These mini taco bites make a delicious addition to any appetizer spread. Made with refried beans they are a great meatless option. Make the mini tacos as shown or customize them. However you decide to serve them they will fly off the table at your next party. Make sure you grab one!
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In this recipe, tortilla chips are filled with refried beans and cheese then they are baked until the cheese is melted. The tiny tacos are then topped with sour cream, tomatoes, black olives, and green onions.
We use scoop shaped tortilla chips for the mini taco shells. Find them in the chip aisle of most supermarkets. They are affordable, convenient, and make adorable little tacos.
Ingredients
- Tortilla chips – Scoop shaped tortilla chips mimic little taco shells.
- Refried beans – You can purchase canned refried beans or make homemade. Buy vegetarian refried beans to keep the recipe meatless.
- Cheese – We use cheddar jack cheese, but plain cheddar, Jack, Monterey, or any taco blend will work well. Finely shredded cheese is best if it is available.
- Toppings – Top the party tacos with sour cream, diced tomatoes, black olives, and green onions. Customize them with your favorite taco toppings.
See recipe card for quantities
Variations and substitutions
These mini tacos are made with refried beans. Make them with the traditional pinto beans or try refried black beans, either way, they are delicious.
They can also be made with beef for a heartier option. Try the meat from these ground beef tacos for a quick and easy filling.
Topping options are endless and up to you. Use the same ingredients we do or customize them however you like. Good options include guacamole, diced white or red onions, shredded lettuce, fresh salsa, corn, sliced jalapenos, restaurant style salsa, and chopped cilantro.
Recipe tips
- Finely shredded cheese will work best because the scoop chips are small.
- For easy dispensing, purchase the sour cream in a squeezable container. If you can’t find that, use a plastic squeeze bottle, or add the sour cream to a zip top bag and cut off a small piece of the corner.
- There will be broken scoop chips in the bag. Choose the best whole chips and set broken chips aside for another use like serving them with beef and bean chili.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F
Arrange the tortilla scoop chips on a large baking sheet or a couple of smaller ones.
Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to add about ½ – ¾ teaspoon of refried beans in each tortilla
Top the refried beans with a pinch of cheese.
Bake for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Finally, top each chip with a dollop of sour cream, a few tomato pieces, black olives, and green onions.
Top tip
The easiest way to build them is assembly-line style. Dot each chip with the sour cream, then the tomatoes, and so on. If you can recruit an extra set of hands to help this will go even quicker.
Arrange the taco bites on a serving board, tray, or platter. Serve and enjoy!
Makes about 50 pieces.
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Check out this Story for party tacos for a quick visual on making this delicious recipe.
Mini Taco Bites
Ingredients
- 1 (10 ounce) Bag Scoop Shape Tortilla Chips (about 50 whole chips/half a bag)
- 16 ounces Refried Beans use canned or homemade refried beans
- ½ cup Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese finely shredded works best if available
- ¼ cup Sour Cream
- 2 medium Tomatoes seeded, flesh removed, and diced small
- ¼ cup Black Olives sliced or chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons Green Onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F
- Arrange the tortilla scoop chips on a large baking sheet. Using a small scoop or spoon add about ½ – ¾ teaspoon of refried beans in each tortilla chip. Leave enough room for the toppings.
- Top the refried beans with a pinch of cheese.
- Bake the tortilla chips for about 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Finally, top each chip with a dollop of sour cream, a few tomato pieces, black olives, and green onions.
- Arrange the mini taco bites on a serving tray, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Stir the refried beans well just before using to loosen them and make them easier to work with.
- A small cookie scoop makes dispensing the refried beans a snap.
- Purchase the sour cream in a squeezable container for easy dispensing. You can also use a plastic squeeze bottle or add the sour cream to a zip top bag and cut off a small piece of the corner.
- The quickest way to garnish the chips is to do it assembly-line style. First, dot each chip with the sour cream, then the tomatoes, and so on.
Deborah
Can you make these a day ahead?
Elizabeth
Hi Deborah, No they will get soggy. You can prep the ingredients (shred the cheese, prepare refried beans, slice toppings, etc.) and keep them in the refrigerator overnight.
Shreya
How long can they stay without getting soggy?
Elizabeth
Hi Shreya,
They hold up for a while. The refried beans are not saucy so they don’t soak through like taco meat would.
Nicole
How many chips are a serving size?
Elizabeth
Hi Nicole,
A serving is 5 chips.