Easy Mini Chicken Tacos in a Cup
Mini chicken tacos in a cup are filled with shredded seasoned chicken and topped with all of your favorite taco fixings served in a crispy baked tortilla cup. These tasty treats are perfect for snacking, parties, game day or easy weeknight dinner for taco night.
With their zesty flavor and convenient bite-sized portions, these mini tacos will surely be a hit with the whole family. Plus, they are super easy to make, so you can satisfy your taco cravings without spending hours in the kitchen.
🤍Why you will love this recipe
- They are versatile and can be served with various toppings to accommodate different tastes.
- Mini chicken taco cups are a fun way to serve and enjoy tacos as a snack or dinner on Taco Tuesday.
- Flavor! These snacks are full of flavor and have a satisfying crunch.
Here is what you will need
This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this taco recipe; scroll down for the full recipe that is printable with exact measurements and detailed instructions.
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🛒Ingredients
- Cooked chicken
- Chili powder or taco seasoning
- Lime juice
- Olive oil
- Cheese
- Tortillas
- Favorite taco toppings
🥄Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Glass
- Paring knife
How to make Mini Tacos in Cups
Prepare the ingredients: Toss the cooked chicken with lime juice and chili powder; set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees f.
STEP 1: Place a tortilla on a cutting board and use a glass rim to cut out small circles that are about 3 inches round.
STEP 2: Use a pastry brush to coat the cupcake tins with olive oil.
STEP 3: Gently press each cut-out tortilla into the muffin tin and place in a a preheated oven. Bake until they are golden brown – about 8 minutes.
STEP 4: Remove the tortilla cups from the oven and top them with the seasoned chicken mixture and shredded cheese.
STEP 5: Bake tacos for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese melts and the chicken is heated.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Chicken – This recipe is perfect for using up leftover, shredded, or quickly cooked chicken. My preference is rotisserie chicken or shredded or grilled chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs.
You can also cook 4 ounces of ground chicken with chili powder and ground cumin.
Cheese – Any type of cheese will work in this recipe, we like cheddar cheese, cotija cheese, pepper jack cheese or even a Mexican cheese blend.
Tortillas – I like to use flour tortillas to make mini chicken taco cups, but you can also use corn tortillas.
Serving suggestions
Serve mini tacos with your favorite toppings such as salsa, guacamole, sour cream, green chiles, lettuce, lime wedges, black beans, red onion, green onions, and tomatoes.
Mini chicken taco cups are also perfect for dinner served with a garden salad.
Recipe variations
Mini chicken tacos in a cup a fun way to enjoy tacos in bite-sized portions. Here are some delicious variations to try:
BBQ – Instead of chili powder, toss cooked chicken in barbecue sauce and top with coleslaw and green onions.
Buffalo – Toss cooked chicken with buffalo sauce and top with crumbled blue cheese.
Greek – Season chicken with oregano and garlic. Top the chicken with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese.
Mini Vegetarian Tacos in a Cup – Instead of chicken use diced cooked tofu, crumbles of tempeh, refried beans or black beans.
Mini Beef Tacos in a Cup – Replace the chicken taco meat with cooked and seasoned ground beef or leftover chili.
How to store leftovers
While these taste best right after they have been made, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
For best results, reheat them in the oven at 350 until they crisp up.
💡Tips
- Don’t overstuff the taco cups to avoid soggy tacos.
- Ensure the ingredients are cut small enough to fit into mini taco cups.
You can use store-bought tortilla chip cups for convenience. Keep in mind that the chip cups are smaller than the homemade version, so you may need more cups.
Absolutely! You can scale this recipe based on the numbre of guests you are serving.
It’s best to assemble tacos just before serving so that they maintain their crispiness. You can prepare the ingredients in advance and quickly assemble the tacos just before serving.
You might also like these appetizer recipes
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Mini Chicken Taco Cups
Equipment
- Cupcake Tin
Ingredients
- 2 Flour Tortillas 8 to 10 inches in size
- 4 ounces Chicken Cooked
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Lime Juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 3 ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Toss the cooked 4 ounces Chickenwith 2 teaspoons Lime Juice and 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder in a small bowl and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees f.
- Place 2 Flour Tortillas on a cutting board and use a glass rim to cut out circles that are approximately 3 inches round.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the cupcake tin with 1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- Gently press the tortillas into the cupcake int and bake for 8 minuts.
- Remove the tortilla cups from the oven and top them with the seasoned chicken and 3 ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese.
- Place the cups back into the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes longer until the chicken is heated and cheese melts.