Gluten-Free Vegetarian Taco Cups
Equipment
- 1 standard size 12 cup muffin pan
Ingredients
- 6 gluten-free tortillas we used Siete Foods chickpea flour tortillas
- ½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup canned refried pinto beans
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning of choice see homemade taco seasoning below
- 1 large ripe avocado* equivalent 3/4 cup guacamole (12 tablespoons - approximately 1 tablespoon per muffin cup)
- ⅓ cup jarred banana peppers* *skip if using prepared guacamole
- 1 tablespoons chopped cilantro* *skip if using prepared guacamole
- ⅓ cup sour cream approximately 1 teaspoon per muffin cup
- ⅓ cup canned sliced black olives
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut them quartered or smaller, sprinkle with salt and let sit in colander equivalent 3/4 cup salsa (about 12 tablespoons - 1 tablespoon per muffin cup)
- 1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese
- 2 tablespoons sliced scallions (green part only) for topping
- salt for seasoning tomatoes and guacamole
- avocado spray oil or oil of choice for spraying muffins tins
Instructions
Start by making the Taco Cups
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly coat a full size 12 cup muffins pan (I used avocado spray oil). Set aside.
- **Cut a gluten-free tortilla in half. Then using a knife, at the center of the tortilla, slice a straight line about 2/3 of the way from the straight side of the tortilla to the curved side so that you will be able to fold the tortilla more easily. Use your hands to press the tortilla into the muffin tin forming a cup (the edges will overlap). ** Pro Tip: To make the tortillas softer and easier to work with, heat in microwave for 10-20 seconds
- Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and let set in the muffin tins for another 5 minutes.
- These can be made up to a day ahead but are freshest when made the same day.
Make the fillings while the taco cups bake and set
- First cut the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and let sit in a colander. This will not only flavor the tomatoes but it will allow them to drain of excess water so the taco cups won't be watery.
- Mix the beans: In a small bowl mix the black beans, refried beans and taco seasoning until well combined. Set aside.
- Make Guacamole: With a fork gently mash the avocado. Mix in the peppers. Then gently fold in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. On its own the guacamole may have a strong banana pepper taste but as part of the taco cup it adds great flavor and helps keep the avocado from browning.
Assemble
- To each baked taco cup, add a spoonful of bean mix (about 1 tablespoon), then add guacamole (about 1 tablespoon), sour cream (about 1 teaspoon), sliced olives (you could skip but they add great flavor!), tomatoes (about 1 tablespoon), and top with shredded cheese.
- Bake on center rack, in 350 degree preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is well melted. Remove from oven, top with scallions and enjoy!
Notes
- Tortilla taco cups can be made up to a day ahead and stored at room temperature in a sealed bag or container. Obviously freshest day of, so I usually opt to make them day of--even if it's a few hours before serving.
- Fillings can be made ahead and taco cups assembled right before baking. (This is my preferred option for making ahead)
- Or taco cups can be completely assembled then baked an hour or so later, or even baked and then reheated, making any leftovers a great option for lunch the next day!
Soooo tasty! I didn’t have banana peppers so I mixed in white onion into the guacamole and I omitted the sour cream and they were so amazing! Since the recipe only calls for half a can of black & refried beans I used the other half of the cans and some leftover tortillas for a quick oven burrito lunch the next day.
So happy you loved them! Love your substitution and great use for the extra beans! Thanks for sharing!
We made these tonight and they were a big hit!! We have tried and loved the dip on previous occasions. But this was a fun idea of it all being in a taco cup!
So happy you loved them! Thank you!