Description
These Puffy Tacos are a delightful twist on traditional tacos, featuring a flaky puff pastry filled with seasoned ground beef, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and melted cheddar cheese. Perfect for a quick and fun appetizer or a festive meal, they bake up golden and crispy in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Taco Filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 (1-oz) package taco seasoning
- 1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
- ⅔ cup water
For the Tacos
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (17.3-oz) package puff pastry, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This ensures the pastries bake evenly and won’t stick.
- Cook Ground Beef: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain excess fat to avoid greasy filling. Add taco seasoning, drained diced tomatoes and green chiles, and ⅔ cup water. Simmer for 5 minutes, allowing flavors to meld. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare Puff Pastry Squares: Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheets on a clean surface. Cut each sheet into 9 equal squares, yielding 18 squares total.
- Assemble Tacos: Place a portion of the taco meat mixture down the diagonal center of each pastry square. Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese over the meat. Fold two opposite corners of each square over the filling, pressing the edges firmly to seal and create a taco shape. Arrange the assembled pastries on the prepared baking sheets, ensuring they have space for puffing.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, brush the pastry edges with a little beaten egg before baking.
- You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option.
- If you prefer spicier tacos, add extra diced jalapeños or hot sauce to the meat mixture.
- These tacos can be prepared ahead and reheated in the oven for a few minutes to maintain crispness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
