May 10, 2023
Review RecipeTaco Sticks
Great for a meal or snack that the whole family will love, taco sticks are made from ready-made pizza dough filled with tasty beef and gooey cheese.
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Table of Contents
Taco sticks are buttery breadsticks made from pizza dough that is stuffed with seasoned taco meat and melted cheese. They’re super simple to make and taste incredible for dinner or a snack.
Taco Sticks Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 1 pound of lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix, plus water called for on the envelope
- 2 tubes of Pillsbury pizza dough
- 12 Colby Jack cheese sticks
- ¼ cup of unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
GROUND BEEF: Ground chicken or ground turkey would also work for this easy recipe, or you could make vegetarian taco sticks using your favorite meat alternative.
TACO SEASONING: If you already have a fully-stocked spice rack then you don’t necessarily need to buy a taco seasoning packet. Check out our homemade taco seasoning recipe for instructions on making your own.
CHEESE: You can use any type of cheese sticks you’d like in this recipe.
GARLIC: This recipe uses fresh garlic and garlic powder. If you don’t have both then you can substitute one for the other.
JALAPEÑOS: If you love spicy food, you can add jalapeño peppers inside these cheesy taco pizza sticks.
VEGETABLES: Sneak some veggies into your kids’ meals by adding some mushrooms, peppers, onion, or corn to the beef mixture.
How To Make This Taco Sticks Recipe
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
This would be a great recipe to make if you have leftover taco meat in the fridge.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Keep the tubes of pizza dough in the refrigerator until ready to use.
STEP TWO: In a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook beef for five to seven minutes, until thoroughly cooked. Drain off the excess grease.
STEP THREE: Into the frying pan with the beef, add the minced garlic, taco seasoning, and the amount of water called for on the seasoning package. Cook on high for two to three minutes, until the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
STEP FOUR: Remove the pizza dough from the can and unroll it on the parchment paper. Using your hands shape into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle.
STEP FIVE: Cut the dough into 12 even pieces, when each tube is rolled out and cut into 6 rectangles, each piece will be 4 x 4 inches.
STEP SIX: Scoop three tablespoons of meat mixture into the center of each pizza dough rectangle. Cut a cheese stick in half and place halved cheese stick on top of the meat.
PRO TIP:
Don’t overfill your taco sticks, otherwise, they will be too hard to pinch together and the filling may ooze out when you bake them.
STEP SEVEN: Bring up the sides of the dough and pinch them together. Then pinch each end together and fold it up to the same side as the pinched center seam. Place the seam sides down on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
PRO TIP:
Be careful not to stretch the dough too much or the pastry won’t puff up in the oven.
STEP EIGHT: In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in the garlic powder and dried parsley. Use a spoon to evenly coat each of the taco sticks with the melted butter mixture.
STEP NINE: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
STEP TEN: Serve hot. Salsa and sour cream would be a delicious dip for these!
How To Serve
These delicious cheesy taco sticks are a great way to reinvent taco night. We suggest adding favorite taco toppings such as homemade salsa, guacamole, or this incredibly creamy ranch crack dip. These would also be a delicious idea for a school snack or lunch. Send the kiddos with a small container of dip and they will have a fun surprise to enjoy.
For more taco recipes, our taco lasagna and sheet pan tacos are two more winning choices.
MORE MEXICAN DISH RECIPES
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Leftover taco sticks can be stored in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container. Reheat before serving.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze these easy cheesy taco sticks for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Cheese taco sticks are a cross between Mexican tacos, Italian pizza, and the American favorite, cheese sticks. They have a crispy pizza crust shell, filled with taco beef and lots of cheese. It’s a fun combo that the whole family will love.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I freeze these taco sticks?
These simple cheesy taco sticks can be frozen for up to three months for a quick dinner or snack later.
Can I use homemade pizza dough for this recipe?
If you have a preferred pizza dough recipe, you can certainly use that instead of store-bought.
Can I add veggies to my taco sticks?
These taco sticks are very customizable and if you have veggies that you’d like to add, go for it. Just make sure you don’t stuff the taco sticks too full or they may ooze out during baking.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Taquitos
- Taco Salad
- Frito Pie
- Taco Bake
- Rectangle School Pizza
- Taco Pizza
- Taco Ring
- Crescent Roll Taco Bake
- White Queso Dip
- Mexican Corn Salad
Taco Sticks
Great for a meal or snack that the whole family will love, taco sticks are made from ready-made pizza dough filled with tasty beef and gooey cheese.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 package taco seasoning, plus water called for on the envelope
- 2 tubes Pillsbury pizza dough
- 12 Colby Jack cheese sticks
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Keep the tubes of pizza dough in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Cook the ground beef on medium-high heat in a frying pan until thoroughly cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
- Into the frying pan with ground beef, add minced garlic, taco seasoning, and the water called for on the seasoning package. Cook on high for 2 to 3 minutes until the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
- Remove pizza dough from the can and unroll it on the parchment paper. Using your hands, shape into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 12 even pieces, with each tube rolled out and cut into 6 rectangles. Each piece will be 4 x 4 inches.
- Scoop approximately 3 tablespoons of meat mixture into the middle of each of the 12 dough rectangles.
- Cut a cheese stick in half and place it on top of the meat.
- Bring up the sides of the dough and pinch them together. Then pinch each end together and fold it up to the same side as the pinched center seam. Place seam sides down on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Melt butter in the microwave, then stir in the garlic powder and dried parsley. Use a spoon to evenly coat each of the 12 taco sticks with the butter mixture.
- Place in the oven and cook for 12 to 14 minutes until tops of taco sticks are lightly browned.
- Serve hot. Salsa and sour cream would be a delicious dip for these!
Video
Notes
- This would be a great recipe to make if you have leftover taco meat in the fridge.
- Don’t overfill your taco sticks, otherwise, they will be too hard to pinch together and the filling may ooze out when you bake them.
- Be careful not to stretch the dough too much or the pastry won’t puff up in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
agreso says
I love this recipe, thanks Stephanie
Gloria says
I’m totally obsessed with these – so hearty and delicious!
Jenna says
I’m always looking for different taco recipes! Just curious can I possibly do these in an air fryer instead of the oven?
Layne Kangas says
I haven’t tried them in the air fryer – I bet they would work but I couldn’t give you specifics on them. Enjoy!! 🙂
Joshua Terrell says
Hi, going to try these tonight….I’m a bit confused though. The recipe calls for 12 cheese sticks…then says to use half of one on each of the the rectangles…that seems to indicate 6 sticks needed?
Layne Kangas says
Hey, there – it’s saying to cut it in half and place both halves in each dough rectangle. If you leave them whole, they will be too long to fit properly, so if you cut them in half, they fit much better. The step by step photos in the post might help you visualize. Enjoy!
Andrew Criss says
so this recipe will make a total of 12 Taco Sticks correct
Layne Kangas says
Correct! You can easily double or triple the recipe as well. Enjoy!!