If you need a fun and easy dinner or appetizer idea, these Easy Taco Dumplings are for you! Taco fillings wrapped up in a dumpling and fried and steamed to perfection. Everyone will love these little bites of goodness.
A twist on the popular appetizer, these Easy Taco Dumplings are full of flavor and fun to eat. Once you make these mini taco bites, you will want to make them all the time.
You can serve these Taco Dumplings as an appetizer or a main course. Serve these with your favorite dipping sauces like salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.
What are Easy Taco Dumplings?
Easy Taco Dumplings are taco meat and toppings wrapped up in a dumpling wrapper. This recipe makes the perfect appetizer or small meal for any occasion or day of the week!
What are Dumpling wrappers made out of?
Dumpling wrappers, also known as gyoza wrappers or potsticker wrappers, are made from wheat flour and water. Sometimes there is salt added as well.
Although they are fairly easy to make from scratch, I prefer to buy them pre-made. You can find dumpling wrappers at most major grocery stores, Asian specialty grocery stores, or online.
How to Make Quick and Easy Taco Meat
Taco meat is easy to make using pre-made seasoning packets from the store. Just follow the directions on the package, usually with 1 pound of ground beef. You could also use ground turkey, diced or shredded chicken, or diced beef.
Other filling Ideas
For this recipe, I used common taco ingredients like ground beef, cheese, onion, and jalapeno. However, you can get creative and add any of your favorite toppings. Here are some ideas:
- ground turkey
- shredded chicken
- chopped beef
- avocado
- tomatoes
- cilantro
- bell pepper
- poblano peppers
Tips for Making These Dumplings
- Don't overfill the dumplings, they will be hard to close and fold if you do.
- If your dumpling wrappers split a little during assembly, don't worry, they will still cook and taste great.
- Please be careful when adding water to the hot pan with oil. A best practice is to remove the pan from the heat and have the lid on one hand and the water in the other. Cover as much of the pan as you can with the lid as you slowly pour the water into the pan. I did not have any issue doing this and it's a common way to steam dumplings, but please be careful 😊.
Tools for Making Taco Dumplings
To Make these dumplings you are going to need a deep saute pan with a lid. My new favorite pans are from Caraway like their saute pan seen below. They make a saute pan that is perfect for this recipe.
You will also need some tongs to safely remove the dumplings from the pan. Check out these tongs by Oxo that will become a kitchen favorite.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked ground beef with taco seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- ¼ cup finely diced jalapeno
- 36 dumpling wrappers
- water for sealing and steaming the dumplings
- salsa (optional for dipping)
- sour cream (optional for dipping)
- guacamole (optional for dipping)
Instructions
- Cook the taco meat with taco seasoning according to the directions on the packet.
- Shred the cheese and finely dice the onion and jalapeno (remove the seeds for less heat). You want the onion and jalapeno to be small so that they fit into the dumplings.
- Start with a dumpling wrapper on a cutting board or counter. Use your finger or a pastry brush to place water along the edge of the dumpling, this will help it stay closed when cooking it.
- Place a small spoonful of taco meat in the middle of the wrapper. Top with a small amount of onion, jalapeno, and cheese. Fold the dumpling in half and gently press the edges together to create a seal.
- Put the sealed side up and gently crease around the edges of the dumpling to further seal it for cooking (see video).
- Once you have assembled all of the dumplings, pour 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil into the saute pan over medium-high heat. Place as many filled dumplings that will fit in your pan without touching each other. I found that making a circle and placing a few in the middle worked well. You most likely have to cook two or three batches.
- Fry the bottoms of the dumplings for 4 minutes until nice and brown and bubbly. Remove the pan from the heat and very carefully and slowly pour ½ cup of water into the pan (be careful, the pan is hot and you don't want to splatter oil). Place the lid on the pan and steam the dumpling for an additional 3-4 minutes until the water has evaporated.
- Remove the dumplings with tongs or a spatula and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Repeat the cooking process with the rest of the dumplings.
- Serve the taco dumplings with your favorite taco condiments like salsa, sour cream, or guacamole, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Please be careful when adding water to the hot pan with oil. A best practice is to remove the pan from the heat and have the lid on one hand and the water in the other. Cover as much of the pan as you can with the lid as you slowly pour the water into the pan. I did not have any issue doing this and it's a common way to steam dumplings, but please be careful 😊.
- If your dumpling wrappers split a little during assembly, don't worry, they will still cook and taste great.
- Don't overfill the dumplings, they will be hard to close and fold if you do.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Did you Make These Easy Taco Dumplings?
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Katie says
This is so genius!! Love it so much!
nancy says
what a great way to use taco filling in a dumpling! winner!
Emily says
Thanks, Nancy!
Giangi Townsend says
OMG!!! I am salivating at how deliciously yummy your recipe looks. Making it tomorrow for family dinner, I know my family will love them
Emily says
I hope they love it, thanks Giangi!
Jacqui says
Oh my god, this recipe inspired me so much! I follow a vegan diet so I swapped the beef for a tofu crumble, and the cheese for a dairy free alternative - and omg they turned out so gooooood! Thank you so much for sharing.
Emily says
That's amazing! Thanks for making my recipe work for you, sounds delicious!
Sue says
Dumplings are so fun, and I simply adore this taco version. Its a combinations of everyone's favorites!!
Emily says
They really are fun, aren't they? Thanks for trying them!
Judith says
Very tasty and easy to make too!
Emily says
Thanks for checking it out, Judith.☺️