Don Miguel Mini Tacos Review
Author’s note: I wasn’t paid or compensated in any way for this review and I have no affiliation with Don Miguel or Costco.
Enjoy the taco blabber.
This is my second year in a row buying a big, frozen box of these Don Miguel Mini Tacos from Costco, so you know I must like them.
Well. If you don’t know: I like them.
I liked them so much, I bored my poor, ‘ol Facebook friends right out of their minds, by blabbering about these stupid tacos. That’s one of the reasons why I had to start this blog — to give my friends a break. They didn’t sign up for taco blabber.
You, on the other hand, YOU want to be here. You googled this. You came here on purpose. You came for the blabber. The blabbering finally has a purpose.
Anyway. These are crispy little tacos, about 3 inches long. Although they are technically “Chicken & Cheese” tacos, it’s not a particularly cheese-y nor chicken-y filling, but there is some evidence of both. I guess. According to the box, there are two kinds of Mexican cheese inside: Oaxaca, and Cotija.
(I’m sorry for the blurry picture. I blabber better than I photograph)
Flavors and Textures
Mostly, the innards consist of a soft, flavorful-but-mysterious goo. There’s just a thin smear of filling in each taco. But it’s enough. There are intermittent whole beans and corn kernels, and a lovely, subtle spiciness. The ingredients mention wonderful things like jalapenos, tomatoes, green chiles, and cilantro. I don’t taste any of those things individually, but what I do taste is a fantastic mixture of all of those flavors (and more).
They need sauce. As do we all.
Because the filling is scant, I definitely think these wee tacos need sauce to reach their full potential.
I ate my mini tacos dipped in Mexicali Dip from Aldi’s Park Street Deli brand (read my review of it here). Pretty good pairing. Salsa is also nice, or even some Cilantro Lime Crema Sauce. Or a fancy bean dip. Heck, even hot sauce works.
Party spatulas
The tacos are naturally shaped like little spatulas, so they’re perfect for ANY kind of dipping activity. Probably the world’s perfect little party dippers. Party spatulas. Where’s the marketing team?
Very efficient spatuling. Spatula-ing? Efficient spatulation! Go forth and spatulate.
Ingredients in Don Miguel Mini Tacos
For being a mass-produced food item, this ingredient list is “not-so-bad”:
- Filling
- Chicken Breast with Rib Meat
- Mexican Cheeses (Oaxaca Cheese [Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Milk and Skim Milk, Sea Salt, Enzymes and Natamycin {natural mold inhibitor}], Cotija Cheese [Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Milk and Skim Milk, Sea Salt, Cellulose Powder {to prevent caking}, Natamycin {natural mold inhibitor}])
- Green Chiles (Green Chiles, Citric Acid [to acidify])
- Tomatoes
- Roasted Corn
- Corn Starch
- Vinegar
- Contains 2% or less of: Jalapeno Peppers, Onions, Gelatin, Water, Cilantro, Chicken Flavor Base (Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Fat, Turmeric [color], Garlic Powder, Natural Flavoring, Spice), Cilantro Flavor (Dextrose, Modified Corn Starch, Extractives of Cilantro), Flavorings, Salt, Guar Gum
- Tortilla
- Corn Flour (Ground Corn, Trace of Lime)
- Water
- Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Modified Potato Starch
- Soybean Oil
Obviously, I am not excited about the “soybean oil.” The rest of this is pretty decent. I don’t see any offensive preservatives or artificial colors or flavors.
How to Cook Don Miguel Mini Tacos
I have a countertop toaster oven with an air-fryer function, so obviously I used that, and not my “big oven.” Obvs! I “air fried” mine at about 375 for 10 minutes.
If you are using a Conventional Oven, the box recommends 425 for 10-12 minutes.
I also tried microwaving these, which was exactly as stupid as it sounds. The box says you can do this, but don’t. Please don’t microwave these. Please.
The tacos cook nicely on either aluminum foil or parchment paper. I tried both. They don’t need to be flipped over — the shells get crispy on BOTH sides, which is awesome.
After seeing my own photo, I clearly need to clean the inside of my toaster oven. Grrr. I don’t wanna!
Nutrition Facts
Although a serving of 4 mini tacos doesn’t have tons of protein, you can totally be like me and eat 8 (or more) tacos for a meal, which would give you at least 14 grams of protein. You have permission to eat as many mini tacos as you want. You’re welcome.
Each 4-taco serving has 190 calories, 8 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein, and one lonely gram of fiber. (Make it less lonely by eating 8 tacos!)
You also get a little dab of Calcium, Potassium, and Iron. There’s a moderate amount of sodium, with 16% of your daily value per serving.
Shelf-life
My box has an expiration date approximately 8 months after purchase, which is a bit shorter than I expected.
Price and Servings
I bought mine at Costco on sale for $8.99, but the regular price is $11.99 for a 3.15 pound box. There are 18 servings per box, so each serving costs 67 cents at the non-sale price. That’s 17 cents per taco.
The first time I bought these (from Costco in 2022), I paid $7.29 for a box of 72 tacos, so they cost 10 cents each. Ten cent tacos! That was an important part of my blabbering. It is not as much fun blabbering about 17 cent tacos. Just saying.
Dramatic Conclusion
These tiny tacos are tasty and a terrific value. They’re great for a quick snack, a full meal, or as a spatula-shaped party appetizer. It’s easy to keep them on hand in the freezer. I have already purchased them a few times, and intend to continue. I do wish they were still 10 cents each, but life goes on. I suppose.
The End.
(Thank Goodness.)
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