Cheesy Taco Sticks with Spiced Garlic Butter
These handheld taco bites wrap savory seasoned beef and melted pepper jack cheese inside golden, pillowy pizza dough, finished with a standout taco-spiced garlic butter crust. They bake up quickly on a single sheet pan and are practically built for dipping into warm queso, sour cream, or your favorite salsa.
- Total Time42 minutes
- Yield10 sticks (serves 5) 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Taco Filling
- 8 oz (225 g) lean ground beef
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning (from a standard packet or homemade), divided
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
Dough & Cheese
- 1 can (13.8 oz / 391 g) refrigerated classic pizza dough
- 5 pepper jack string cheese sticks, halved crosswise to make 10 short sticks
Spiced Garlic Butter Finish
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Prep the oven and pan: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cook the filling: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until nicely browned and no pink remains, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Season and cool: Measure out 1½ teaspoons of the taco seasoning and set it aside for the butter topping. Add the remaining 1½ tablespoons of seasoning and the water to the beef. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the liquid thickens and coats the meat. Crucial step: Remove from heat and let the beef cool for at least 10 minutes (warm filling will melt the raw dough and make it tear).
- Portion the dough: Unroll the pizza dough on a clean work surface, gently stretching it into a roughly 10×15-inch rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 10 smaller rectangles (about 3×5 inches each).
- Stuff and roll: Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of the cooled taco meat onto the center of each dough rectangle. Place a halved cheese stick directly on top of the meat. Fold the long edges of the dough over the filling, then fold in the ends. Pinch all seams tightly to seal, and place them seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Glaze the sticks: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, garlic powder, fresh cilantro, and the reserved 1½ teaspoons of taco seasoning. Generously brush this spiced butter over the tops and sides of the dough sticks.
- Bake: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the dough is puffed, deep golden brown, and the cheese is bubbly inside. Let cool for 3 to 5 minutes on the pan before serving warm.
Notes
- Why it works: Dropping the oven temperature to 400°F (compared to the standard 425°F for flat pizza dough) allows the thick, stuffed dough rolls to bake all the way through without scorching the bottoms, ensuring a fully melted cheese center.
- Pinch like you mean it: Refrigerated dough loves to unroll as it expands in the oven. To prevent a “blowout” where the cheese escapes, make sure your dough isn’t greasy from the meat, pinch the seams firmly together, and always bake them seam-side down so the weight of the stick holds it shut.
Calories: 410 | Total Carbs: 41g (Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g) | Fat: 18g (Saturated: 9g) | Protein: 21g
Nutritional values are approximate, based on standard reference data (USDA FoodData Central). Actual values vary by brand and exact measurements. For precision, use a tracker like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 sticks
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 5g
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 21g