These Puffy Tacos are the ultimate, tasty appetizer (or easy dinner!) made using just 5 ingredients: golden flakey pastries filled with seasoned chili, juicy tomatoes and sharp cheddar cheese. Start to finish, they are done in just 30 minutes.
Puff Pastry Tacos
This Puff Pastry Tacos recipe is what game-day appetizer dreams are made of. This combination of a fluffy, flakey pastry that has been stuffed with the ultimate meaty, cheesy taco filling, is truly irresistible.
Better yet, they only take 30 minutes and 5 ingredients to make. It doesn’t matter how your team performs, because these puffy tacos are total winners!
The ingredients for this recipe are versatile. You can play around adding ingredients or changing them up. Puffy Tacos are also delicious served as a quick lunch for the kiddos or a super easy family night dinner paired with a side. No matter what you serve them for or who’s eating, these taco filled pastries will be a huge hit!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make
- Kid-friendly and approved
- Delicious appetizer
- Only 5 ingredients needed
- Ready in 30 minutes
- Bursting with flavorful filling
- Versatile ingredients
- Can freeze leftovers for up to 2 weeks
- Perfect for a game day snack or a quick lunch/dinner meal
- Make ahead and bake later
Ingredients/Shopping List
- 17.3-ounce box puff pastry sheets (2 sheets)
- 15 ounce can chili with beans
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup diced tomatoes and chiles (Rotel) drained
- ½ tsp seasoned salt
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How to Make Puffy Tacos Recipe
Puffy Tacos are so simple to make and they are ready in just 30 minutes. Prepping and filling your pastries will only take about 10-15 minutes.
Combine chili, cheese, tomatoes, and salt and heat in a saucepan.
Cut puff pastry into squares.
Place mixture into the center of each pastry squares.
Pro-tip: Add ONLY 1 Tablespoon of filling to each taco. It’s not going to seem like a lot, but the tacos will puff in the oven and expand. If it’s overfilled, they will end up oozing all over your pan.
Fold the top and bottom ends of the pastry toward the center.
Pro-tip: Add a drop of water where the two sides meet and firmly pinch together. For extra hold, pierce the center of each pastry with a toothpick.
Bake for 18 minutes at 400 degrees.
Variations / Options / Add-ins
- CHEESE: Feel free to swap out the sharp cheddar cheese for your favorite kind of cheese. The shredded Mexican blend or Pepper Jack cheese are both amazing options for this recipe.
- PROTEIN: You could replace the chili entirely with your choice of protein like seasoned ground beef or chicken. You could also use your favorite chili recipe!
- VEGETABLES: You can try adding in your favorite veggies such as peppers or onions. If you want to make these spicy, try adding in some diced jalapeño!
- RICE: A delicious addition to your tacos is a bit of rice. Mexican rice adds a hearty texture and great flavor.
Can I Make Puff Pastry Tacos Ahead of Time?
Yes, your Puffy Tacos can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the freezer to bake at a later time. Just be sure you don’t make them too far in advance. Keep it under 2 weeks. You will also need to adjust the baking time slightly since you will be baking them frozen.
What to Serve with Puffy Tacos
Puffy Tacos make for a delicious, simple appetizer for game day get togethers and potlucks. But, they also work great as a quick lunch or dinner meal.
When I serve these for a meal, I like to pair them with sides like, Spanish Rice, Elote-Mexican Street Corn or Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado Salad.
How to Store Leftover Puffy Tacos
Wrap your puffy tacos in aluminum foil or other preferably airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
When reheating your puffy tacos, use an oven to keep that crispiness. Reheat at 350 for 5-8 minutes.
You can also freeze these for up to 2 weeks, but after that, the pastry will get too stiff.
Other Easy Appetizer Recipe
Homemade Pizza Pockets|Blooming Quesadilla Ring |Baked Salami Appetizer | Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread |Buffalo Chicken Dip | Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels | Cranberry Meatballs | Cheesy Taco Dips
Puffy Tacos
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can chili with beans
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup diced tomatoes and chiles (Rotel) drained
- ½ tsp seasoned salt
- 17.3 ounce box puff pastry sheets (2 sheets)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two sheet pans by lining them with parchment paper and then setting them aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the chili, cheese, diced tomatoes, and seasoned salt. Heat until simmering and all the cheese is melted.
- Cut each puff pastry sheet into 9 squares.
- Place 1 Tablespoon of the chili mixture in the center of each pastry square.
- Fold the top and bottom ends of the pastry toward the center. Add a drop of water where the two sides meet and firmly pinch together. For extra hold, pierce the center of each pastry with a toothpick.
- Roll each puff pastry in half diagonally and then bake in the oven for 18 minutes.
- Plate and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- If you decide to use water to help hold the pastry together, only use a drop. Too much water will make the pastry soggy and it won’t hold together. If this happens, use a toothpick instead.
- Make sure to follow the directions on your package of puff pastry. It will typically tell you to defrost your pastry at room temperature for about 40 minutes or until the point where you can unfold the pastry without it breaking but it still remains cold. This will make it easier to work and mold your pastry. If you let it sit for too long, your puff pastry will become soggy and sticky. If this happens, add a little flour to the top or put it in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes to cool down.
