These Crescent Taco Rolls using Pillsbury Crescents are so easy to make with only 5 ingredients! Taco Pinwheels whip up in under 40 minutes and work great for a quick dinner or appetizer that the whole family will love.
I'm a huge fan of Pillsbury Crescent Dough and you can find my fridge stocked with them, especially around the holidays and when football season starts.
These Taco Crescents are one of my favorite recipes to make with them, especially paired up with my Avocado Crema! Dunk them into this sauce and you've got some serious flavor going on.
For more popular Crescent Recipes try my Bacon and Cream Cheese Pinwheels, Pepperoni Pizza Rolls, and Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Fun to Eat. Kids and adults both love this pinwheel recipe.
- Loaded with Flavor. A doughy exterior with seasoned beef and a touch of heat makes these impossible to stop eating.
- Easy to Make. Simple prep with no chopping required.
- Minimal Ingredients. Only 5 ingredients make these Taco Rolls a must try recipe.
- Quick. Ready to eat in under 40 minutes.
For more taco inspired recipes try this Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing, Walking Taco Casserole, and Chicken Crunch Wraps.
Ingredients:
Ground Beef: I prefer an 85/15 lean to fat ratio because it doesn't dry out like a 93/7, but also doesn't leave as much grease in the pan as an 80/20.
Crescents: The crescent dough is best for this recipe because it doesn't have the tear apart portion, but I always buy the crescent rolls on accident and just push the perforations closed. They taste the same and it's an easy fix.
Mild Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies: Also known as Rotel, but you can buy the off brand too. Feel free to get mild, medium or spicy.
Substitutions and Variations:
- The ground beef can be substituted with ground chicken or ground turkey for this recipe. Also, a 80/20 or 93/7 lean to fat ratio for the ground beef is fine, just make sure to drain the excess grease if you use the 80/20.
- The Rotel can be left out if you don't like tomatoes.
- Want to make your own taco seasoning? Try my recipe for Chicken Taco Seasoning and use a tablespoon for the ground beef.
How to Make Crescent Taco Rolls:
Step 1: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink, breaking the meat up as it cooks.
Step 2: Once the meat is browned, pour in the drained Rotel and sprinkle in taco seasoning. Reduce the heat to low and allow it to cook for a few minutes, breaking up the beef and tomatoes into finer pieces. Turn off the heat and remove from the stovetop to cool for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large cutting board with parchment paper and roll out the crescent rolls or crescent dough. If you've bought the rolls, use your fingers to press the perforations closed a bit. Sprinkle out half of the cheese, top with the ground beef mixture, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover the entire surface, except for about 1 inch of the border on the longest sides.
Step 4: Carefully begin to roll up the side closest to you, with your finger tips, slowly until it forms a log shape.
Step 5: Cut the log into 1 inch slices. As you cut them, round them with your hands and transfer them to a baking sheet one by one.
Step 6: Bake for 10-13 minutes until golden brown. Don't over bake. The bottoms will get dark quickly.
Step 7: Allow to cool for a few minutes before using a spatula to remove them from the baking sheet. Serve with sour cream, Avocado Crema, or Wingstop ranch.
Expert Tips:
- Break up the meat and tomatoes into small pieces when cooking, so that it spreads out well for the filling.
- Allow the meat to cool for 10 minutes before assembling. This avoids melting the cheese and warming up the crescents, which makes them fall apart.
- Leave the crescents in the fridge until right before assembling, so they stay cold and are easy to work with.
- When slicing, if they fall apart a bit, it's totally fine, just work them back into a pinwheel shape and place onto the cookie sheet.
For more ground beef recipes, check out these Crispy Beef Tacos, Ground Beef Burrito Bowls, and Chili Mac.
Storage and Reheating:
Allow the pinwheels to come to room temperature, then store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
To reheat, place the pinwheels bake on a cookie sheet and reheat in a 350 degree oven for 4-6 minutes until hot again. Watch that the tops and bottoms don't burn.
More Appetizers to Try:
If you tried this Taco Crescent Roll Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Crescent Tacos Rolls (Pinwheels)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: About 15 pinwheels 1x
Description
These Crescent Taco Rolls using Pillsbury Crescents are so easy to make with only 5 ingredients! Taco Pinwheels whip up in under 40 minutes and work great for a quick dinner or appetizer that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces ground beef (85/15 preferred)
- 10 ounce can of mild diced tomatoes and green chilis (Rotel), DRAINED well
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 ounce package of Pillsbury Crescent Dough (Rolls can be used too)
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
- Once the meat is browned, pour in the drained Rotel and sprinkle in taco seasoning. Reduce the heat to low and allow it to cook for a few minutes, breaking up the beef and tomatoes into finer pieces. Turn off the heat and remove from the stovetop to cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large cutting board with parchment paper and roll out the crescent rolls or crescent dough. If you've bought the crescent rolls, use your fingers to press the perforations closed a bit. Sprinkle out half of the cheese, top with the ground beef mixture, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover the entire surface, except for about 1 inch of the border on the longest sides.
- Carefully begin to roll up the side closest to you, with your finger tips, slowly until it forms a log shape.
- Cut the log into 1 inch slices. As you cut them, round them with your hands and transfer them to a baking sheet one by one.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes until golden brown. Don't over bake. The bottoms will get black quickly.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before using a spatula to remove them from the baking sheet. Serve with sour cream, Avocado Crema, or Wingstop ranch.
Notes
- Break up the meat and tomatoes into small pieces when cooking, so that it spreads out well for the filling.
- Allow the meat to cool for 10 minutes before assembling. This avoids melting the cheese and warming up the crescents, which makes them fall apart.
- Leave the crescents in the fridge until right before assembling, so they stay cold and easy to work with.
- When slicing, if they fall apart a bit, it's totally fine, just work them back into a pinwheel shape and place onto the cookie sheet.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cooling Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: appetizer
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
George says
These were so good! Can’t wait to make them again for football and we loved the avocado crema too!
Tara Smithson says
Thanks so much George and I'm obsessed with the Avocado Crema too!