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Oh Taco Pinwheels recipe, I can’t stop, won’t stop!! All you need is puff pastry, taco meat, tomatoes and cheese plus a few bowls of toppings like guacamole!
I LOVE appetizers at football parties and even for dinner. Yes, for dinner. I’ve totally ordered appetizers at restaurants as my main dish. Hello Cheesecake Factory Avocado Egg Rolls!
Taco pinwheels are a great appetizer that even the kids can help you make. Just watch how easy it is!
What is Puff Pastry
We often get emails when we use puff pastry and the subject is always the same, what is puff pastry and is puff pastry the same as crescent roll dough?
Puff pastry is one of the most beautiful doughs ever. It’s made from hundreds of ultra-thin layers of butter wrapped between hundreds of paper-thin layers of dough. In the oven, the liquid rapidly evaporates making the individual layers puff higher and higher. The butter also melts into the dough, turning it golden and crispy. It’s heaven.
Puff pastry is not the same thing as crescent roll. Crescent roll is like a bread dough with yeast and the butter layer is added before merely rolling it into a crescent roll.
Puff pastry is when the dough is wrapped around a hunk of butter, which is repeated multiple times and creates the most delicate flaky layers.
Store bought puff pastry is a must for us. It takes too long to make it from scratch, and the store bought is a great product. However, you must defrost store bought puff pastry on the counter. There’s no rushing that. Just let it sit out.
How to Make Pinwheels
Cook ground beef with Homemade Taco Seasoning and a little water then let it thicken in the pan. That taco seasoning is the best in all the land. Make a big ol’ jar and store it in the cupboard. Bam!
Now spread the meat on the puff, add tomatoes and cheese, and totally feel free to throw on beans, corn or anything else your heart desires.
Carefully, and very tightly roll that sucker up and slice. Lay everything on a baking sheet and bake!
We love to serve these with cilantro lime ranch, guacamole, salsa or even just sour cream. Well, not me because I don’t love them in sour cream but apparently our friends do. I’m all about pleasing them too.
So stinking easy to make these taco pinwheels for lunch, dinner, appetizers or snacking during a party!
[more-posts]You can find all of our beef recipes here.
Looking for more APPETIZERS to share for the big game? Try these:
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Cheese Stuffed Pretzels
- Brisket Nachos
- Pepperoni Pizza Stuffed Crescent Rolls
- Mexican 7 Layer Dip
- Taco Pinwheels
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
- BBQ Bacon Cheese Ball
- Pineapple Habanero Dip
- Slow Cooker Sausage Dip
Taco Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 Package Puff Pastry Sheets, there should be two
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 2 Tablespoons [Homemade Taco Seasoning]
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 1 Large Tomato, chopped
- 2 Cups Mexican or Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1 Handful Chopped Cilantro for garnish
- Guacamole, Sour Cream, ranch, salsa for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Allow the puff pastry to defrost on the counter with a towel over it.1 Package Puff Pastry Sheets
- In a pan over medium high heat, add the ground beef and cook until almost completely browned. Drain any fat and add the taco seasoning and water, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat.1 Pound Ground Beef, 2 Tablespoons [Homemade Taco Seasoning], 1/4 Cup Water
- Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and roll the puff pastry in a rectangle. Repeat with the second sheet.
- Spread the meat mixture over the top and sprinkle with tomatoes, then cheese. Starting with the small end, tightly roll into a log and seal the seam.1 Large Tomato, 2 Cups Mexican or Cheddar Cheese
- Using a serrated knife, slice into pinwheels and arrange on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
- Remove and cool for a minute before arranging on a platter with guacamole, salsa, etc for dipping or garnish them as you’d like before serving.Guacamole, 1 Handful Chopped Cilantro for garnish
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels
Pepperoni pizza in an easy to easy appetizer pinwheel!
Hi Can I make these ahead of time? like Roll the whole thing up but not cut it into wheels until ready to bake?
Hi Perla! This isn’t a great recipe to make ahead of time. The filling will make the puff pastry soggy and it won’t cook properly. You could make all the filling ingredients and store them all separately and then assemble and cut it right before baking.
I’m confused. In the notes, you state that this recipe should not be made ahead of time or frozen. Yet, in reply to a comment below, you state that prep work can be done the day before and then baked the next day. So, may I put the whole thing together the day before, put in the fridge, and then slice and bake the next day? Or does prep work just mean cooking the meat mixture ahead of time? Thanks.
Hi Jane! I’m so sorry about the confusion! They can be made ahead of time but shouldn’t be rolled up until just before baking.
Love these! Impressed everyone!
Can the prep work be done a day ahead and bake them the next day? I’m looking to bring with me on a couples trip that I can pop in oven the next day.
Yes absolutely!
These look delicious but to clarify….Each sheet of puff pastry is spread with meat mixture so you have two rolls. Each sliced into 12 pinwheels? Approx how thin are your slices?
Yes, that’s correct about the two rolls, but size is up to you on how thick you want them.
Can ;the Taco Pinwheels be made ahead of time and how would you recommend it be done?
Hi Kathy,
This is one of those few recipes that is best enjoyed fresh. 🙁
hey girl- this looks so yummy!