This Taco Braid is only five ingredients, making it a really simple and easy dinner. This is perfect for picky eaters and makes a great appetizer too!
If you are on the hunt for easy dinners, this is going to be a big hit for your family. Made simple with taco meat, salsa, and cheese, it is a great twist on Taco Tuesday that even picky eaters will love.
This is a spin on my super popular Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Braid, another home-run recipe that your family will love.
Taco Braid Ingredients
- Crescent Dough
- Ground Beef (or Ground Turkey)
- Taco Seasoning
- Salsa
- Cheese
Crescent Dough
In the United States, remade crescent dough is found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. You can buy seamless crescent dough that is perfect for this recipe.
If you can’t find crescent dough or want to go completely homemade, you can use pizza dough. Roll out the same amount of dough you would for one pizza, but work to roll it into a rectangle.
Grab my recipe for pizza dough. It has tons of great reviews and is a recipe we make about once a week in my house.
Taco Seasoning
I always encourage readers to make my homemade taco seasoning. It is perfect for recipes like this that call for a packet of taco seasoning. Make a big batch of my recipe and replace the packet with 3 tablespoons of homemade.
When you make your own you can control things like sodium and how spicy it is. Though, I will tell you, we make it as written and use it several times a week.
Toppings
You can eat this just as is, but I think it is delicious with some additional toppings.
- Olives
- Chopped Lettuce
- Diced Tomatoes
- Pickled Jalapeños
Other Great Twists on Taco Night
Taco Braid
Ingredients
- 1 seamless crescent roll dough (or pizza dough)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet of taco seasoning
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese divided
- fresh tomato and lettuce and jalapeños for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain the fat. Stir in the taco seasoning and the salsa. (Do not add water.) Set aside.
- Spread the crescent roll dough out on a silicon mat or parchment paper and place that on a baking pan. Leaving three inches in the middle, make cuts down the side of the dough an inch apart on both sides.
- Spread the beef mixture down the middle of the braid. Top with 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Take a strip of dough from one side and fold it over the middle mixture. Then take a strip from the other side and fold it over the middle. Continue down the dough, alternating sides until it is completely folded over.
- Pinch the ends of the dough to keep the filling inside while it bakes.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top of the braid.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes so that the top is nice and golden brown.
- Let stand about 10 minutes before topping with your favorite taco ingredients, cutting into it, and serving.
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
Easy braids are one of my favorite dinners. And it’s a great use for leftover meat!
Thanks Aimee!
sue hubbard says
i loved this taco braid! eating it now lol. hubbys liked it too. we dont eat crunchy tacos anyways, and this is so much better than flour tortillas to me. so simple, always have ingredients in stock too. i never knew they made crescent sheet dough! yep thinking other recipes to do braid with! thanks so much for the FB post and video! i wouldve never found it otherwise .keep videos to FB :)
Sue, thank you so much for your kind words! They made my day!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
I need this in my life!
You totally do!
suzan says
Forgot the best thing….. sour cream! Unless the sour cream is put on (after it’s baked) … the lettuce, tomato, etc would fall off.
kim says
Where do you buy seamless crescent rolls?
You can find it right with the other refrigerated doughs and the regular crescent roll dough. If you can’t find it, I would suggest that you either use pizza dough, or you get crescent roll dough, roll it all out and then push the seams together.
Diane Wilkins says
So I made this last Wednesday for family dinner. And it was a big hit, they all loved it. Great recipe!
Barbara says
My friend just wrote that he wanted to grow more of his own food but coldn’t find taco seeds. I will forward this to him as a substitute!
Hahahaha!
Dana says
Can this be prepared and refrigerated for a few hours before baking? Would like to make before Christmas service and bake for a gathering after. Thanks!
Dana, honestly I wouldn’t. I feel like things would get mushy. I would prepare the meat ahead of time and then prepare the rest just before making.
Barbara says
I can’t eat taco seasonings, so I would change this up and make a sloppy Joe filling.
That sounds delicious too Barabara!
Lori says
Making taco braid right now
Mike says
Made tonight and it came out great.. added let.tom.cheese. pico.sour cream. Jap. Salsa.. after it sat. For a few.. it was great.. wife love it.. will be a a remake.. thanks..
So glad you loved it!