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About This Recipe
Whether you’re looking for a fun way to elevate your next taco night or looking for a hearty appetizer for your next football party, this taco braid is guaranteed to impress! It’s a fun spin that combines the of seasoned flavors of ground beef, zesty salsa, and gooey cheese, all wrapped in a flaky crescent dough. It’s so easy to make and guaranteed to a be a big hit with the entire family!
This recipe is written using ground beef and taco seasoning, but this is also great if you have any leftover over Mexican ground turkey taco meat. Or make a chicken taco braid with my taco chicken!
I love serving this easy taco braid recipe with a side of my cilantro brown rice or black beans for extra fiber. And don’t forget the chips and queso beforehand!
Why You’ll Love This Taco Braid
- A fun twist for your next taco tuesday!
- Quick and easy weeknight dinner! Ready in just 30 minutes!
- Made with just a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand!
- Macro-balanced and packed with protein!
- A delicious dinner the whole family will love! Or serve as a great appetizer on the next game day!
- Ground beef: I used 96/4 lean ground beef. You could also use ground turkey or ground chicken! If you have any of my leftover taco meat you can use that too!
- Diced onion: to save time I love buying the pre-chopped frozen kind!
- Tomato paste: to give our meat the best flavor!
- Taco seasoning: you can use homemade taco seasoning or store-bought. I prefer using low-sodium. If you only have regular, just omit the additional salt
- Pillsbury crescent dough sheet: you can also use crescent rolls. If using crescent rolls, press the crescent roll dough to form a rectangle and firmly press perforations to seal before cutting 1-inch strips. You could also use refrigerated pizza dough.
- Mexican cheese: any type of shredded cheese works – cheddar cheese, colby jack, taco blend, etc.
- Favorite toppings: top with black olives, avocado, sour cream, salsa, taco sauce, queso, fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, etc.
- Veggies: add extra veggies like bell peppers, diced green chilies or corn to your ground beef mixture
- Beans: toss some black beans or refried beans for some extra fiber
- Make it creamy: add some cream cheese to the meat mixture to add extra creaminess and cheesiness!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add the ground beef to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, breaking into crumbles as you go until mostly browned. Add onions and cook until tender. Dump into a strainer and drain excess grease (drain well so the dough doesn’t get soggy!)
2. Remove from heat. Stir in the tomato paste, taco seasoning and salt.
3. Grease a baking sheet (can also line with parchment paper for easy clean up). Spread dough onto the greased baking sheet and stretch into a large rectangle (about the size of the sheet pan or 9×13-inch).
4. Scoop beef mixture onto the center of the dough leaving about 2 inches on all four sides. With clean scissors, make 1-inch cuts along the top and bottom of the dough (about 1-2 inches deep). Sprinkle cheese on top.
5. Fold the four corners in first. Then alternating from side to side, fold each strip of dough at an angle across the filling (it’s ok if some overlap or aren’t covered). Brush or spray a little oil over top.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the dough is a nice golden brown color and baked throughout. Let cool for 5-10 minutes then slice and serve hot with your favorite taco toppings!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze a baked taco braid for later. To freeze, let cool completely then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in an freezer-safe ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Helpful Tips
- Pizza cutter: use a pizza cutter to slice the braid into even portions starting at one end of the braid and gently rolling it across the width or the braid to cut into 1-2 inch wide strips
- Rimmed baking sheet: I recommend placing taco braid on a rimmed baking sheet to make sure no extra grease spills out into the oven
- Prep in advance: prep this taco braid in advance and store in fridge until you’re ready to bake
What is a taco braid?
A taco braid is a dish made by wrapping seasoned ground beef, cheese, and other taco ingredients in a sheet of crescent or pizza dough in a braid-like pattern.
Can I use a different type of meat?
Yes! You can substitute ground turkey, chicken, or even use your favorite plant-based meat alternatives. It’s also a great way to use leftover Mexican ground turkey or taco chicken!
What type of dough is best for this taco braid?
You can use crescent roll dough, pizza dough or even puff pastry. I like using crescent dough sheets because they’re easy to use and give a yummy flakey finish. You can also use refrigerated pizza dough (or homemade) if you want a more savory crust.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Taco Braid
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef I used 96%
- 1 cup diced onion (160g)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste (33g)
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning (14g) less sodium
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 8-oz. can Pillsbury crescent dough sheet
- 3/4 cup shredded mexican cheese (84g)
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add the ground beef to a skillet. Cook over medium heat, breaking into crumbles as you go until mostly browned. Add onions and cook until tender. Dump into a strainer and drain (drain well so the dough doesn’t get soggy!)
- Remove from heat. Stir in the tomato paste, taco seasoning and salt.
- Grease a baking sheet (can also line with parchment paper for easy clean up). Spread dough onto the greased baking sheet and stretch into a large rectangle (about the size of the sheet pan or 9×13-inch).
- Scoop beef mixture onto the dough leaving about 2 inches on all four sides.
- With clean scissors, make 1-inch cuts along the top and bottom of the dough (about 1-2 inches deep).
- Sprinkle cheese on top.
- Fold the four corners in first. Then alternating from side to side, fold crust strips of dough at an angle across the filling (it’s ok if some overlap or aren’t covered). Brush or spray a little oil over top.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and baked throughrought.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes then slice and serve hot with your favorite taco toppings!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
