Spider Taco Crescent Ring

Spooky season has finally arrived, and I am so excited about everything for Halloween. From Halloween decorations to Halloween treats, and Halloween cocktails, I love it all.

My tasty spider taco ring is super cute, a hit with kids of all ages, and it's perfect for taco night (and who doesn't love tacos?). It's so tasty and fun that I know I'll be making it the entire month of October.

🥘 Ingredients

• Cooking Oil - Some extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Or use your preferred neutral-flavored cooking oil to saute the onions. I've been using beef tallow lately and loving it.
• Yellow Onion - You can use yellow, sweet, or white onion. Dice the onion finely if your kids are picky eaters.
• Garlic - Minced or finely sliced garlic for flavor.
• Ground Beef - I used 80/20, but you can use leaner ground beef if you prefer, or even ground chicken or ground turkey.
• Black Beans - You could also use kidney beans or pinto beans.
• Taco Seasoning - You can use store-bought taco seasoning mix or try my homemade taco seasoning mix. If you opt to use ground chicken, you can pair it with my chicken taco seasoning.
• Cheddar Cheese - Shred your own cheese for best results. Store-bought shredded cheese does not melt as well because it is coated to prevent the shreds from sticking together.
• Crescent Rolls - Some canned crescent roll dough will make the spider's body and legs.
• Iceberg Lettuce - Lettuce is a classic taco topping. Buy pre-shredded lettuce to make prep time even quicker.
• Tomatoes - Diced tomatoes for another topping. I like Roma and vine tomatoes best for this recipe.
• Sour Cream - Use full-fat or reduced-fat sour cream. You can swap for Greek yogurt too.
• Olives - You only need two black olives to make the eyes, but you can certainly serve the rest on the side!

🔪 How To Make A Spider Taco Crescent Ring

This cute spider is surprisingly simple to throw together. You will need a large skillet, a couple of baking sheets, and a wooden spoon.

This recipe will make a large spider that serves 8 people.

Make the Filling

Step 1: Heat the oil. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil or tallow to a large skillet and place it over medium heat (photo 1).

Step 2: Saute the onion. Once hot, add 1 small diced yellow onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender (photo 2).

Step 3: Add garlic. Add a tablespoon of minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more (photo 3).

Step 4: Cook the beef. Add ¾ pound (340 grams) of ground beef and cook while crumbling it until no longer pink (photo 4). Drain off any excess grease (photo 5).

Step 5: Add beans and seasoning. Stir in the 14.5 ounces (411 grams) of black beans, ½ cup (118 milliliters) of water, and 2½ tablespoons of taco seasoning mix (photo 6).

Step 6: Simmer. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue simmering until the liquid has thickened (about 5 minutes).

Step 7: Cool. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool (photo 7).

Form the Body

Step 8: Preheat. Arrange your oven racks so that one is in the upper third of the oven and the other is in the lower third. Then, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C/Gas Mark 5) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 9: Prepare the crescent rolls. Unroll two of your cans of crescent rolls and separate them into triangles. Place the triangles onto one of your baking sheets so that they are slightly overlapping, forming a circle with the pointed tips facing outwards (photo 8).

Step 10: Add the filling. Mix 1½ cups (170 grams) of cheddar cheese into the cooled taco mixture and then spoon it onto the overlapping part of the crescent rolls, forming a circle (photo 9).

Step 11: Fold. Take the pointed ends of the crescent rolls, wrap them over the taco meat, and then tuck them underneath the other side (photo 10). It is okay if some of the filling is showing in between the crescent rolls.

Form the Legs

Step 12: Prepare the dough. Open your last can of crescent rolls and separate the triangles.

Step 13: Shape the legs. Roll each triangle up, starting with the long end, and then use your hands to roll the dough into a long rod. Fold the dough into a V-shape and place it onto your second baking sheet (photo 11).

Bake and Assemble

Step 14: Bake. Place your spider legs onto the upper oven rack and bake at 375°F (190°C/Gas Mark 5) for 10-12 minutes (photo 12). Bake the spider body on the lower rack for 15-20 minutes (photo 13). You want the crescent rolls to be golden in color.

Step 15: Add the center toppings. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and transfer your spider's body to your preferred serving platter. Arrange 2 cups (144 grams) of iceberg lettuce, ¾ cups (111 grams) of diced fresh tomatoes, and ½ cup (115 grams) of sour cream in stripes in the center of the circle. Add 2 sliced medium black olives for eyes (photo 14).

Step 16: Add the legs. Take the legs and tuck them into the exposed filling between the crescent rolls so that they stand up like a walking spider's legs would (photo 15).

Step 17: Serve. Serve immediately with more taco toppings on the side, if desired.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• Make it high protein. If you don't want the beans, you can use an additional pound of meat.
• Make it vegetarian. On the other hand, to make this vegetarian, you can omit the meat and use two cans of beans. 
• Adjust the spiciness. Use taco seasoning that is as spicy or mild as you like. If serving this to a large group, use a mild seasoning and serve it with spicy hot sauce on the side. 
• Add more toppings. Serve your taco spider alongside salsa roja, queso (for dunking the legs in), guacamole, hot sauce, and extra sour cream. Combine taco seasoning with sour cream, or sour cream with taco sauce for a more flavorful creamy dip.

🥄 Make Ahead Options

You can prepare the taco meat mixture ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days before assembling the spider and baking it. 

🥡 Storing & Reheating

This spider taco ring is really best when enjoyed immediately, as you don't want the crescent rolls to become soggy. I have rarely had leftovers when it's served.

If you do have some, remove the fillings in the center of the spider and store them separately.

Place the crescent ring in a shallow storage container and reheat as soon as possible. They're best within 1-2 days but can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Reheating

While I hope you don't have leftovers to reheat, there is a slim chance you might need to. If you find yourself in this situation, use the oven or an air fryer to try to retain some of the crescent roll texture (and not just get a mushy mess).

Heat your oven or air fryer to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and allow them to preheat fully for best results. Place any remaining taco ring portions on a parchment paper sheet (on a baking sheet or in the air fryer basket) and heat until warmed to your satisfaction.

📖 Recipe Card