How long to cook frozen mini tacos in air fryer? Learn how to make frozen mini tacos in an air fryer with this easy air fryer recipe. Get the cooking time, temperature, nutrition info, and tips for mini beef tacos or chicken tacos. You can make Trader Joe’s mini tacos, Costco, Market Pantry, El Charrito, Jose Ole, Don Miguel, or your favorite brand.
Want to know the best way to cook frozen mini tacos? It’s definitely the air fryer! You’ll get perfectly crispy, crunchy, golden mini tacos in only 6 minutes.
Cooking frozen mini tacos in the air fryer works with all sorts of tacos. I like Trader Joe’s mini chicken tacos and mini beef tacos. If Don Miguel or another brand is what you prefer, you can air fry them too.
Mini tacos work as an after-school snack, an appetizer, or something to nosh on when football is on. If you pair them with some salad (and maybe some more protein), you can turn them into a full meal.
What can I say, there’s pretty much always an excuse to celebrate Taco Tuesday in my house! These are nice to have on hand for when unexpected company drops by. You can have something ready for them to snack on in no time flat.
Jump to:
- ⭐ Benefits of Making Frozen Mini Tacos
- 🥘 Air Fryer Frozen Mini Tacos Ingredients
- 🔪 How to Air Fry Frozen Mini Tacos
- ️⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
- 🌡️ Leftovers
- 🥗 What to Serve with Tacos
- 📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Frozen Foods Recipes
- 👨🍳 More Air Fryer Taco Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
⭐ Benefits of Making Frozen Mini Tacos
Ok, I’m not going to pretend like frozen tacos are the healthiest food around. That said, there’s lots of reasons folks like these:
- Crowd pleaser: We all know the main reason we’re eating mini tacos is that they’re delicious. They always disappear quickly when you put a plate out on game day!
- Healthier than deep frying: You can deep fry frozen mini tacos to cook them, but that adds a lot of fat and calories. Save money on added oil and make healthier mini tacos by air frying them instead.
- Fast: You can cook frozen mini tacos in only 6 minutes in the air fryer! That is less time than it would take to preheat the oven.
- Crunchy shells: Microwaving mini tacos is a little faster than air frying. However, you don’t get crispy, golden brown taco shells from the microwave. The air fryer is the best for that.
🥘 Air Fryer Frozen Mini Tacos Ingredients
All you need to make this recipe is a box of mini tacos, an air fryer, and (possibly) a meat thermometer. It's also nice to have some taco dips on hand. I have suggestions for those below.
The Trader Joes tacos I used are about 3-inches long (7.6 cm) and 1-inch wide (2.54 cm). If your mini tacos are considerably smaller or larger, cooking times may vary.
Cooking times may also vary between the Ninja Foodi, Kalorik, Philips, Nuwave, Pampered Chef, Actifry, Instant Pot Vortex, Cosori, Breville, and other air fryer brands. Always check your food early and often the first time you try a new air fryer recipe!
🔪 How to Air Fry Frozen Mini Tacos
Air frying frozen mini tacos could not be easier. All you need to do is put the mini tacos in a single layer on your air fryer tray or basket. I was able to fit 8-10 on my tray.
Don’t pile the tacos on top of each other. You need the air to be able to freely circulate in the air fryer to achieve crispy taco perfection.
️⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long do you cook frozen mini tacos in an air fryer? What temperature to air fry frozen mini tacos? Air fry mini tacos for a total of 6 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C).
If you have an air fryer oven, use the top rack. Air fry for 3 minutes, flip the mini tacos, and air fry 3 more minutes. Let the mini tacos rest for 2 minutes before serving; they’ll crisp up more.
The frozen mini tacos I used contained cooked beef. You can use a meat thermometer to make sure the tacos reached an internal temp of 165F (74C) if they contain chicken.
🌡️ Leftovers
It’s best to just make as many mini tacos as you need, so they’re freshly cooked. However, you can reheat leftover mini tacos in the air fryer for 2 minutes at 400F (200C) if needed. (Use the top rack if you have an air fryer oven.)
🥗 What to Serve with Tacos
What goes with mini tacos? I love to serve cooked mini tacos with fresh shredded lettuce and a variety of dips. Here are my favorite dipping sauces for mini tacos:
- Salsa (pico de gallo is my personal favorite for mini tacos)
- Guacamole
- Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
- Keto Cheese Sauce
- Sriracha
📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One serving of air fryer mini tacos has 190 calories, 18 grams net carbs, and 10 grams protein. This is for four Trader Joe’s frozen mini beef tacos. Exact nutrition information for your meal will depend on the brand of mini tacos you use.
The formulations of food products like mini tacos changes from time to time. The following nutrition information for mini tacos was correct at the time of writing, but is subject to change.
| Brand | Calories | Net Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trader Joes Mini Chicken Tacos | 190 | 17 | 9 |
| Don Miguel Mini Chicken Tacos (Costco) | 170 | 19 | 9 |
| Market Pantry Beef & Cheese Mini Tacos (Target) | 220 | 20 | 8 |
| El Charrito Nacho Cheese Chicken Mini Tacos | 180 | 21 | 8 |
| Jose Ole Mini Tacos Beef & Cheese | 230 | 21 | 7 |
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Frozen mini tacos fall under the category of ultra-processed foods. Making your own tacos may be a more nutritious option depending on the ingredients you use.
Many ultra-processed foods are low volume and high calorie foods. They have often been designed to be easy to overeat. This can potentially make maintaining the calorie deficit you need for weight loss more difficult.
Most mini tacos are primarily a mix of fat and carbohydrates by calorie, with protein falling in third place. Protein is generally thought to be the most filling macronutrient, and foods such as mini tacos tend to fall short. They also tend to lack much fiber and fluid volume that can help you feel full.
If you wanted to turn these into a full meal, I recommend adding some non-starchy veggies and more protein. Adding refried beans and Greek yogurt for dipping, plus a side salad, would give you a better balance of macros. It should be easier to stay full than if you ate a serving or two of the frozen tacos by themselves.
At around 20 grams of net carbs per small serving, you could fit mini tacos in a relaxed low carb diet plan. (Not that I’m saying it’s a “healthy” choice.) Frozen mini tacos are not a good fit for keto (unless they have a low carb substitute for the taco shell).
Most of the mini tacos you buy from a store contain chicken and beef, not appropriate for vegan and vegetarian diets. Make your own mini tacos with refried beans for an easy plant-based option. Though frozen mini tacos typically use corn tortillas, the filling may or may not be gluten free.
FAQs
No oil spray is needed to air fry mini tacos. Taco shells typically contain plenty of fat or oil and adding more may just make them greasy. All you need to air fry frozen mini tacos is the tacos themselves.
Bake frozen mini tacos on a cookie sheet in the middle of an oven preheated to 425F (218C) for 6-8 minutes. Let the tacos rest for 1-2 minutes to finish crisping up before serving.
Microwave times will vary depending on the power of your microwave oven. Put 4-6 frozen mini tacos on a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
To make frozen mini tacos on the stove top, heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet. Add the frozen mini tacos in a single layer, and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Let them rest on paper towels for 2-3 minutes before enjoying.
For DIY mini tacos, you can buy street taco tortillas and fill them with your favorite taco seasonings and taco fillings. An alternative is to get the big tortillas and trim them to mini taco size using a glass as a guide.
👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Frozen Foods Recipes
The air fryer is beyond awesome at cooking many frozen foods. After you enjoy your air fried frozen mini tacos, try one of these air fryer recipes next:
👨🍳 More Air Fryer Taco Recipes
Still craving the delicious flavor of tacos? Here are some recipes that may satisfy you:
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Frozen Mini Tacos in Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box frozen mini tacos
- dipping sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Place the frozen mini tacos in a single layer on your air fryer tray or basket. I am able to fit 8-10 on my tray.
- If you have an air fryer oven, use the top rack. Air fry for 3 minutes at 400°F (200°C), flip the mini tacos, and air fry 3 more minutes. Let the mini tacos rest for 2 minutes before serving; they’ll crisp up more.
- The frozen mini tacos I used contained cooked beef. You can use a meat thermometer to ensure the tacos reached an internal temp of 165°F (74°C) if they contain raw chicken, or 160°F (71°C) if they contain raw ground beef.
- Serve mini tacos with dipping sauce, if desired.
Laura says
Do you preheat the air fryer?
Summer Yule says
Hi Laura, no preheating needed! Thanks for dropping in 🙂