Easy Taco Cups loaded with a delicious filling and classic taco toppings, and an amazing low-carb version made with a secret ingredient.
Taco recipes are always messy, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good taco? I am always looking for simple dinners that give you those exact flavors without the constant cleanup. That is where this easy taco recipe comes in. If you want a lighter option, my secret ingredient is the capsicum. Baking these bell peppers turns them into sturdy edible bowls. It is a great solution for a fast weeknight meal without the usual mess.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe actually came together the day after I hosted friends for Taco Tuesday. I had leftover chicken, a handful of tortillas, and some salsa sitting in the fridge. I wanted to use them up, but I definitely did not want to deal with the mess of assembling regular tacos all over again.
So I decided to just press the tortillas into a muffin tin, add the filling, and bake them. It turned out to be a really simple way to get all the same flavors in a clean, grab-and-go shape.
What are Taco Cups?
As I mentioned before, taco recipes leave you with a massive cleanup, so I wanted to make something you could pick up and eat in just a few bites. Baking the mini tortillas directly in a muffin tray shapes them into sturdy bowls that hold their shape in the oven.
The real trick to keeping these crisp is adding a small layer of mozzarella cheese at the bottom before spooning in the chicken. As it bakes, the cheese melts and creates a protective barrier. This keeps the bottom of the tortilla firm so the meat juices do not soak through. Perfect for kids, if you ask me!
I also make sure to cook the chicken mixture down until the sauce is nice and thick. A watery filling will ruin a baked cup quickly. By letting the sauce reduce and bind the chicken and sweet corn together in the pan first, every single bite stays inside the tortilla where it belongs.
Low Carb Taco Cups
As many of you know, going through a weight loss journey changed how I approach cooking. I like to take care of my health and how I feel, but I absolutely refuse to give up comfort food. This capsicum version is not some magical, ultra-strict diet meal. It still has plenty of melted cheese and savory chicken. But it is a much more balanced way to enjoy taco night without feeling heavy afterward, which is exactly how I prefer to eat.
If you are keeping an eye on your meals, swapping the flour tortillas for capsicums is a great trick. A regular tortilla cup sits at 231 calories and 22 grams of carbs. By baking that exact same filling inside a capsicum, it drops down to 170 calories and 14 grams of carbs.
I usually use red bell peppers because their natural sweetness balances the spiced meat. The only real trick here is roasting the empty capsicums first.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: I highly recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this. Thighs stay tender and hold up to the heat. If you need a substitute, lean ground beef works well, just brown it in the pan first.
- Light cream cheese: This is what gives the filling a thick, scoopable texture. It melts down with the tomato paste to bind the chicken and corn together. I do not recommend swapping this for sour cream or Greek yogurt while cooking on the stove. I tried doing that, and the heat made it separate into a watery mess that ruined the bases.
- Mini flour tortillas: These press right into a standard muffin tray and hold a bowl shape without tearing. You can use corn tortillas, but I found they crack easily unless you wrap them in damp paper towels and warm them up first to make them bendable. Flour is just much easier to work with.
- Capsicums: If you are making the low-carb version, bell peppers are the absolute best option. You can use green or yellow, but red has the best flavor for this meat mixture.
Note: Please see recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Extra Add-Ins And Toppings
When it comes to customizing these, you can treat them just like a regular taco. I like to keep things practical so they stay easy to eat, but here is what works if you want to switch it up:
- Refried beans: If you want to stretch the recipe and make the cups more filling, spread a small spoonful of refried beans directly over the bottom cheese layer before adding the hot chicken. It adds a great texture and helps hold everything together.
- Guacamole: Instead of chopping up avocado for the pico de gallo, you can just drop a dollop of cold guacamole right on top of the baked cups before serving. It is much faster and gives you that creamy contrast.
- Skip the lettuce: I really do not recommend adding shredded lettuce to these. The heat from the freshly baked cups wilts the lettuce almost instantly, and it just falls off and makes a mess when you try to take a bite.
How To Make Easy Taco Cups
Start by making the avocado pico de gallo. Chop the avocado, jalapeño, cherry tomatoes, and coriander, then toss them in a bowl with lime juice, salt, and pepper. I keep this in the fridge while I cook so the flavors mix.
For the filling, coat the diced chicken thighs with olive oil and the Mexican spice mix. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until it gets a brown crust. Toss in the sliced red onion and chopped garlic, cooking for two minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes, sweet corn, tomato paste, and cream cheese. Let it bubble until it turns into a thick sauce. Make sure the liquid is mostly gone so your bases do not get soggy.
The Tortilla Version
If you are making the classic recipe, simply press the mini flour tortillas into a 12-hole muffin tray so they fold into little bowls.
The Low Carb Version
To prep the capsicums instead, cut the tops off and scoop out the seeds. Rub them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and pre-bake them empty at 200°C for 15 minutes to soften.
Assemble and Bake
Once your chosen bases are ready, build them in three quick steps:
- Drop a pinch of the mozzarella and cheddar blend at the bottom to create a barrier.
- Spoon the thick chicken mixture directly over the cheese.
- Finish with another sprinkle of cheese on top.
Bake at 200°C for 13 minutes until the cheese melts. Let them rest for a minute, then top with the cold pico de gallo and light sour cream, then top each one with the cold pico de gallo and light sour cream.
Tips for The BEST Tacos
- Use a glass to shape the cups: Even though flour tortillas are flexible, they can stubbornly bounce out of the muffin tin while you try to fill them. I use the bottom of a small shot glass or a spice jar to firmly stamp them down into the holes. It creates a flat base and tight folds that actually stay in place in the oven.
- Grate your own cheese: I know it takes an extra minute, but buying a block of cheese and grating it yourself makes a massive difference. Store-bought shredded cheese is coated in a powder that stops it from clumping in the bag, which also prevents it from melting into a cohesive layer. A freshly grated block gives you a much better melt to seal the meat inside.
- Drain the fresh salsa: When you make the avocado pico de gallo, the salt will draw a lot of water out of the cherry tomatoes while it sits in the fridge. Give it a quick stir and use a slotted spoon or a fork when you add it to your finished cups. You do not want that cold tomato liquid spilling into your hot taco cups and softening the base right before you eat.
More Recipes To Try
If you like meals where you get to pile on the toppings, I definitely suggest making stuffed baked potatoes or a batch of homemade chili dogs next.
For nights when I refuse to do a bunch of dishes, I usually make creamy one-pot pasta or just fry up some quick dumplings directly in the pan. Both are fast and keep the stove clean.
If you want another low-carb option similar to the capsicums, my layered cabbage bake is a great alternative to traditional pasta. And if you need dessert, I always go with a solid baked vanilla cheesecake.
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