Taco Crescent Ring

How to Make a Taco Crescent Ring

This easy crescent roll taco recipe comes together quickly and easily, with just a few steps. Be sure to follow the recipe and tips below, for a taco wreath you’ll have fun making and be proud to serve:

Cook and Drain the Ground Beef

Cook the ground beef in a nonstick skillet, so that the seasoning and beef won’t stick to the pan. Be sure to drain the cooked ground beef well before adding the other ingredients…you don’t want the filling to leave a greasy feeling in your mouth, as you eat it. We like to dump cooked ground beef (or any ground meat, for that matter) into a heatproof colander that’s sitting in a heatproof bowl, to drain it well.

Make the Taco Filling

Place the drained ground beef into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the cheese and allow this mixture to sit on the counter to cool while you prepare the taco ring. This may seem like an unnecessary step to transfer to a bowl, but trust us, it makes a significant difference. By moving it to a bowl, the ground beef and cheese mixture can cool more quickly than if left in the hot pan. Cooled beef won’t soften the dough, allowing you to create a taco ring with a beautiful shape. It doesn’t have to be completely cooled, but we discovered while testing, that it’s long enough to cool as to not affect the consistency of the dough. Crescent dough will be the easiest to work with if it is cold. Keep the cans of dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling in this step.

Build your Ring

Here’s where the fun begins. The crescent rolls are laid out on a flat large cookie sheet in the shape of a sun. We like to line the cookie sheet with a sheet of cooking parchment paper first, so it will be a snap to move the crescent ring to serving platter or cutting board, after it bakes. Leave a 5-inch circle open in the middle and overlap your dough pieces to create a ring just the right size to hold the cheesy, beefy taco filling.

Spoon on the Beef

Use a large spoon to move the taco beef filling onto the crescent sun. Create a mound of beef that forms a ring on half of the crescent roll dough triangles. A few pieces of beef may try to escape, just move them back.

Cover and Tuck

Work with one piece of dough at a time to bring the point up and over the filling, and tuck in under the bottom layer of dough in the center of the ring. Stretch the dough only as much as is needed. Some of the filling will show, but that’s part of the allure of this crescent roll taco roll, to be able to see the tasty filling inside.

Bake, Cool, and Serve

Bake the crescent ring until it is golden brown and thoroughly baked at the thickest parts. Check the inner ring to see if the dough looks baked before removing it from the oven. Let the ring sit on the cookie sheet on a cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes, for it to cool enough to set up and be able to be moved without breaking. Here’s where that parchment paper really comes in handy. You can take the edge of the parchment paper and slide it along with the crescent ring onto your serving platter or a large cutting board. Use a long, sharp serrated knife to cut the ring into serving pieces. Serve crescent ring pieces using a wide spatula to plates, to get any of the ground beef crumbles that try to get away.

Taco Cresent Ring Variations

Love a great taco-flavored recipe? We’re with you. Change it up when you’re feeling adventurous with one of these taco night twists:

Seasoning Switch: Substitute another flavor of taco seasoning, for a taco crescent ring with pizzaz. Try hot & spicy, cheesy, or ranch varieties.

Swap the Cheese: Rather than use shredded cheddar cheese, try an equal amount of shredded Mexican blend or pepper Jack cheese.

Mix Up the Meat: Rather than use ground beef, try ground chicken, turkey, or pork instead; still cooking and draining it as directed in step 1. 

How To Serve a Taco Cresent Ring

Customize your taco ring by what you serve with it. Then each person can top their own piece just to their liking. Cut and serve on a plate and have a fork handy (this could get messy) and with a few of the below ingredients, you have a top-your-own taco crescent bar with little effort:

Go for the Greens: Shredded crisp lettuce, coleslaw, chopped fresh cilantro leaves, or sliced green onions offer a fresh take on this comforting dish.

Colorful Veggies: Offer chopped tomatoes, sliced fresh jalapeño chiles, or bell peppers of any color to add a crunch and color.

Clever Condiments: Sliced ripe or green olives, guacamole, or pico de gallo offer terrific flavor and color boosts for your taco crescent ring.

Get Saucy: Drizzle pieces of the crescent ring with sour cream, taco sauce, queso sauce, or salsa con queso, to add decadent flavor to the taco ring.