Bacon Cheeseburger Taco Cups

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. Shape the taco cups. Warm the tortillas briefly so they become pliable. Press each tortilla into a muffin cup, folding the edges as needed to create a small bowl shape.
3. Crisp the shells. Bake the tortilla cups for 5–7 minutes, until they begin to firm up but are not yet deeply browned. Remove from the oven.
4. Cook the beef. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles as it browns. Drain excess grease.
5. Season the beef. Stir in the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook for another minute, then remove from the heat.
6. Make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, diced pickles, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir until smooth and creamy.
7. Fill the cups. Divide the seasoned beef among the partially baked tortilla cups. Top each with shredded cheddar cheese.
8. Bake until bubbly. Return the muffin tin to the oven and bake for 6–8 minutes, until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese is fully melted.
9. Add the toppings. Remove the cups from the oven and top each with crispy bacon and diced dill pickles.
10. Finish with sauce. Drizzle the creamy burger sauce generously over each taco cup.
11. Serve immediately. Let the cups cool for a couple of minutes before carefully removing them from the muffin tin. Serve while the shells are crisp and the cheese is still gooey.

Variations

Bacon BBQ Cheeseburger Cups

Replace the ketchup in the sauce with barbecue sauce and add a small drizzle of barbecue sauce over the beef before baking.

Jalapeño Cheeseburger Cups

Add finely diced jalapeños to the beef and finish with sliced pickled jalapeños for extra heat.

Double Cheese

Use a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack for an especially stretchy, creamy cheese layer.

Mushroom Swiss Cups

Sauté sliced mushrooms with the beef and replace the cheddar with shredded Swiss cheese.

Tips

• Keep the tortillas warm: Soft tortillas are much easier to shape without cracking.
• Do not overfill: Leave a little room at the top so the melted cheese and toppings stay inside the cups.
• Cook the beef fairly dry: Excess grease or liquid can make the crisp tortilla shells soggy.
• Bake the shells twice: The initial bake helps them hold their shape, while the second bake crisps them around the cheesy filling.
• Add pickles after baking: This keeps them crisp and gives the cups that unmistakable cheeseburger bite.
• Serve fresh: These are at their best while the shells are crunchy, the beef is hot, and the cheese is melted.