These enchilada cups are my ultimate game day appetizer! Crunchy baked tortilla cups are filled with seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, jalapeños, and plenty of cheese! Muffin tin enchiladas are a quick and easy party recipe that’s always a huge hit, and my kids love them too.
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Every party needs an easy-to-eat appetizer, and these enchilada cups sure do the trick! Beef enchiladas baked into handheld cups means I can set them out for guests to grab as they please. They’re filled with all of my favorite Mexican food ingredients, and they’re ready in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients for Beef Enchilada Cups
- Flour Tortillas: Flour tortillas work best for this recipe. I don’t recommend using corn tortillas because they’re not as flexible, which means they’re prone to ripping/breaking when being formed into the muffin cups.
- Ground Beef: I like to use 80-85% lean ground beef, but you could use a leaner ground beef if desired. You can also swap the beef for ground chicken, pork, or turkey.
- Taco Seasoning: Adds classic taco flavor to the ground beef.
- Enchilada Sauce: Use a can of red enchilada sauce, or green if you prefer.
- Black Beans & Corn: Use canned options for convenience.
- Cheese: Use shredded Mexican blend cheese, or another type (Colby-jack, pepper jack, cheddar, etc.).
- Jalapeños: I like to use pickled jalapeños, but fresh works too. Skip them if you don’t want any heat.
- Toppings: Add sour cream, avocado, pico de Gallo, green onion, or any toppings you like.
Tips for Success
- I recommend warming up the tortillas in the microwave first, to help mold them into cups without tearing them
- Make sure that the bottoms of the tortillas touch the bottom of the muffin tin cups so that they sit upright when baked.
- Don’t overfill the enchilada cups–you’ll want to leave room for the toppings!
How to Store and Reheat
While enchilada cups are best enjoyed on the day they are made, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature or reheat in the oven.
I don’t recommend freezing the fully assembled cups, but the cooked filling can be frozen in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, then assemble with fresh tortillas.
Serving Suggestions
These muffin tin enchilada cups are one of my favorite appetizers for game day or Cinco de Mayo, and they pair well with margaritas of all kinds. If you want to turn these into a fun little dinner idea, serve them with cheesy Mexican rice and refried beans.
Enchilada Cups Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 small flour tortillas 6-inch size
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning store-bought or homemade
- 10 ounces red enchilada sauce 1 can
- 14 ounces black beans 1 can, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup whole kernel corn fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup chopped pickled jalapeños
- 1½ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese ¾ bag
Toppings
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 green onion sliced
- ¼ cup diced fresh tomato
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ avocado cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the wells of a muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Place the small tortillas in the muffin tins to form bowls. You can fill them with dry beans or tin foil balls to keep their shape while baking. Bake for 15 minutes, or until crispy.10 small flour tortillas
- Cook the ground beef until no longer pink, then add the taco seasoning and enchilada sauce and stir. Add the black beans, corn, and jalapenos.1 pound ground beef, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, 10 ounces red enchilada sauce, 14 ounces black beans, ½ cup whole kernel corn, ¼ cup chopped pickled jalapeños
- Spoon the beef mixture into the tortilla cups until nearly full. Top with shredded cheese.1½ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and serve with your favorite toppings, such as cilantro, green onion, tomato, sour cream, and avocado.¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1 green onion, ¼ cup diced fresh tomato, ¼ cup sour cream, ½ avocado
Becky’s Tips
- Try ground or rotisserie chicken, pork, fish, chorizo, shredded steak, or shrimp instead of ground beef.
- For vegetarian enchiladas, omit the beef and add more beans and vegetables.
- I like to use Mexican blend cheese, but you could also use Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese.
- To form the tortillas without breaking them, warm them up gently in the microwave or oven before forming.
- Make sure that the bottoms of the tortillas touch the bottom of the muffin cups so that they will sit upright once baked.
- Do not overfill the enchilada cups. Leave room for the toppings!
- If the cheese is not browning to your liking, you can broil the enchilada cups for 2-3 minutes. Watch them carefully, or else they could burn!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Enchilada Cups Step by Step
Form the Tortilla Cups: Preheat the oven to 350°F, then spray the wells of a muffin tin with nonstick spray. Place 10 small tortillas in the muffin tins to form bowls, then bake for 15 minutes, or until crispy. If needed, you can fill them with dry beans or tin foil balls to help keep their shape while baking.
Cook the Ground Beef: On the stovetop, cook 1 pound of ground beef until no longer pink. Then stir in 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning and 10 ounces of red enchilada sauce.
Make the Filling: Next, stir in 14 ounces of drained black beans, ½ cup of whole kernel corn, and ¼ cup of chopped pickled jalapeños.
Fill the Enchilada Cups: Spoon the ground beef mixture into the baked tortilla cups until nearly full.
Baked: Distribute 1½ cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese on top of the cups, then bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the filling is warmed through. Remove them from the oven and serve with your favorite toppings, such as cilantro, green onion, tomato, sour cream, and avocado.
