I will never be done with tacos. And these spicy taco bites are the next step in my love affair with Mexican food.
It is absolutely not a secret that I have a deep, undying love for Mexican food. A fact that a lot of my friends tease me about because I could eat Mexican food every single day of the week. Don’t laugh. I’m not kidding. I had personally never really considered it an obsession though…
Until I had a can of crescent rolls leftover from when I made these brie bites for our housewarming party. Forget the fact that I could have made another batch of my chocolate cheesecake croissants or pigs in a blanket or cream cheese danish or mini cinnamon rolls or, you know, actual crescent rolls.
I didn’t. From the moment I laid eyes on that extra can of dough in the fridge I knew I was going to be giving them a taco makeover. A tac-over if you will. A spicy tac-over because these spicy taco bites got a little extra kick from some added red pepper flakes.
These are beyond easy and they make a ton if you’re using an entire pound of ground beef, which makes them perfect party fare. Plus you can customize them to what you like. If you don’t like black beans use refried beans instead. Add green chiles or peppers or tomatoes or avocado or top with a dollop of guac instead of sour cream. Do whatever makes you smile. Srsly.
And even though my undying Mexican food love is so. real. I prefer to enjoy my enchiladas covered in tender barbacoa and chile verde sauce or cheesy chicken quesadillas at my fave local Mexican joint complete with a frozen margarita and basket of warm tortilla chips.
I’ll gladly stick to tacos and taco-like things at home.
And while you could {and should!} serve these at your next party I won’t lie…I ate these. All of these. For lunch. Right after taking these photos. #noshame
Obsession obschmession. Me + tacos = true love <3
Spicy Taco Bites
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 8 oz cans of crescent roll dough
- 1 can black beans,, partially drained
- 2 Tbs homemade taco seasoning,, or 1 packet taco seasoning mix
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan brown ground beef. While browning add taco seasoning and cook through, breaking the meat up into small pieces.
- Once brown add partially drained black beans and stir to combine. Allow to simmer over medium heat until beans heat through.
- While the meat is browning unwrap the crescent roll dough and keep it wrapped in a tube shape.
- Slice in half, using the perforations as a guide then slice each half in half again. Slice each quarter into 3 equal pieces of about 1/4" thickness for 12 pieces total. Repeat process on the other 3 cans of dough.
- Flatten each piece into a disk about 1" across and lightly pinch up the sides to create a small well.
- Add about 1 Tbs of meat to each well and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
- Top each one with cheese and bake for another 2-3 minutes.
- Serve with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro if desired.
These look so good! I love tacos but sometimes just want a bite of one. These are perfect!
I may or may not have eaten all of these in one sitting. I never get tired of tacos, though 😉
~Meaghan
Oh man stuff like this is so moorish for me, I could quite easily graze for hours on savoury nibbles!
Same here! I love to just make a meal of snack bites like this 🙂
~Meaghan
I love foods in miniature form! They appeal to the hostess in me. These are super cute!
I weirdly enjoy mini foods too! Maybe it’s because I can eat more but not feel bad about it?
~Meaghan
So much YES! I have got to try these when we get back from vacation. You and I share the same undying love for Mexican food <3 🙂
We need also a taco date when you get back from vacation <3
~Meaghan
Such a great appetizer idea here and your use of crescent roll dough is genius! Our kids will love these little taco bites, thanks so much for sharing!
I never thought of that but these are absolutely perfect for little hands. Enjoy!
~Meaghan
It’s funny how our obsessions never define us until our friends tell us they do! Just this week I’ve been tagged FOUR times in the past two days by different people, but the same picture. Our friends know us well. 😉 These little taco bites look delicious! I love that they are on crescent rolls.
Too, true! I’ve always really loved Mexican food but it’s funny how much my friends notice how often I eat it 😛
~Meaghan
Hi Meaghan, I’m also a big fan of Mexican food. I couldn’t eat it every day but I could five days a week. This is such a great recipe and I think it’s ideal for a party, don’t you think? I’m definitely making this with sour cream. Heloise
Heloise, these are absolutely perfect for a party! I hope you love them!
~Meaghan
Hi,
This looks really good. I have a question, though. You say it makes 4 dozen bites, which would equal 48 bites, but in the instructions only 12 bites are made. Is this recipe for 48 bites or 12 bites?
Good catch! I’ve updated the recipe but you’ll need 4 cans of crescent roll dough to make 4 dozen bites and all other ingredients are the same. To only make 12 you’ll need just 1/4 pound of prepared taco meat and about 1/4 cup of black beans.
~Meaghan
Thanks for the clarification 🙂
I love spicy food. This looks so cute and easy to try! Cannot wait to give it a try. Thanks Meaghan for sharing such a beautiful photos!
Same! I hope you love them, Amanda!
~Meaghan