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Making tacos at home can be rewarding and comforting, whether you go the genuine Mexican route and choose the best steak cuts for satisfying carne asada, or you take the Tex-Mex route and make ground beef tacos with a seasoning packet. This recipe is decidedly of the second camp, and, hey, there’s no shame there. You won’t find this recipe on the list of these 15 truly Mexican taco styles, and it’s more than just a tortilla swap for your next taco Tuesday. This is a full reimagining of what a taco can be, or really just what taco filling placed in a whole new receptacle can be. And it’s influenced by a super sweet and sticky breakfast favorite: monkey bread.
To be clear, this taco monkey bread isn’t at all sweet; it’s more that it takes its design from monkey bread (or pull-apart bread) than anything to do with flavor. And it’s one of the unexpected things you can make with pre-made biscuit dough beyond just breakfast. You’ll be amazed at all the flavor you can pack into each piece of soft and savory, sometimes crispy bread as you pull it apart. All you need is some ground beef, canned biscuits, shredded cheese, and one of those truly incredible little packets of taco seasoning. Taco monkey bread is super easy to make and perfect for a fun family dinner or an amazing new entry to the game day buffet.
How to make taco monkey bread
First, you’ll need ground beef that’s been browned and seasoned. McCormick Original Taco Seasoning Mix is a solid, pretty classical choice. It has all the flavor you need right there in the packet. You’ll also need some canned, refrigerated biscuits — the kind that pop when you twist them open. Pillsbury Grands! Southern Homestyle ones will work great here. The biscuits should be cut into quarters and thrown in a pan with the browned, seasoned beef and a good helping of shredded cheddar cheese. Once everything’s all mixed together, it can be poured in a bread loaf pan and baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the bread is golden brown.
Once your taco monkey bread is done, you can bring on the supplies you need. Top it with diced onions and tomatoes or serve it over chopped lettuce. It doesn’t hurt to have some guacamole, salsa, and sour cream on hand for dipping. Or pour over your favorite hot sauce. This one can get a little messy eating by hand, so a fork, while not a usual taco utensil, is completely reasonable in this case.
For a little tweak on this preparation, you can roll out the cut pieces of biscuit dough, stuff them with the beef and cheese filling, roll them into tiny balls, and cook them in a bundt pan. You just need to dip each piece in melted butter after you’ve stuffed it, and the cook time will be a little shorter. The bundt pan makes a great display, because you can put a bowl of salsa or guacamole right in the center. However you make it, you’ll love monkeying around with this simple and playful take on regular taco night.
