Fillo Taco Cups

These festive little taco cups make a great appetizer. They’re really easy to make too. We take some help from the market by using frozen fillo (phyllo) shells, but we add our own touch by making a homemade taco seasoning.

The flaky and delicious fillo cups are filled with flavorful taco meat, then baked and topped with cheddar jack cheese. We dress them up for the holidays with a touch of sour cream, diced tomatoes and green onions.

These fillo taco cups will look lovely on your appetizer table. Enjoy!

Taco cups ingredients

• ½ tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
• ½ teaspoon Cumin
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon Canola Oil, or use your favorite vegetable oil
• 1.25 pound Lean Ground Beef
• 8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Water
• 3 packages (1.9 ounce each) Frozen Mini Fillo (Phyllo) Shells
• 2-3 tablespoons Finely Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
• 2 Tomatoes, seeded and diced small
• 2-3 tablespoons Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tablespoons Sour Cream

How to make fillo taco cups

Combine the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and the prepared seasoning mix. Stir to combine.

Cook the ground beef until browned, approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Add the tomato sauce and water, stir well to combine. Cook’s Note: I like to add the water to the empty can of tomato sauce and give it a swirl to get every last drop.

Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.

While the ground beef cooks, preheat the oven to 350°F

When the ground beef is done, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool a bit.

Build the fillo taco cups

Fill the fillo cups with about 1 teaspoon of ground beef and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake the fillo taco cups for 5 minutes or so to warm through. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Add a pinch of cheese to each taco cup. Place them back in the oven and bake 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.

Garnish and serve

Add a dollop of sour cream and garnish each cup with a few pieces of diced tomatoes and green onions. Arrange the fillo taco cups on a tray and serve. Enjoy! Makes approximately 45 taco cups.

You may also like:

• Shredded Chicken Nachos
• Refried Black Beans
• Shredded Chicken Tostadas
• Southwestern Egg Rolls

📖 Recipe