Description
These Taco Cornbread Muffins combine the savory flavors of seasoned ground beef or turkey with cheesy cornbread batter, baked into convenient muffin-sized portions. Perfect as a fun twist on traditional tacos, they make a great appetizer, snack, or meal accompaniment with customizable toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Mixture
- 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
- 1 package taco seasoning (plus water called for on package)
- ¼ cup salsa
Cornbread Batter
- 2 (7-oz) packages Martha White Sweet Yellow Cornbread and Muffin Mix
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and lightly spray 12 muffin pan cups with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook Meat: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain excess fat, then add taco seasoning along with the water amount specified on the seasoning package. Simmer the mixture for 5-10 minutes until flavors meld and sauce thickens. Stir in ¼ cup of salsa and set aside.
- Prepare Cornbread Batter: In a mixing bowl, combine the cornbread mix, milk, eggs, and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Stir just until all ingredients are incorporated, avoiding overmixing.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Note that some batter might remain.
- Add Taco Meat: Spoon the prepared taco meat evenly on top of each muffin cup filled with batter.
- Bake: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake for 16-19 minutes until the cornbread muffins turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Add Toppings and Serve: Once slightly cooled, top the muffins with your favorite taco toppings such as sour cream, additional shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and salsa for extra flavor.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey with lean ground beef or vice versa depending on your preference.
- Use reduced-fat cheddar cheese to lower fat content if desired.
- Leftover batter can be used to make additional cornbread muffins without meat topping, or baked in a separate pan.
- Adjust baking time slightly if using a different size muffin pan; smaller muffins may cook faster.
- For extra spice, add diced jalapeños to the cornbread batter or meat mixture.
