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three small crisp golden wonton cups on an ordinary plate with pointed overlapping wrapper corners around cooked ground-beef and whole black-bean filling topped with melted orange cheddar, with no muffin batter, tortilla bowls, lettuce, sour cream or garnish
Rachel Kim

Wonton Taco Cups

Two overlapping wonton wrappers make a crisp cup with enough structure for the beef and beans. Give the empty cups a short bake before filling them, watching the pointed corners so they don't get too dark before the bottoms set. The beef mixture should hold a spoonful without dripping. Divide it evenly rather than packing a few cups high and leaving the rest mostly wrapper. A little cheddar melts over each opening while the outer corners stay exposed, making these easy to lift from the muffin pan after a brief rest.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp neutral oil for muffin pan
  • 24 square wonton wrappers about 3 1/2 inches each
  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground ancho chile
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup thick tomato salsa
  • 3 oz cheddar finely grated

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Brush all 12 wells of a standard muffin pan with the measured oil. Press one wonton wrapper into each well, then add a second rotated 45 degrees so the corners alternate.
  2. Bake empty cups for 5 to 6 minutes until the bottoms begin to set and the corners are still pale. Leave them in the pan while preparing the filling.
  3. Meanwhile, brown beef and onion in a skillet for 8 minutes until beef reaches 160°F, breaking it into fine crumbles. Drain excess fat and stir in cumin, ancho chile, garlic powder and salt for 30 seconds.
  4. Fold in black beans and salsa and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture holds together without loose liquid. Divide filling evenly among the 12 partly baked cups and scatter cheddar over each.
  5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until wrappers are golden and centers reach 165°F. Rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then loosen carefully with a small spatula and serve 3 cups per person.