Taco Ring

Everyone loves taco Tuesday—or taco-inspired dishes any day of the week, really! When making the latter, a taco ring is an impressive and easy way to feed a crowd. Each slice serves up classic taco flavors in a buttery and flaky vessel, giving your diners the opportunity to pile on all of their favorite taco toppings.

Busy families, take note: This taco crescent ring recipe can also join your collection of cheap dinner ideas. While it’s a fantastic appetizer, the recipe also works as a tasty meal that the whole family—even the fussiest kids—will enjoy.

Taco Ring Ingredients

• Ground beef: Choose a lean ground beef to fill the taco ring. Make sure you know how to brown ground beef correctly.
• Crescent roll dough: Pick up your favorite crescent roll dough brand for this taco ring recipe.
• Chopped onion: The onions are cooked with the ground beef to add flavor and moisture. If you have a whole onion on your hands, here’s how to chop onions properly.
• Taco seasoning: Envelopes of this spicy blend are easy to keep on hand. Or, try making homemade taco seasoning.
• Shredded cheddar: Mix it with the beef filling for a melty, cheesy baked taco crescent ring. If you grate the cheddar yourself, it will melt more smoothly.
• Salsa: You can use mild, spicy, restaurant-style, or black bean and corn salsa in the taco ring. Go for your favorite store-bought salsa brands or try a homemade salsa recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the filling

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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the ground beef and chopped onion to the pan. Cook until the beef is browned and no pink remains, seven to eight minutes. Drain the grease and return the pan with the beef and onion to the burner. Add 1/2 cup water and the taco seasoning to the mixture. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture uncovered until it thickens, three to four minutes.

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Stir in the grated cheese and salsa. Set aside.

Step 2: Assemble the crescent ring

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Unroll the crescent roll dough on a greased 15x10x1-inch baking sheet, and separate the dough into 16 triangles. Arrange the triangles in a circle, overlapping the wide ends to form a ring.

Editor’s Tip: Keep the fridge stocked with tubes of crescent roll dough to make this and other tasty, last-minute crescent dough recipes.

Step 3: Fill the crescent ring

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Spoon the beef mixture over the wide ends of the dough. Then, fold the points of the triangles back over the filling.

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Tuck the points under the wide ends.

Step 4: Bake the taco ring

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake the crescent ring for 18 to 22 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is heated through.

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How to Serve a Taco Ring

Pair the crescent roll taco ring with chips and salsa, as well as with classic taco toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, cubed avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced green onions or sliced olives.

To make an impressive presentation, fill the center of the taco ring with a variety of these toppings. Or, set up a self-serve taco bar with all the toppings in individual bowls. Slice the ring into wedges, and serve the wedges warm or at room temperature.

Taco Ring Variations

Get inspired with ideas on how to make this taco ring your own from favorite taco recipes and taco-inspired recipes. Or, experiment with the following suggestions:

• Use a different ground meat: Substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the ground beef.
• Make it spicy: Add some heat to the taco ring recipe with a splash of hot sauce stirred into the beef mixture. You can also make the beef filling with spicy varieties of taco seasoning and salsa.
• Try other cheeses: Use a milder shredded cheese like Colby Jack, Monterey Jack or a Mexican cheese blend. For spicier cheese, try shredded pepper jack or shredded jalapeno or habanero cheddar.

How to Store a Taco Ring

Let the taco ring cool, then cover it well with storage wrap. The ring can also be sliced into individual portions and transferred to food storage containers. Store the taco ring in the refrigerator.

How long does a taco ring last?

Though the taco ring may get a little soggy after being stored in the fridge, it will still be delicious and last for three to four days.

Can you freeze a taco ring?

Yes, the taco ring can be divided into individual portions and frozen for easy single-serving dinners or snacks down the road. Wrap the individual slices well and place them in a freezer-proof container. The taco ring slices can be frozen for up to three months.

How do you reheat a taco ring?

Cut the taco ring into individual slices and place them on a baking sheet. Warm the slices in a 325º oven just until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Can you make a taco ring ahead of time?

While the taco ring should be assembled just before baking, the meat filling can be prepared in advance to save time. Follow the steps to cook and prepare the beef filling, then allow it to cool. Store the meat filling in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. The filling can also be frozen for up to three months; before making the taco ring, allow the filling to thaw in the fridge overnight.

Taco Ring Tips

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How do you keep the filling from falling out of a taco ring?

The beef filling is held by the wide ends of the crescent dough triangles at the center of the ring. When arranging the dough triangles, slightly overlap the wide ends and press them together to seal the seams. Carefully arrange the filling so that it sits only on this thicker part. Finally, tuck the pointed ends of the dough triangles firmly underneath the ring so that they hold in the filling during baking.

What happens if the taco ring dough tears?

If the crescent dough tears while assembling the taco ring recipe, gently pinch and press the dough back together. As the dough warms, it may be harder to handle and more prone to tearing. When this happens, place the baking sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool and firm the dough before finishing the assembly.