Taco Pinwheels are the perfect party food for your next celebration! These delicious puff pastries are stuffed with seasoned ground beef and melted cheese topped with your favorite taco toppings. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better than a regular taco, these taco roll ups have come to blow your mind.
If your Tuesday Taco Night is getting a little old, try this fun and delicious way to make tacos! Serve these to your friends and family and watch them as they race to grab more.
Reasons You’ll Love Taco Pinwheels
Simple and Fun – Just stuff the pastry with the filling, roll it up and call it a night! Well, not until after you eat them of course.
Family Friendly – Not only will the picky eaters love this recipe, but it’s a great meal to make with the whole family.
Party Food – A fun finger food recipe for the upcoming graduation and summer parties!
Customizable – The best thing about tacos is that you can top it with whatever you want! Same thing applies to this recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This is an overview of some of the ingredients you will need to make this delicious taco roll up recipe. Important notes and substitutions for certain ingredients are discussed. The full printable recipe, with amounts and specific details, can be found, as always, at the bottom of the page.
- Puff Pastry – This recipe calls for one sheet of puff pastry. If you don’t have puff pastry, you can use refrigerated pizza dough or crescent dough. Just make sure to pinch the edges well if using crescent dough.
- Mexican Blend Cheese – If you don’t have this specific blend, you could try using shredded cheddar cheese, pepper jack, or a mix of the two.
- Minced Garlic – The recipe tastes great with both fresh minced garlic or ¼ a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Seasonings – The seasonings include chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, dried oregano, and paprika. However, if it’s easier for you to use taco seasoning in place of these ones, go for it! You can also increase or decrease any of the seasonings as suits your taste.
- Rotel – This will add so much flavor and color to the ground beef, and saves you the time of chopping up tomatoes! Feel free to get creative with different Rotel flavors.
How To Make Taco Pinwheels
Let’s discuss the steps you’ll take to make these delicious roll up taco pinwheels. If you want to skip my discussion, tips, information and answers to frequently asked questions, just scroll to the bottom of this post for the printable recipe.
Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees, then grab a baking sheet and spray it with nonstick spray.
1. Turn on your stove to a medium high heat and place your ground beef into a skillet and break it up fairly well. Let it cook until there is no pink left in the meat. Once cooked, drain the meat completely.
2. Once drained, stir in the minced garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika and the 8 oz can of Rotel.
3. Mix well and let it cook on the stove for 3-4 minutes before removing it from the heat. Set this aside.
4. After cooking the beef, unroll the puff pastry dough on a flat even surface.
5. Next, press the dough into an approximate 18 inch long rectangle.
6. Grab the ground beef mixture that was set off to the side and spread it evenly over the rolled out puff pastry.
7. Then, sprinkle the Mexican blend cheese evenly on top of the meat mixture.
8. Now you’re ready to roll! Beginning at the shorter edge closest to you, roll up the dough and meat mixture tightly. (pretty much like a cinnamon roll) Make sure to seal the edge along the longside of the roll.
9. Once it’s rolled tightly, take a serrated knife to cut the roll evenly into one-inch slices. Make sure to wipe off excess filling between cuts with a wet paper towel. Grab your prepared baking sheet and place the Taco Pinwheels on it with a little bit of space in between each wheel.
Pop them in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes watching closely until the pinwheels are golden brown. Once cooked, take them out of the oven and serve hot with your optional garnishes!
Recipe Tips and Advice
Keeping Pinwheels Together
If you’re struggling with getting the pinwheel dough to stick together it might not be cold enough. Try popping the dough/roll in the fridge before moving on to any other step.
Storage
Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen in Ziploc bags or airtight containers. They last in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. You can also save them before you bake them, just cut them up and place them on the cookie sheet, wrap it gently, and store it in the fridge. You can also freeze the unbaked wheels for up to 2 months.
Reheating
These pinwheels reheat well in the oven at 350˚ F until warmed up fully.
Materials
For this recipe you’ll need a baking sheet, skillet, serrated knife, something to mix the ground beef with and something to roll out the dough with.
What To Serve With Taco Pinwheels
Make it a full on Taco Night with a side of Spanish Rice and Instant Pot Refried Beans. Dip them in sour cream, homemade salsa and Homemade Guacamole. Make wash it all down with a Frozen Margarita.
More Taco Night Recipes
Taco Night Dessert Ideas
Taco Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 10 ounce can of rotel (do not drain)
- 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed)
- 1 cup Mexican blend cheese (grated or shredded)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat or by spraying lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
- Over medium high heat, place ground beef into a skillet or pan, and break up well. Cook until no longer pink. Once completely cooked, drain off any excess grease.
- Once drained, stir in the minced garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika and the 10 oz can of Rotel. Mix well and let cook on for 3-4 minutes before removing it from the heat. Set this aside.
- After cooking the beef, unroll the puff pastry dough on a flat even surface. Then press the dough into an approximate 18 inch long rectangle.
- Take the set aside ground beef mixture and spread it evenly over the rolled out puff pastry. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top of the meat mixture.
- Rolling: Beginning at the shorter edge closest to you, roll up the dough and meat mixture tightly, like you would roll a cinnamon roll. Make sure to gently pinch/press to seal the edge along the longside of the roll.
- Once it’s rolled tightly, take a serrated knife to cut the roll evenly into one-inch slices. Make sure to wipe off excess filling between cuts with a wet paper towel.
- Place rolls onto prepared baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between each one. Place baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, watching closely until the pinwheels are golden brown.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and serve hot with your optional garnishes.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Meet Christi, Love From The Oven
I’m Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I’m a mom, baker, cookbook author and lover of sprinkles.
Glad I tried this before taking to party. Recipe needs editing since printed version differs from top: 8oz or 10oz Rotel? Roll dough to 18” x ??? May try with pizza dough since Pepperridge pastry was very thin at 14” by 12” (pictures helped clarify which way to roll since words said start at shorter edge but pinch longside edges. Spicy so will modify to please more palates.
Can these be airfried
What is the Recipe for the dipping sauce that is shown for the taco pinwheels please?
It’s just salsa! 🙂
What’s the recipe for the dipping sauce that is shown in the picture with the taco pinwheels please?