bake a short time to melt the cheese if you want.
4. Garnish and Serve: Take them out of the oven. Top them with your chosen creepy toppings.

How to Serve Creepy Taco Cups

Serve your Creepy Taco Cups on a large plate. You can put toppings in separate bowls for people to choose. You can also make them look more spooky. Use edible pens or small cut-outs to make faces or spiderwebs on sour cream. Smaller muffin tins make bite-sized cups for snacks. Serve them with Mexican rice, refried beans, or a simple green salad.

How to Store Creepy Taco Cups

You can store the cooked taco filling for 2-3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. The baked tortilla cups can be stored at room temperature for a day in an airtight container, but they are best eaten fresh for crispness. It is best to add toppings right before serving.

Tips to Make Creepy Taco Cups

• Do not overfill cups: This can make them soft.
• Bake shells well: Make sure they are very crispy for the best bite.
• Cook filling ahead: Make the filling early to save time if you are serving for a party.
• Muffin tin trick: If you do not have enough muffin tins, use oven-safe bowls turned upside down to shape the tortillas.

Variation

• Vegetarian/Vegan: Use plant-based crumbles, lentils, or more beans instead of meat. Use vegan cheese and sour cream.
• Chicken or Beef: Use cooked, shredded chicken or seasoned pulled beef for different tastes.
• Spice Level: Change how much chilies, jalapeños, or hot sauce you add to make it hotter or milder.
• Cheese Choices: Try different cheeses like cotija, pepper jack, or queso fresco.

FAQs

Q1: Can I make the filling for these Creepy Taco Cups ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the taco filling up to 2-3 days before. Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. This makes putting your Creepy Taco Cups together easier on the day you want to eat them. Just warm the filling gently before you spoon it into the baked shells.

Q2: How do I keep my Creepy Taco Cups from getting soggy?

To stop your Creepy Taco Cups from getting soggy, make sure your tortilla shells are very crispy and dry when you bake them. Also, let your taco meat filling cool a little before you put it into the cups. Add wet toppings like salsa or sour cream right before you serve, so they do not sit in the cups for too long. A thin layer of melted cheese at the bottom of the cup can also help keep them dry.

Q3: What are some fun ways to make these Creepy Taco Cups even “creepier” for Halloween?

Get creative! You can use thin black olive slices to make “spider” designs on top of sour cream or cheese. You can pipe green and black guacamole to look like witch’s brew or monster skin. You can also use small cookie cutters to cut cheese into ghost or bat shapes to put on top. Edible googly eyes are also a great and easy way to add a silly, creepy touch to your Creepy Taco Cups.

Classic Creepy Taco Cups

These Classic Creepy Taco Cups are a fun and spooky twist on a family favorite, perfect for Halloween parties or a themed dinner. Crispy tortilla cups are filled with a savory, seasoned meat mixture and topped with all your favorite ghoulish garnishes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

• Oven
• Muffin tin
• Wire rack
• Large skillet

Ingredients

  

For the Taco Shells

• 8-12 Small to medium soft flour tortillas
• Olive oil or cooking spray

For the Spooky Filling

• 1 lb Ground beef or turkey
• 1 packet Taco seasoning
• 1 onion finely diced
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (10 oz)
• 1 can black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup Corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
• 1/2 cup Water or broth

For Creepy Toppings (Optional)

• 1 cup Shredded lettuce
• 1 cup Shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a blend)
• 1/2 cup Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup Salsa
• 1/2 cup Guacamole or diced avocado
• Sliced black olives
• Jalapeño slices
• Fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

 

Taco Shells

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Lightly spray or brush both sides of each tortilla with olive oil or cooking spray.
• Gently press each tortilla into the cups of a standard muffin tin to form a cup shape.
• Bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown and firm, then cool on a wire rack.

Spooky Filling

• While shells bake, cook ground beef or turkey in a large skillet until no longer pink, then drain excess fat.
• Add finely diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until the onion softens (3-5 minutes).
• Stir in taco seasoning, diced tomatoes with green chilies, rinsed black beans, corn, and water or broth; bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes until liquid evaporates and flavors meld.

Assembly and Garnish

• Fill each crispy taco cup with the cooked meat mixture.
• Optionally, sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the filling in each cup.
• For melted cheese, return taco cups to the oven for 2-3 minutes until bubbly.
• Remove from oven and garnish with creepy toppings like shredded lettuce, olive "spiders" on sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and cilantro; serve immediately.

Notes

For extra creepy flair, use food coloring to dye sour cream green or black. You can also cut olive pieces into "spiders" or other spooky shapes for garnish. Consider serving with a side of "bloody" salsa by adding red food coloring.