Description
These Ghost Taco Hand Pies are a fun and delicious twist on traditional tacos, featuring a savory ground meat filling seasoned with taco spices and encased in flaky pie crust shaped like spooky ghosts. Perfect for Halloween or any festive occasion, these hand pies are baked to golden perfection and served with salsa or guacamole for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1 pound lean ground beef, ground turkey, or chicken
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper or baby spinach (optional)
Dough & Assembly
- 2 pie crusts, defrosted but unbaked
- 1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 egg for brushing
- Salsa for dipping
Instructions
- Cook the taco filling: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. If using ground turkey or chicken, add a drizzle of olive oil first. Add the ground meat and break it apart into crumbles. Stir in taco seasoning and shredded carrot or chopped bell pepper/spinach if using. Cook for 5-6 minutes until browned, continuing to break the meat into small pieces. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Prepare the pie crusts: Roll out the pie crusts on a lightly floured surface. Use ghost-shaped cookie cutters to cut out an even number of shapes for tops and bottoms of the hand pies. Re-roll scraps as needed to use all dough.
- Assemble the hand pies: Arrange half of the ghost shapes on your work surface. Spoon a small amount of taco filling into the center of each, then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Use a small round cutter to cut out eyes and/or mouth from the remaining ghost shapes. Place these cut-out shapes over the filled ghosts and seal edges gently with a fork.
- Apply egg wash: Mix the egg with a splash of water or milk and brush this over the tops of each hand pie to ensure a golden crust.
- Bake: Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 10-14 minutes until the pies are golden brown on top.
- Serve: Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes before serving with salsa or guacamole for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
- Yield: Yield varies based on size of cookie cutters; expect approximately 15 mini hand pies.
- Extra Filling: Avoid overfilling pies to make sealing easier. Reserve any extra filling for quesadillas, bowls, or simply enjoy alongside the pies.
- Storage: Store leftover hand pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in oven, toaster oven, or air fryer to keep the crust crispy.
- Pizza Variation: Substitute taco meat with pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, and pepperoni for a fun twist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini hand pie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1.5g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
