My taco bites are a fun take on taco night. Tostitos Scoops chips filled with flavorful ground beef, melted cheese, and topped with cool, crunchy toppings. I like serving these bites at parties, for game day, or just a tasty snack. You might want to think about doubling the recipe because these disappear fast.
One of my favorite snacks to make for game day, or even a taco Tuesday, are these mini taco bites. They have all the classic taco flavor in one tasty bite. I also love that you can just pick them up, no utensils needed.
You can put these bites together in not time. Cook up your seasoned beef, top with melted cheese and all the great toppings. They are definitely a family favorite, my kids will often ask me to make them for a simple dinner.
If I am serving these for a party, I like to set out bowls of different toppings so that everyone can customize their own. It’s a great way to make it interactive, but also helps to keep the chips crisp.
Want more bite sized appetizers, be sure to try bacon wrapped water chestnuts, cream cheese stuffed peppers, stuffed celery, and salami roll ups.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Perfect finger food. These little bites are easy to pick up and eat.
- Easy to make. You can make these taco bites in about 30 minutes.
- Customizable. There are so many ways to make these your own with different toppings and filling.
- Wonderful for entertaining. They perfect bite that is always satisfying. Even kids love these!
Ingredients
You can make these easy mini taco bites with simple ingredients. Feel free to use your favorite toppings.
- Tostitos Scoops tortilla chips: I like using the Scoops chips because they can hold all of the ingredients. Perfect for this bite sized appetizer.
- Ground beef: Try using lean ground beef for this recipe. It helps to cut back on the grease.
- Taco seasoning: Use your favorite taco seasoning to add flavor to the ground beef.
- Chunky salsa: Adding salsa to the meat mixture helps to add even more flavor and moisture to the beef.
- Lettuce: I like using crunchy iceberg lettuce to top the taco bite.
- Shredded cheese: Use cheese like colby jack, Monterey jack, cheddar, or a blend.
- Sour cream: This is optional but adds a nice cool creaminess to the bites.
- Green onions: Another optional ingredient but adds color and mild onion flavor.
- Tomatoes: Use diced grape or cherry tomatoes.
How to make taco bites
Scroll to the bottom for the full, printable recipe.
Step one: Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the taco seasonings and salsa.
Step two: Stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.
Step three: Place Scoop chips on a baking pan. Fill each Scoop with the ground beef mixture. Top with shredded cheese.
Step four: Bake at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Step five: Top with lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, and green onions. Serve immediately.
Heather’s recipe tips
These taco bites are super easy to prepare but here are a few simple tips to help them turn out every time.
- Drain any extra grease. Once your ground beef has cooked, make sure to drain off any excess grease.
- Chop the toppings small. Dice the toppings into small pieces. This makes it easier to eat in one bite.
- Try not to overfill the Tostitos Scoops.
- Add the toppings before serving. Wait to add the toppings until right before serving. This will help keep them fresh.
Variations
There are so many ways to make these taco bites your own. Here are some tasty variations:
- Swap the protein: You can substitute the ground beef with ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Buffalo taco bites: Instead of taco seasoning, use buffalo sauce.
- Bean taco bites: Use refried beans or black beans instead of the ground beef.
- Topping options: Add other toppings like jalapenos, guacamole, corn, and more.
Storage instructions
Store: If you have leftover mini taco bites, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight. After that, the chips start to become soft.
You can store the ground beef mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Microwave for 1-2 minutes and then assemble the bites.
FAQ’s
Yes, if you don’t have Scoops, you can substitute with round tortilla chips, or pita chips.
You can make the taco meat ahead of time. I recommend to assemble them just before ready to serve.
I recommend serving them warm but they can be served at room temperature for a party.
More Tex Mex appetizers
Taco Bites
Ingredients
- 36 Tostitos Scoop Tortilla Chips
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 (1 ounce) pack of taco seasoning
- ¾ cup chunky salsa
- 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
- ½ cup iceberg lettuce, chopped small
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup tomatoes, diced
- 2 green onions, diced
Instructions
- Place the ground beef in a large skillet. Break up and brown the beef over medium heat. Once it has cooked through, drain off any excess grease.
- Stir in the taco seasonings and salsa with the ground beef. Once combined, stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and stir until melted.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lina a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Place Scoop chips on the baking sheet. Fill each chip with the ground beef mixture.
- Top each chip with shredded cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Top each chip with lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, and green onions.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Drain any extra grease. Once your ground beef has cooked, make sure to drain off any excess grease.
- Chop the toppings small. Dice the toppings into small pieces. This makes it easier to eat in one bite.
- Add the toppings before serving. Wait to add the toppings until right before serving. This will help keep them fresh.
- Use you favorite toppings. These are easy to customize with your favorite taco toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
